torn rotator cuff, how long does a tear seem to heal?

[dodgeram18]

last saturday I had a big air bad landing situation happen where hands stayed on bars and i superman slapped my sled. knees hit the tunnel and board chest hit seat and I tore or partially tore a rotator cuff tendon. I went to er monday doc gave me xrays all bones are good but i cant get in for an ultrasound to check soft tissues to confirm the damage done until dec 30th. one week later and i have no forward lifting strength at all. i can swing my arm like a pendulum until just past waist height. until i get the ultrasound im not sure how long i have to recover but at this rate it might be a while.

has anyone else on here ever tore a shoulder and how long was your recovery. ive heard a 3-4 weeks to up to 6-8 months. i sure hope its just a few weeks. share your personnel healing opinion. thanks.

 

[DDrake]

I tore my rotator cuff along with some other damage 2 yrs ago. I had to have surgery to have mine rebuilt. My surgeon told me that a torn rotator cuff won't heal on it's own. He also told me that every time my shoulder popped out it was wearing away the cartilage in the joint itself and that once it's gone it can't be replaced. I was off work for 6 months after the surgery but now my shoulder feels great. I hope you don't have your rotator cuff torn cause if you do then you will probalbly need surgery. Best of luck to ya on your ultrasound.
Derek

 

[dodgeram18]

thanks man. Im also really hoping its not fully torn. Ill be choked if its torn and i miss out on this season of sledding. ive only been out 4 times this year.

 

[snopro]

Dealing with a rotator cuff issue right now as well. Don't know how I did it but started bothering me through harvest. (September) Went to the doc and he did x rays and suggested physio. Been going to physio every week since then once a week with homework and can honestly say I don't feel any better. I have pretty good range still except above my head and behind my back. Good luck on however they treat it.

 

[sumx54]

I had surgery one year ago for a SLAP tear (superior labrum anterior posterior tear) I also had some rotator cuff damage. I still haven't been able to sleep on that shoulder. They told me at least 12 months for a complete recovery. I defineatly missed a sledding season. Not trying to scare you or anything but it can be a major pain in the azz or shoulder. Good luck with your recovery.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

I am a survivor of a rotator cuff tear back in 2007, 8months physio, bi-weekly visits to the chiropractor because my back and left arm/shoulder were compensating for not being able to use my right shoulder.

The fun part,.. the 6in long needle they inject into your shoulder for the freezing, then the brother to said first needle to implant the dye to check the severity Arthrogram. My shoulder healed after a year and I did not require surgery, still good to this day,.. I have also been a heavy equipment technician since '92.

 

[timbo]

I'm 5 weeks in with a partial tear,real painful.Have a hard time reaching out in front,as if you were going to shake hands and lifting my arm above my head.Have 3 weeks of physio with home exercises and maybe have 50% of normal motion.Therapist said 2-4 months for normal range of motion with limited strength.Worst part is very easy to re-injure and you start from scratch.Hope to get 1 ride in this year.

 

[snopro]

I've been brapping in my shop on my sled trying to see if I can make it hurt but seems alright. Not sure what will happen first time I really get the T3 stuck. Golfed in Arizona with it and played the best golf of my life. Might be that I wasn't swinging from my balls though. Lol.

 

[scully]

I had a partially torn rotator cuff June '12. Went to see an acupuncturist in October and regained 80% mobility within 4 weeks. 6 more weeks and was as good as new. Rode 21 mtn days days last year with no ill effects. Got lucky I guess.

 

[250mark1]

I had a partial rotator tear and biceps tendons that were out of there groove
and had worn through the ligaments ended up doing surgery and had to have the
one of the bicep tendons relaxed ( cut) as they could not stitch it back together
my doctor recommended physio I waited till after the ultrasound so I knew what was wrong before goon to physio
when my doctor showed the report to the Surgeon I was advised not to start physio

 

[ippielb]

Buddy of mine ripped his up pretty good and some other damage a couple years ago, took him 7 months, then went into surgery for some pins, then got 6 months and felt good, then went in for surgery to get pins removed, now he's back in the physio and he's starting to get better, he said 5 months in he felt pretty good, but 3 months in he could've went sledding, just not crazy, nice and easy slow, no jumping, ripping on the sled, and so on.

