NFR - well maybe. Rotated cuffbv

S

Scott Salzer

Life of the Party
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This is a self diagnosis at this point but symptoms are there.

Suggestions, comments, how to precede. Obviously, a trip to an ortho would be a first step but it sounds like physical therapy might be a good start.
No specific fall or injury preceded it. Could be just be being 70.
 
Here's an at home test...helps determine if it is the rc.
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I had the surgery, but mine was bad...pt can help, but it can be slow. It all depends on what is actually wrong in your shoulder of course. Right now I am having pt for my other shoulder. An MRI is the best diagnostic tool as I remember...but not a medical professional here, just a guy with bad shoulder.
At 70, I'd get one asap, if you wind up needing surgery it's a long recovery.

Good luck, hope you do not need surgery, as it was the longest recovery of any of my surgeries.
 
Had surgery for torn rotator cuff years ago. Slow recovery followed by about 6 weeks of therapy at Rebound. After therapy continued the exercises at home. I now can cast my 8 wt for steel with no problem for hours. I've always tried to be a good patient and it seems to have helped. I wouldn't wait to see the orthopedic doc and have that MRI and get it fixed now asap. Luckily my therapist's husband was a fly fisher that loved to go for steel so I presented her a dozen flies. Kind of a butt smoozing but I'm okay with it. When she said the next session was to be my last I prepared a chart for continued work at home and had her review it make changes and suggestions. She said she'd never had a patient do that before. All the work is worth it. Just don't wait. And good luck to you.
 
My wife had frozen shoulder a couple years ago. Look it up.
 
Scott, check this out.
It's been years ago but the first doctor was all gung ho on a torn rotator and the surgical repair. I held off because of the recovery time being that I was a hands on home builder.
A second opinion turned out to be valuable and other than being somewhat limited in repetetive range of motion above the level of my shoulder, like hanging and nailing multiple sheets of drywall overhead, my symptoms are minimal.
 
Scott Salzer said:
I would like to thank all of you for your comments / suggestions. Not a big fan of MRI’s. Those gnomes with big hammers against iron are not fun.
I’ll keep you posted.
Click to expand...
I never knew I was claustrophobic until I was in that confined tube with gnomes hammering away; I needed another MRI last summer. My doctor prescribed "lorazapam" (sp). I was done with the MRI in the blink of an eye, had one of the best naps after Fusae drove me home.
 
You really need to get a good diagnosis before you do anything. Major joints and backs aren't something you want to screw around with.
I'm not sure about all the negativity about MRIs come from. The three I've had have been the best naps I've ever had
 
I had a bad fall on a super slick steep sidewalk September 25th. Broke my fall withy right arm. Lot of sudden pain. Went to see the Dr., had an X-ray and did about 8 weeks of pt. Did the bands at home, and my usual stuff. Yoga most mornings (some poses a little painful), and trombone practice...long positions with right arm a little painful. The worst thing is fly casting, so working with left handed cast. Gradually feeling better but not right. Back to doc and had an MRI. Tear of the superspinatus. Went to see the shoulder doc who said he could fix it with arthroscopic surgery, and just to wait until I can't stand it. "It won't get better". Fishing seems to be the biggest impact. I play fish with rod in left hand and switch off casting. I'm adjusting and am dealing with it. Don't want to fix until some winter in the future.
 
I nursed a bad rotator with PT and band exercises for years until it finally snapped during a winter surf session = full thickness tear.
Post surgery a comfortable easy chair will be your best friend and bed for the first few weeks. It's a hard go for the first few months until reasonable mobility and strength has been obtained through the daily PT exercises, half a year to be at 80%, full year to 100%.
The shoulder ortho who performed my surgery said I would have significantly reduced the difficulty of my recovery if I'd had it repaired while just torn, not snapped, which my wife, am orthopedic trained RN, had been urging me to do for several years.
Core issue with nursing a bad shoulder is that compensation can induce extra wear and tear on the 'good' shoulder, until it too can begin to have problems.
Many different issues can cause shoulder pain, and diagnostic imaging is the only way to determine the actual shoulder problem and the severity.
 
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Putting off shoulder surgery just causes more problems. You wind up using the other muscles in ways they are not designed to be used while compensating for the damaged ones. This can cause other issues...
Don't ask me how I know.

Sleeping in the easy chair is not that bad...you get used to it pretty fast.
:)
 
Wishing you all the best! Like the others have encouraged, take care of it sooner then later. Compensation and overuse is real. Just over two weeks post op remplissage + bankart repair. If you think the gnomes are having fun with their hammers, wait till you get to their drilling and anchoring stations!
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Adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder. I’ve had it in both shoulders a year apart. It sucks, but you can get through it. What you need is a diagnosis. Until then, cast with your elbow and not your shoulder.
 
start learning how to troll - minimal casting required. I don't think people catch as many fish trolling, but you have already caught a life time of fish.
get it fixed and get back out there.
the best of luck Scott.
 
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