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Shoulder rotator cuff tear, anyone?

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Freddyfruitba...
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PostPosted: 16:28 - 14 Jun 2017    Post subject: Shoulder rotator cuff tear, anyone? Reply with quote

Feeling very pissed off with life at the moment having just had the results of an MRI scan on my shoulder. This followed an shoulder-versus-boulder incident during an unscheduled dismount on my first-ever (and last) attempt at off-roading a couple of months ago.

I whacked my shoulder end-on when I hit the deck, and have had pain in it ever since, notably in bed at night and if I try to lift my arm. At least it doesn't curtail bike riding at all (on the black stuff!). Anyway the bone cruncher dude today tells me that my supraspinatus is completely ruptured, with retraction (ie it's pinged back up inside my shoulder), and he recommends trying to repair it. Chances of success are not great; it will mean a completely immobilised dominant shoulder/arm for three weeks followed by many months of painful physio (and unlikely to be able to ride at all) with no guarantee of success at the end of it.

Presumably this is a reasonably common biking injury, and so I wondered if anyone here's had experience of this?
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SophR so good
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PostPosted: 21:14 - 14 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd like to give you hope but I had a very very minor rotator cuff injury following my crash, landed on shoulder same as you. It's been 7 months and I'm still in pain lying on it and lifting stuff. Shoulders are exceedingly slow to heal although surgery ironically may speed that up (more blood circulating). So best of luck and drain the bike before the op ready for next year Thumbs Up
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Bru
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PostPosted: 21:27 - 14 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi.

It's not good. Hopefully you will regain sufficient motion and strength from what sounds like a necessary surgical procedure.

I tore mine many years ago, and it tweaks regularly. Did it again recently, due to the underlying weakness, and it has taken months to regain most of the motion. Physio (which I have never had) would probably help too!
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M.C
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PostPosted: 21:55 - 14 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shoulders are never right again Sad I found the exercises did help, took a while though.
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Johnnythefox
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PostPosted: 22:30 - 14 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very sorry to hear this, yours sounds bad, tore mine back in August last year, signed off by physio two weeks ago, took ten months to get better, couldn't raise arm above ear height first few months and lived off ibuprofen, hope your repair goes well and you get back to fitness.
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Tierbirdy
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PostPosted: 22:30 - 14 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dislocated my shoulder in a crash a few months ago, buggered up my rotator cuff as a result. 2 months of physio (thanks employer! I think its ironic/funny that working for the NHS, they will pay for me to go to a private physio clinic rather than NHS one Laughing ) later and it still hurts when I move it in certain ways or if I lie on it at night, and I cant put that arm behind my back without immense pain.

If it were me, Id opt for the surgery - anything to make this pain and annoyance go away. Worst case scenario if it doesnt work at least you get three weeks sick pay off work Mr. Green But as they say, gambling with other peoples money is easy. The problem is causing you grief at the moment, it wont get better by itself. Is there a chance if the surgery is unsuccessful that it actually makes the problem worse? Its not guaranteed to be successful but its better chances than doing nothing at all.
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Freddyfruitba...
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PostPosted: 01:07 - 15 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fuck.

Would've been nice to have had just one optimistic response, wouldn't it?! but thanks, all.
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arry
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PostPosted: 07:58 - 15 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Been living with mine for circa 3 years now. Down on strength and range of movement. Sucks.
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arry
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PostPosted: 07:58 - 15 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Been living with mine for circa 3 years now. Down on strength and range of movement. Sucks.
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M.C
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PostPosted: 12:22 - 15 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Freddyfruitbat wrote:
Fuck.

Would've been nice to have had just one optimistic response, wouldn't it?! but thanks, all.

Mine was meant to be sort of positive Smile These are the exercises I did daily for about a year:
https://www.lnwh.nhs.uk/EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=2979 - https://youtu.be/kdbTID2KF_k

They did really help, to the point where I was basically pain free. I only stopped as I have other aliments now which I focus on Neutral
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Freddyfruitba...
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PostPosted: 12:41 - 15 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

M.C wrote:
Mine was meant to be sort of positive Smile These are the exercises I did daily for about a year:

Thanks!

My current situation is that my shoulder doesn't hurt at all when just doing normal stuff... I can ride my bike for long periods with no bother at all; I can lug it on and off the centre stand no problem, and weirdly I have no difficulty carrying a normal amount of weight. (Main problems are pain at night and limited mobility, eg raising arm above chest height). Would be good to know if anyone who's been in a similar position and had surgery has found their symptoms worsened as a result, eg no longer able to lift stuff?

