doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Rotator Cuff recovery? Turkey season in 3 weeks.

RMC,

I have no answer for you. I'm looking for the same answer myself.





I had rotator cuff surgery on December 31, 2007, so today I am 14 weeks post-surgery. (The photo was 10 days post-surgery.) I have recovered most of my range of motion, but not all. My therapy is now concentrated on re-building strength in the muscles. I can shoulder a gun now, but there's no way I can do it really fast, and I'm not ready for the impact of recoil. I'm thinking maybe in another month or so.

By the way, I didn't have staples to close my incision. They used the steri-strip tape, as you can see in the photo. Also, this is my right shoulder. The photo being shot in the mirror makes it look like the left. I am a right handed shooter.

Good luck with your recovery.

Curl

Have had both done years ago. I would reccomend shooting left handed. It takes time for the healing and PT to take effect. Not worth undoing what the good Doc did. Best of Luck. PS had to sit out 2 turkey seasons, one with a knee replacement and the other with a hip replacement, no more spring surgeries.

My wife had the same surgery. It was a very slow and painful recovery period. They sent her to physical therapy three times a week, where they inflicted much pain in an attempt to be sure the shoulder did not heal in a "stiffened up" position or without full rotation. I don't think you are going to make your opener, unless you switch shoulders for shooting those stout 10 bore turkey loads. I have never thought it was really necessary to shoot those very, very heavy loads for turkeys anyway. Many turkeys have been killed with field loads of bird shot. I would certainly not be opposed to trying a 16 gauge 1 oz load of something like #4 shot through a fairly full choke from the opposite shoulder. Maybe you could set up a target and give it a test. If you don't have to shoot at extremely long ranges, I don't see why it wouldn't work for you while you heal up. My wife actually had to have the surgery repeated on the same shoulder, the first surgery did not heal properly for some reason, don't know what. She may have "tweaked" it somehow and pulled something loose in the healing process or in the physical therapy sessions, but failures can and do happen in rotator cuff surgery. I would not give it an opportunity to fail, if I were you. Stay away from shooting on that shoulder for a full year, then no 10 bore boomers.

Go and have fun and shoot carefully from the left side only, and with a light recoiling gun. Keep the arm in the body sling to avoid any chance of "forgetting" in the excitement of the approaching tom.

I had the surgery in December 1980. By fall of '81 shooting the M12 Heavy Duck at greenheads was still uncomfortable. However, in the woods with the SxS 20 and light grouse loads was fine.

The PT is a pain, but keep at it! Full range of motion is a good thing in the long run.

My surgeon said the first 12 weeks post-surgery are extremely critical to the healing process. It is during that time there is the greatest risk of tearing out the repair. But even after that the healing process continues for about 18 months. No way would I want to risk tearing the repair and having to go through the surgery again.

Unless you have a completely different experience than I have had, you might as well expect to sit this turkey season out.

Curl

I had a complete torn rotator cuff and a detached bicep. My surgery was June 7th of 2007... I'm still recovering. Every time I would see the surgeon he would say "remember that your shoulder is held together with sutures... give it time" I have been slowly being more aggressive with exercise, but I sure as heck don't want to tear it again. As far as push-ups.... kstt.... I'm still doing them off my knees! As for shooting....left handed worked for me. My 65 pound compound may be a thing of the past though... we'll see.

Ron

I avoided the operation and have never regretted it. However, I still had to shoot shotguns and more powerful centerfires from left shoulder during years of PT. Missed a couple chances at nice toms because I could not get a quick aimed shot off fast enough from left side(using rifle). Have never shot turkey with shotgun. IF at all allowed, I would choose either a greatly loaded down centerfire, a "small game" center fire, like 22 Hornet, 25-20, 32-20, etc., even 22 WMR with nice 2X-4X scope.

Niklas

I had a badly torn rotator cuff. Being in the land of socialised medecine, as in long waits for treatment, I was in excrutiating pain for 7 months while waiting for a scan. The Canadian surgeon was ready for me but until I had the arthroscope (?) done he could not operate. I called the doctor's office several times to see when the procedure could be done, I was on the list, I'd just have to wait.
Eventually I got fed up with being in really bad pain all the time, so I called the Altru Clinic in Grand Forks ND on a Friday morning and on Tuesday I had the scan and was back in Winnipeg Thursday and had the op on Friday. Took a long time to get better, at least a year.
So the socialised medecine in Manitoba is free if you do not mind waiting till you die first because of the wait for surgery.
I would pay for private medical treatment out of my own pocket for me and my family, but due to Socialist Claptrap we are not permitted to do so in Manitoba. What a crock. Of course if any of our beloved Socialist Government members or there family members are in need, they go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn! One rule for us, another for you, you grubby little stinky peasant!
Mike, the non-socialist.

You guys have scared hell out of me. I am scheduled for surgery in June on my right shoulder. I've postponed the surgery once by having a cortisone shot 5 months ago. I have no pain most of the time now, but remember the sleepless nights last year. I'd keep trying the cortisone, but the surgeon says long term effects of multiple shots are damaging in themselves. Any thoughts?
Will

Not only is the cortisone damaging, the passage of time lets the torn tendons and muscles atrophy, leaving very poor tissue for the surgeon to work with.

A quick internet search will show you that prompt attention to the problem results in the best recovery. I was injured in a fall on December 7, 2007 and had my surgery on December 31, 2007. During the three weeks that intervened my pain subsided to a great degree. Mentally, it would have been easy to put off the surgery. However, I'm firmly convinced that prompt action pays in this situation. So I got my surgery as soon as it could be scheduled. I had a completely detatched subscapularis (an uncommon injury), with the biceps tendon partially torn and dislocated. Dislocation of the biceps tendon caused other collateral damage. Mine couldn't be done with an arthroscope, and I knew that up front.

My therapist says I should attain a full recovery.

Curl