Educated shoulder question-update
Over the past couple years, I've received great advice from many of you concerning my bilateral shoulder problem. The result was vast improvement in my scapular movement, thoracic extention and external rotation. About 2 weeks ago the problem in my right shoulder changed from an aching pain during overhead lifting or reaching across my body to sudden, extreme shooting pain during random shoulder movement. The shooting pain was so sudden I would yell out in pain. That's fairly difficult to explain in the exam rooms with my own clients/patients. I knew intuitively something had changed. To make a long story short I had surgery 4 days ago. Surgeon found fraying of the rotator cuff/supraspinatus tendon due primarily to bone spurs and a Bankart lesion on my labrum. After surgery the surgeon told me which other procedures he performed but I was still out of it from 3 hours of anesthesia and the info never made it into my brain. I know that's lame considering I perform surgery myself on a daily basis but I'm pretty sure he also did an acromioplasty, distal clavicle resection, bursectomy and tacked my labrum. Biceps tendon was not damaged and he simply shaved the frayed rotator cuff lesion. I see him for follow-up in 6 days and I'll get more specific info then. Certainly proves to me that the written post-op discharge we provide my own clients is the way to go. As I've mentioned in the past, he does not seem consistent with his PT referrals. If he does not give me a referral I'll insist on one. My goal is to be able to eventually return to lifting, sprint training, tennis, bluewater fishing and playing sports with the grandkids. At 48 years of age I know I'll only obtain optimum return to funtion with some expert help. OK, finally my question. Post-op instructions include 2-4 weeks in a sling with no unassisted range of motion. I do not want to do anything to jeopardize my repair but 4 weeks of immobilization sounds like a great prescription for adhesions and future decrease in range of motion. I'm not looking for advice for me to specifically follow but generally speaking if the bicep tendon is not torn is 4 weeks of immobilization generally needed? I'm hoping I'll get a PT referral 2 weeks after surgery and they can give me a plan to follow. In the meantime, I am capable of nearly fully extending my elbow and I have about 20-30 degrees of flex/extend motion in my shoulder. I can only abduct or externally rotate for about 5 degrees and even that hurts. I am not consistently allowing those movements I just gently tested the waters while taking a shower to satisfy my own curiosity. For those of you needing shoulder surgery, mine was arthroscopic but I think he may have performed a small open incision for the labrum repair. Again, I know it's lame not to know this but I see him next Monday. They performed an interscalene nerve block which provided me with 18 hours of nearly total pain relief. I was expecting severe pain after the nerve block subsided but it never materialized. As long as I kept the arm adducted against my body and hanging down in its natural position I had no major pain. I did pre-emptively take the prescribed hydrocodone the day after surgery so perhaps that explains the nearly complete lack of post-op pain. It certainly explains the severe constipation and subsequent hemorrhoid which I am having lanced today. Joy. My first hemorroid has to occur 2 days after shoulder surgery and it is far and away more painful than my shoulder. If I had it to do over, other than avoiding the hydrocodone, I do not think I would have allowed surgery any sooner since I was improving with following the Inside/Out DVD and occasional steroid injections. I think the labrum tear took it to another level. Yes, I did subluxate that shoulder nearly 30 years ago which may explain the Bankart Lesion and perhaps I slowly extended the original labrum tear with my heavy deadlift sessions which historically caused me no shoulder pain.(heavy for me). I read shoulder questions on the board every week and I hope this helps someone considering surgery.
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