 

[rknight111]

I fell on Ice in March and broke my wrist and ended up with a full thickness tear of my supraspinatus tendon. Had surgery July 8 in leduc , went sledding for my first time last weekend and it feels great. Everything went well, no issues whatsoever. I guess I'm a lucky one.

 

[Kewar]

I coukdnt even wash my hair for 6 months. Surgery was booked. I started slow on a boxing speed bag. For physio. And lo and behod i cancelled the surgery. If it gets sore again i get speed bagging.

 

[Uturn]

Depends on the damage, I went 8 years with a partial tear. Lots of physio and it was manageable. Accupuncture was good for the pain, but didn't do anything to stabalize the joint. Wiped out on the ice playing hockey and it went to full thickness tear. Surgery was only option, had it Feb 2012. Lots of physio and it was feeling good after 5 months. My surgeon (shoulder guy for Vancouver Cunucks) recommended no sports activities that could cause the tendon to pull away from the anchors for a full 12 months. Bone needs time to grow over the tendon and secure it. Shoulder felt great, but I didn't ride at all last year. Chances of full recovery after second operation are not very good, and the surgery is harder to recover from. By the time I get on my sled this year, it will be 22 months since surgery and 2 full years without riding.

 

[jeepchic]

Unfortunately these are all very real and very true.

Shoulders are the worst joint in the body to injure. Rotator cuff tears almost always involve other issues, like the cartilage in the shoulder joint itself and the end of the Clavicle (collar bone). Full thickness tears will 100% always need surgery especially if its a tear off the bone, partial thickness tears depending on the degree will almost always need surgery. The recovery from that is generally 6-12 months. 6 months before you do anything at all (or risk more damage and less repair), up to 12 months before you resume full normal activity.

x-rays never show soft tissue damage, Ultrasounds only show the very outer areas of the soft tissue. If you tore anything inside the actual shoulder, almost 50% of the time it is only seen on MRI or exploratory surgery.

If the surgeon uses anchors its definitely a full tear off the bone and 12 month total recovery, if he only stitches it together its a partial or no bone involvement tear and a bit shorter recovery.

That being said you do not have to have surgery immediately, you can do acupucture, phsyio, the injections of cortisone, injections of sugar water to encourage the healing of surrounding tissues, and/or medication to control the pain for a long time. This will get you thru the season and then have surgery in the spring. It depends what your pain threshold is and what season you can do without. The rotator cuff injury is a stability injury, you can strengthen your surrounding shoulder muscles to help with the stability for now but the range of motion will definitely be less as will the strength. It is not an emergent injury if there is no muscle tear, mainly deltoid.

Hope this helps. Have a good season anyway.

 

[sumx54]

Good post jeep. I had 4 anchors placed and had to have my shoulder joint de-mobilized for 12 weeks. Having your arm strapped to your chest for 3 months fricken sucked. After that it was 3 months of working on getting Range of motion back and then 3+ months of strength training after that. My dirtbike got dusty.

 

[dodgeram18]

Thanks for sharing all the experience and knowledge of this injury you guys. I know they are all unique injuries and have different severity of injury. I will not find out the true damage until the 30th when i am booked for the ultrasound. Until then my fingers are crossed I heal quick enough to at least get some throttle therapy in this season.

 

[snopro]

Anybody have any luck with any shoulder wraps for compression and Stabilization? I'm thinking of trying a ZAMST shoulder wrap. Rogue Canada in Edmonton carries them?

 

[DDrake]

Anybody have any luck with any shoulder wraps for compression and Stabilization? I'm thinking of trying a ZAMST shoulder wrap. Rogue Canada in Edmonton carries them?

I used a shoulder stabilizer strap made by EVS for last 2 seasons after my surgery and it seemed to help alot. It did limit my ROM above my shoulder somewhat which is what it was supposed to do. Wasn't bad to wear once I got used to it. Bought mine at Riverside Motorsports in St. Albert.

 

[gibsons]

Doesn't sound good for me after reading all these posts lol. 4 weeks ago I slipped and tried to catch myself and really buggered up my shoulder. The arms are fine at mid body level and lower, but if I want my right arm over my head I either have to help it with the left arm or move it carefully in various directions until it gets up there. I was kind of hoping it would heal itself over time.