Also, I've found out that the procedure normally comes with advice not to drive for at least 8 weeks - how much longer than that till I can ride again, in people's experience?
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panrider_uk
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PostPosted: 13:03 - 15 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had what I thought was tennis elbow but turned out to be a rotator cuff problem.

I got some exercises from a physio which helped massively and pretty much got me sorted.

Still not quite right but not constantly painful any more.

It wasn't a tear though.
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Suntan Sid
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PostPosted: 17:39 - 15 Jun 2017    Post subject: Re: Shoulder rotator cuff tear, anyone? Reply with quote

Freddyfruitbat wrote:
Feeling very pissed off with life at the moment having just had the results of an MRI scan on my shoulder. This followed an shoulder-versus-boulder incident during an unscheduled dismount on my first-ever (and last) attempt at off-roading a couple of months ago.

I whacked my shoulder end-on when I hit the deck, and have had pain in it ever since, notably in bed at night and if I try to lift my arm. At least it doesn't curtail bike riding at all (on the black stuff!). Anyway the bone cruncher dude today tells me that my supraspinatus is completely ruptured, with retraction (ie it's pinged back up inside my shoulder), and he recommends trying to repair it. Chances of success are not great; it will mean a completely immobilised dominant shoulder/arm for three weeks followed by many months of painful physio (and unlikely to be able to ride at all) with no guarantee of success at the end of it.

Presumably this is a reasonably common biking injury, and so I wondered if anyone here's had experience of this?


What has the surgeon/doctor said about the do nothing option, will your range of mobility decrease over time or will other muscles compensate?

17 years ago I broke and dislocated my left shoulder, although I didn't detach any muscles from bones, I did detach a large chunk off the top of my humerus, I had to wait over twelve hours before the surgery needed to pop everything back into place, which was long enough for the muscles to contract.

AIUI, if you have surgery to reattach the muscles, as you say, you will have a lot of recovering to do.
Once you've completed the physio, there is no, absolute, guarantee that the muscles will not simply contract again!

If your arm has to be immobilised after surgery for a long time, you'll also be faced with having to get that working again as well as your shoulder!
After, I think, six weeks in a sling my arm was less than useless, couldn't lift it at all, which is a weird enough sensation!

I'm afraid, as someone else has said, it will never be, absolutely, right again, even after surgery.
As I said, I did this 17 years ago, I still can't sleep on my left side, I can't prop myself up on my elbow, when lying down, without pain.
I've got 98% mobility, but if I was to be frog marched, with my left arm up my back, it would be absolute agony.

On the bright side though, you won't need a barometer to predict the weather, your shoulder will let you know when it's cold a damp!

Good luck! Thumbs Up
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Eddie Hitler
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PostPosted: 14:47 - 20 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Total c**t of an injury. Had it happen once a few years ago whilst training, even though it was minor it tooks weeks to heal. More recently I had issues following a bike crash, nearly two years on it's pretty much healed.

It will take time, I would go with what the doctor says, but make sure you get a second opinion.
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Tracey Suntan-King
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PostPosted: 15:06 - 20 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Eddie Hitler wrote:
Total c**t of an injury. Had it happen once a few years ago whilst training, even though it was minor it tooks weeks to heal. More recently I had issues following a bike crash, nearly two years on it's pretty much healed.

It will take time, I would go with what the doctor says, but make sure you get a second opinion.


So.....you just walk back in after months away without a postcard, phone all or text? Where bin?
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331X2
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PostPosted: 23:30 - 20 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm pretty sure I've got something along the lines of this, noticed the morning after a quite heavy indoor climbing session around 6 weeks ago and it's been showing all the rotator cuff symptoms since.

I've avoided the doctor as it seems to be bothering me less as time goes on although I'm not sure if I'm just compensating for it in how I move/raise my arm.
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el_oso
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PostPosted: 11:14 - 23 Jun 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Get the surgery. I wasted two years at university 'waiting' for it to heal. I stopped playing university level rugby and football, but still kept injuring it in everyday life. Got so bad that carrying shopping would make the shoulder pop out.

