Rotator cuff

Magicman · January 10, 2020, 08:28:12 AM

I ordered one like this: Shoulder Brace

Here is an example of a hot/cold shoulder brace: Hot/Cold Shoulder Brace

chet · January 10, 2020, 11:34:34 AM

Quote from: Magicman on January 10, 2020, 08:28:12 AM

Here is an example of a hot/cold shoulder brace: Hot/Cold Shoulder Brace

Magic, if dat's you in dat brace you been workin' out big time. ;D

realzed · January 10, 2020, 12:11:34 PM

I totally admit every surgeon has a different take on how to address post operative situations and it is always best to follow whatever advice is offered, obviously to maintain a good relationship with your doc (along with proper healing which should go without having to be said).
In my own experience after 2 cuff repairs - one with significantly greater damage than the other, I found a great amount to relief from the throbbing achiness by just letting my arm hang straight downward in comparison to having it cramped and bent across my chest up in a sling..
I discovered this immediately after the first instances of ditching my sling to shower after incisions had headed well enough to allow it - and I found it improved the 'pain situation' all through my daily recovery from that point forward immensely.
I asked my doctor who did the surgery if this was fine in her eyes to which she added - that if it improved the pain it was good it meant things were good.. as long as I made sure not to use or swing it around, or in any way shape or form attempt to move or lift items for the first few weeks of recovery and even then, only as the PT recommended.
I'm not saying every or all surgeons would agree, but the impression from my own was that she considered it a much more preferable and natural position for the arm and shoulder to reside at - so it may be a question to ask your own surgeon about prior to or shortly after surgery.
I do know it almost immediately saved me from a lot of the nagging achiness that I found was brought on by use of a sling!

Don P · January 10, 2020, 07:47:04 PM

Hope it went well today, Take it easy, especially till the blocker wears off then don't forget the stool softener and drink lots, easy to forget when you're laid up. Wish I could say the worst is over but really you're just committed now, things will improve, the main thing is keep your spirits up.

tree-farmer · January 11, 2020, 05:42:43 AM

You are right Don P, I'm cmmitted now. Nerve block is wearing off but have a pump injecting meds into nerve, lasts for 2-3days.
L hand typing is tough. Weird how one hand is a star and the other is like a spastic cousin. Now we wait. Hope go back to work Tuesday. I do CAD design so long as I can move from. Elbow down I can do somethings. We will see. Department of 1, so I cant be out too long.

thecfarm · January 11, 2020, 05:57:24 AM

I hope that all turns out good for you and your shoulder.

Magicman · January 11, 2020, 07:13:31 AM

It's good to get that report from you this (early) morning. Please continue to keep us updated as often as you can. :P

Edit: My shoulder strap/brace came today. I have it on but I have no idea yet whether it will be of any value. I do know that it will not replace the inevitable surgery.

Magicman · January 13, 2020, 05:19:49 PM

The shoulder brace came in, but it is not going to be a substitute for a usable shoulder. I made an appointment with a shoulder surgeon for January 23rd. I modified my "Knee" topic to continue my journey there.

I wish you the best tree-farmer and will continue to follow your updates here.

Raider Bill · January 13, 2020, 05:43:43 PM

I've got an appointment tomorrow morning with a surgeon. We'll see what he says.
Hope he's got a better personality than the last guy.

kantuckid · January 15, 2020, 09:35:08 AM

After my full tear rotator cuff surgery I did two things to allow me to replicate the twice a week PT sessions that were a 50 mile RT for me. One was to install an overhead pulley slung from a short rope loop on an overhead tie beam log in our dining room and two hand grips on a rope to do pulley exercises with. it's an essential exercise of the shoulders!
The other was to cut off an old push broom handle for use in on your back double arm extensions. It's a very "gritty experience" to say the least!
Sleeping in a bed was nigh on impossible no matter the position for about 3-4 months, based on pain level alone. Have a recliner in mind to sleep in!!!
Hands on PT where-in the shoulder is manipulated by a skilled therapist was, I found, to be a very important aspect of PT, unlike my hips where I could do it all once I knew the exercise. After a few trips I told the PT people who I would use for that aspect as my only choice. A couple of therpists sort of flopped it around and moved on, no carefully done movements like the best ones. In college athletics I learned what makes a good trainer from those manipulations!
They can "feel" the joint and muscles and know just how much movement to push for and encourage the gain of ROM, the overall objective in the end. The full tears vs. the partial tears sort of separate the "men from the boys" so to speak. I saw lots of young people who had "loose shoulder joints" not a surgical repair, just PT to tighten the joint. Always the young on that one, never the old folks who were torn up.

Raider Bill · January 15, 2020, 09:42:54 AM

All of my recliners have the lever on the right side which is the side I need to have repaired. How do you work around that?

bwstout · January 15, 2020, 09:53:44 AM

i am going tomorrow for a right shoulder replacement what I have is a recliner that is electrical driven it will extend and raise and lower with a control. Works pretty good but not comfortable just have to put a lot of padding on it to sleep. Hope all goes well for you Mr. Bill I have had great success from the replacement on the left shoulder.

