Looks like surgery is in my future... Shoulder injuries anyone?

D

Dajerseyrat

Well-Known Member
:mad:

So I have been having some shoulder issues over the past 2-3 years. Some days its worse than others and I have been going off and on to a physical therapy office and even got injections last year which seemed to help.

My shoulder is tight and usually hurts in the gym for the first minutes until its warmed up, but I thought it was just the aches and pains associated with aging and never thought much of it.It would get sore after the workout and bother me for a day or so then get a little better.

Keep in mind I box, do martial arts,mountain bike and lift weights and have been doing all of the above at a decent pace.

Last year I got an MRI which wasn't really conclusive for any tears, just showed some mild degeneration. Well we did another MRI this week with contrast this time and apparently I did some pretty significant damage to my Labrum and I have some bone spurs also.. Apparently The fact that Im fairly muscular is what is holding my shoulder together and allowing me to do every thing I have been doing for so long with mild pain and discomfort..

They advised me that it will get worse over time and damage other things in there if I dont fix it at some point and I keep training the way I do. Im really afraid of the surgery and long recovery to tell you the truth, they said 6-8 months recovery..:cry: Anyone out there have any experiences with significant shoulder injuries,surgeries and the recovery process? Im leaning toward the surgery but would like to hold out till the fall or winter to do it. Looks like ill be doing a lot more biking instead of lifting weights this summer..
 
Dajerseyrat said:
:mad:

So I have been having some shoulder issues over the past 2-3 years. Some days its worse than others and I have been going off and on to a physical therapy office and even got injections last year which seemed to help.

My shoulder is tight and usually hurts in the gym for the first minutes until its warmed up, but I thought it was just the aches and pains associated with aging and never thought much of it.It would get sore after the workout and bother me for a day or so then get a little better.

Keep in mind I box, do martial arts,mountain bike and lift weights and have been doing all of the above at a decent pace.

Last year I got an MRI which wasn't really conclusive for any tears, just showed some mild degeneration. Well we did another MRI this week with contrast this time and apparently I did some pretty significant damage to my Labrum and I have some bone spurs also.. Apparently The fact that Im fairly muscular is what is holding my shoulder together and allowing me to do every thing I have been doing for so long with mild pain and discomfort..

They advised me that it will get worse over time and damage other things in there if I dont fix it at some point and I keep training the way I do. Im really afraid of the surgery and long recovery to tell you the truth, they said 6-8 months recovery..:cry: Anyone out there have any experiences with significant shoulder injuries,surgeries and the recovery process? Im leaning toward the surgery but would like to hold out till the fall or winter to do it. Looks like ill be doing a lot more biking instead of lifting weights this summer..
Click to expand...

I had a bad crash in August '12 and it took a few months for me to realize with all the other issues that a shoulder problem had escaped notice. MRI revealed a full tear on my supraspinitis. Surgery in Dec '12 with some Kevlar darts to reattach it to the bone. One month of healing for the bonding to take place and approx 10 weeks of PT a few times per week and cleared for 80-90% intensity activities. Driving a car in the first two weeks was off limits and sitting up was the only way I could sleep for more than 6 weeks. ( borrow a lazy-boy recliner would be the smart move ). Ask the doc about the implications of delaying, in my case the tendon had retracted in the few months and was close to the limit of how much it could be stretched back without problems.

Good luck

-W
 
Also a member...

...of the recent shoulder surgery club. December 17th for a torn rotator cuff and detached bicep tendon(right side). It was the perfect time; work was slow and there were no opportunities to ride anyway.
I too have had chronic problems with my left side but two MRIs were inconclusive so we went the therapy route; in some ways helpful, in others just aggravating.
Last fall I took two tumbles OTB and did some acute damage to the right side. This time I went to a different doctor and he determined that surgery for the recent injury was warranted right away partially because of that "shrinkage" factor. He said the sooner you repair it after the occurrence, the better, and the greater the likelihood of a full recovery.
As far as the left one goes, there are some tears and degenerative issues but repairs to that won't be so straight forward. We agreed to let it ride until next winter.
So, now I am four months post op and doing great. Not full strength, but fully functioning including back on the mtb(albeit gingerly). Plus the therapy I've been doing has actually helped the other shoulder.
I'm sure everybody's situation is unique but one thing for sure, the right doctor and PTist will make all the difference in the world.
Good luck!
 