It's coming up to four years now and never had any trouble with it, I'm lacking a lot of flexibility still, but that's my own fault not doing enough physio. The lack of flexibility doesn't affect me day to day. If I did the stretching I'm confident it would return. I've also been playing rugby for the last two years and never had any trouble, and I'm one to put a shoulder in.
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Freddyfruitba...
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PostPosted: 19:04 - 23 Jul 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

So. Just had the surgery on my shoulder, and feeling a bit sorry for myself as a result.

I ended up paying £250 to get a second opinion from another shoulder specialist; and (reassuringly I suppose) received exactly the same diagnosis and advice. Although I've been functioning pretty normally for the last few months, with very little pain and coping with the inability to raise my arm above shoulder height, they both reckoned that if I left it alone I'd have raging arthritis within a very few years, and would be needing a complete shoulder replacement, which I'm far too young for as they are crap and don't last very long.

Had keyhole surgery; I was told the innards of the joint were pretty comprehensively fucked; it wasn't possible to reattach the snapped tendon to the bone so the guy used a graft (made of skin harvested from a dead body Sick ). The procedure is still all very much experimental, but seems there was nothing to lose by trying and maybe everything to gain. My right arm is now completely immobilised in a sling for 3 weeks; after that the fun will start with about 5 months of intensive, very painful rehab. Deep joy. Bike's now SORNed; God knows when I'll be back in the saddle Crying or Very sad
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M.C
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PostPosted: 21:51 - 23 Jul 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Freddyfruitbat wrote:
I'd have raging arthritis within a very few years, and would be needing a complete shoulder replacement, which I'm far too young for as they are crap and don't last very long.

Shocked I thought arthritis came on later... a lot later.
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Freddyfruitba...
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PostPosted: 23:45 - 23 Jul 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

M.C wrote:
I thought arthritis came on later... a lot later

Arthritis happens when the two surfaces of a joint are sliding against each other, rather than rolling/rotating as they are supposed to. The joint surfaces aren't meant to slide, and will quickly wear away, which is when arthritis sets in. In my case it was clear from X-rays that my shoulder joint was very unstable with a lot of movement between the opposing joint faces.

I don't know if that's always going to be the case with other situations like this, but seems its worth to me getting checked out rather than just grinning and bearing it, if treatment could prevent long-term damage.

This is one of my own X-rays from before the op - the two solid red lines are actually supposed to intersect, whereas in my case the head of the humerus (that's the 'ball' at the top of the bone in my upper arm) is about half an inch higher than it should be, which shows that the joint is unstable and the joint surfaces are sliding against each other.

https://i.imgur.com/FUdg0Iw.jpg

(Dunno if anyone's interested in this stuff but FWIW I found an animation here of the operation I've just undergone)
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skatefreak
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PostPosted: 09:58 - 24 Jul 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Eugh, this just makes me want to sell the R1, sell the track bike and crawl crawl back to my old hobbies for flying R/C planes and heli's...

Am getting old, old and risk adverse...

Crying or Very sad
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P.
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PostPosted: 10:54 - 24 Jul 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why am I more grossed out by animated videos than actual surgery ones. Neutral Neutral
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Bricktop
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PostPosted: 23:21 - 24 Jul 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had it in the left shoulder a few years ago, cause by repetitive strain injury at work. Saw the consultant, who said it probably needed surgery. But, he also said that he'd first like to try ONE cortisone jab and eight sessions of physio. If the physio didn't work I was to contact his secretary and he'd put me at the front of the queue for surgery because I'd already done my waiting time.

Anyway, by the time I'd done my sixth physio session, it was already much better. Dodged a major bullet, I'd say...
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mikester
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PostPosted: 13:42 - 25 Jul 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

damn, thread not for good reading. suspect I have the same, been sent for an ultrasound to confirm with the options of steroid injections, physio or surgery dependant on the severity... all this from having my arms in the air on a rollercoaster then getting bashed in the cart Sad
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M.C
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PostPosted: 14:05 - 25 Jul 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote

mikester wrote:
damn, thread not for good reading. suspect I have the same, been sent for an ultrasound to confirm with the options of steroid injections, physio or surgery dependant on the severity... all this from having my arms in the air on a rollercoaster then getting bashed in the cart Sad

My sister did hers playing Wii boxing so you don't get first prize unfortunately Smile Mine was carrying heavy shopping whilst helping a disabled person. Should have left them there Rolling Eyes


Last edited by M.C on 14:07 - 25 Jul 2017; edited 2 times in total
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