Magicman · January 15, 2020, 10:07:13 AM

I wish you the best bwstout.

Hopefully we will soon hear from tree-farmer.

Raider Bill · January 15, 2020, 10:38:48 AM

Quote from: bwstout on January 15, 2020, 09:53:44 AM
i am going tomorrow for a right shoulder replacement what I have is a recliner that is electrical driven it will extend and raise and lower with a control. Works pretty good but not comfortable just have to put a lot of padding on it to sleep. Hope all goes well for you Mr. Bill I have had great success from the replacement on the left shoulder.

I've looked at the electric recliners and you are right they do not seem to be very comfortable. I have 4 recliners already, hate to get another.
I laughed when my Dad got one. Now my Son is laughing at me..

bwstout · January 15, 2020, 11:02:24 AM

thank you MM glad you are doing well

MikeZ · January 15, 2020, 11:11:19 PM

To Raider Bill: When I had my torn rotator cuff done in '09, flipped the recliner over and made a right hand operated out of it. Got me thru it. Now it is the wife's chair as i have graduated to an electric one which I needed after having 16 vert. fused the last couple of years. Going Mon. to see about having it done again. I said never again, but never finally got here. Best of luck to ya.

kantuckid · January 16, 2020, 09:22:00 AM

I now have an elec recliner but wish I'd rebuilt the guts in my old JC Penny recliner. With the electric ones you feel like your in a nursing home when the phone rings are every time getting up comers along! Mines OK but less comfy that the one I slept in for shoulder!!! I also used a small pillow as my main buddy to support the broken wing!
I remember asking my doc if i could still do the backstroke and he laughed. it sounds like popcorn in there to this day. I guess it's the magic titanium cable wrapped around the 4 titanium screws?
I know a man ~ 60 years old who got his shoulder joint repaired some years ago after a MC accident. I wonder if they wear out like the early hip joints did? My neighbor, a contractor is now on his 3rd hip from a repair done before the newest versions came around. My hips are new enough they really have no idea how long they'll last yet.

tree-farmer · January 16, 2020, 06:20:10 PM

The world is designed for right handed folks, most for use with two hands. One week post op. Even tying boots is a ordeal.
Have a older honda crv automatic so I can drive to work. Going to start pt next Friday, it all gets better from here!
Looking forward to spring with a arm that works...

Don P · January 16, 2020, 07:34:48 PM

Glad to hear you're getting along, well, tolerably, tree-farmer. Yes I owe my wife bigtime for tying shoes, zipping zippers, and generally putting up with whining during recovery. We've got 2 older ~2000 CRV's... one thing I can say if you haven't done it is keep the valves adjusted, they are notorious for burning #4 exhaust, uh yeah, one of ours needs a new head.

Raider Bill · January 28, 2020, 10:03:25 AM

Quote from: MikeZ on January 15, 2020, 11:11:19 PM
To Raider Bill: When I had my torn rotator cuff done in '09, flipped the recliner over and made a right hand operated out of it. Got me thru it. Now it is the wife's chair as i have graduated to an electric one which I needed after having 16 vert. fused the last couple of years. Going Mon. to see about having it done again. I said never again, but never finally got here. Best of luck to ya.

How did you flip the lever from one side to another? I looked at mine, doesn't look like that's a option.
Tree Farmer, How are you doing?

thecfarm · January 28, 2020, 04:53:23 PM

Yes,it does get better from here!!!

tree-farmer · February 01, 2020, 07:24:01 AM

3 weeks post surgery,, going to pt 2 times a week. I think pt guy used to be collector for mafia, knows how to twist a arm :D
Kiddig aside it seems to be helping get range of motion back. Painful but hopefully worth it in long run.
Behaving and looking forward to spring.

Magicman · February 01, 2020, 08:03:28 AM

Thank You for the update. I have an appointment with my surgeon Monday to find out the results of Thursday's MRI. I'll learn what the problem is and what will be done.

As you said, I too am ready to get this behind me.

Raider Bill · February 01, 2020, 08:29:54 AM

Quote from: MikeZ on January 15, 2020, 11:11:19 PM
To Raider Bill: When I had my torn rotator cuff done in '09, flipped the recliner over and made a right hand operated out of it. Got me thru it. Now it is the wife's chair as i have graduated to an electric one which I needed after having 16 vert. fused the last couple of years. Going Mon. to see about having it done again. I said never again, but never finally got here. Best of luck to ya.

Thanks for the update.
I scheduled for surgery Feb 13th.

Don P · February 01, 2020, 08:49:31 AM

Glad to hear its coming along good tree farmer. Those first weeks of getting the range of motion back were the toughest on me, after that it was mostly building the strength back. Be good to yourself, I didn't know it until the last day of PT on the second one. I was in the middle of a job, they had a running bet that I was going to blow it out before it healed. Good luck MM and Raider Bill