A year and a half ago I had the exact same symptoms and diagnosis as you do. MRI showed a bone spur and the doc was thinking a labrum tear but didn't see it on the MRI. He wanted to cut off the spur and find the tear or verify there was not one. I tried PT which didn't help and the doc said it would not heal itself and suggested surgery. I scheduled surgery reluctantly for what would be 2 days after Hurricane Sandy hit. Of course it got cancelled and I did not reschedule. I changed my gym routine basically to higher reps with lighter weight since my shoulder bothered me the most on heavy bench presses. It's been a year and a half and my shoulder is better (feeling anyway, I haven't gone back for another MRI). Maybe try that for a few months before making the decision.
 
I'm a member. Mine was due to a cycling accident and not from a pre-exsisting condition so I had no choice but to get surgery.

Currently I have about 60% use of my right arm and need a complete replacement to repair it all the way. At this point I'm not interested in going back in for another surgery. I've also been using weights to help build muscle and stabilize the area...

-Jim.
 
Not only am I a member, but I am also the President...

...OK maybe not President...but a member at large:D

Have had 2 surgeries for labrum tear on L shoulder(first one in 2000, last one was in 2009), and should have R surgery as well at some point in the near future.

PT started day after surgery with stretching and strengthening...like most have not been diligent with stretching and stuff at home after about 6 months out.

Biggest deficits are range of motion and strength in front of shoulder, but has not been a functional deficit for riding or normal day to day activities. Cold low pressure weather systems are awful because I can feel them coming in and I get a dull throbbing ache in the joint(also in my knee as I shattered my patella and had to have some of that removed as well a while back).

Changed weight routines as one mentioned above--now lower weight, higher reps, no barbells at all--only dumbbells and bodyweight moves with high attention to form and range of motion during exercise execution.

Good Luck!!

Brian
 
dommie67 said:
my shoulder bothered me the most on heavy bench presses. .
Click to expand...

This is where it bothers me the most..I used to bench 335lbs for reps now I cant even free bench at all. I use the smith machine and gingerly work my way up to (4) 25lb plates on each side which is only about 200lbs..:( I have adapted my technique to lower my elbows a bit taking some strain off the shoulder joint. Im going to my regular Dr. today to get the official MRI reading and have an appointment with an ortho in May to see what he says..

If I can simply maintain my current level of activity without doing further damage then I will be happy. But from the sounds of the unofficial reading by my therapists, it will degenerate to the point of unusable if left untreated..
 
jimvreeland said:
I'm a member. Mine was due to a cycling accident and not from a pre-exsisting condition so I had no choice but to get surgery.

Currently I have about 60% use of my right arm and need a complete replacement to repair it all the way. At this point I'm not interested in going back in for another surgery. I've also been using weights to help build muscle and stabilize the area...

-Jim.
Click to expand...


Wow..Complete replacement is a major thing..Mine isn't from an acute injury cause I cant really recall doing anything that was an instant injury like when I did my left Bicep. This is more of a repetitive wear and tear but it did get worse after several Muay Thai classes I took about 2 years ago. The day after a really hard session I noticed when I rotated my shoulder it clicked like a bunch of rocks were in there. Even still I had complete use and little pain.
Perhaps I'm just so used to being in pain that that I think it's normal to feel that way..lol
 
rottin' said:
...OK maybe not President...but a member at large:D

Have had 2 surgeries for labrum tear on L shoulder(first one in 2000, last one was in 2009), and should have R surgery as well at some point in the near future.

PT started day after surgery with stretching and strengthening...like most have not been diligent with stretching and stuff at home after about 6 months out.

Biggest deficits are range of motion and strength in front of shoulder, but has not been a functional deficit for riding or normal day to day activities. Cold low pressure weather systems are awful because I can feel them coming in and I get a dull throbbing ache in the joint(also in my knee as I shattered my patella and had to have some of that removed as well a while back).

Changed weight routines as one mentioned above--now lower weight, higher reps, no barbells at all--only dumbbells and bodyweight moves with high attention to form and range of motion during exercise execution.

Good Luck!!

Brian
Click to expand...

Why did they do the surgery twice? on the same shoulder? did you have any tendinitis radiating down the triceps? Also I can do dumbels for shoulders, but for chest forget it..they aggravate it something horrible. I do all my rotator cuff exercises 2 times a week and have started doing real delts that i have neglected over the years which Im sure are a contributing factor.
 
I had my Labrum repaired a few years back and currently have a big tear in the back of my shoulder. They need to detach my bicep and relocate it in front of the joint. The recovery is a year....... with that said the labrum repair recovery is long and slow and it will take 6-8 months as the doctor stated. I would think long and hard before you have it done unless you absolutely have to, it sounds like you are pretty active, maybe try to build the muscle around it? I will say that my labrum has been perfect since it was repaired. I used Dr. Flatow in NYC who is world known and every year on the top 100 doc list. I decided to live in pain until I absolutely have to fix the rear of my shoulder due to the fact I do not want to sit for a year doing nothing. It is a long time to do nothing....
 
Dajerseyrat said:
This is where it bothers me the most..I used to bench 335lbs for reps now I cant even free bench at all. I use the smith machine and gingerly work my way up to (4) 25lb plates on each side which is only about 200lbs..:( I have adapted my technique to lower my elbows a bit taking some strain off the shoulder joint. Im going to my regular Dr. today to get the official MRI reading and have an appointment with an ortho in May to see what he says..

If I can simply maintain my current level of activity without doing further damage then I will be happy. But from the sounds of the unofficial reading by my therapists, it will degenerate to the point of unusable if left untreated..
Click to expand...

I was using mostly the smith machine for bench presses because I didn't have anyone to spot me for heavier lifts (not as heavy as you, i'm a little shit). It got to the point that I could feel my right shoulder popping as I was lifting heavy. My doc told me that it would not repair itself so that's why I scheduled surgery. I was reluctant to not work out as hard but dropping the weight and increasing reps has helped. I have also changed chest exercises to cable pulls and push ups besides lighter bench presses. No more popping and no real pain. Try for a few months to see what happens. You can always schedule surgery if you decide to.
 
dommie67 said:
I was using mostly the smith machine for bench presses because I didn't have anyone to spot me for heavier lifts (not as heavy as you, i'm a little shit). It got to the point that I could feel my right shoulder popping as I was lifting heavy. My doc told me that it would not repair itself so that's why I scheduled surgery. I was reluctant to not work out as hard but dropping the weight and increasing reps has helped. I have also changed chest exercises to cable pulls and push ups besides lighter bench presses. No more popping and no real pain. Try for a few months to see what happens. You can always schedule surgery if you decide to.
Click to expand...

That is exactly the feeling I get when I bench press, it feels like it may pop out at any second...I got an appt with a shoulder specialist in May, we will see what he says.
 
I had my labrum done a few years ago after getting hurt at work. I had a tear, dislocation and an impingement. It happened at about 7 in the morning, by 9 the throbbing in my shoulder was getting worse and my hand was going numb.

One month in a sling, then another month of PT before work finally sends me for an MRI. As I'm in the tube I ask the tech why she has my right arm strapped down, and she says because thats the one she is taking pics of. I kindly inform her that its my left shoulder, we laugh, another 35 minutes in the tube.

Since I was hurt at work, I went to all of their doctors and followed the instructions to a T. Operated on March 17th, pt started that week, finally got cleared to return to work about a week or so before October. Quite honestly, the recovery hurt more than the injury. Take it slow, follow what your doctor tells you.

And dont gain 50 pounds like I did :drooling:
 
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