1. < Bones, Joints & Muscles

Rotator Cuff full tear and retraction of supraspinatus tendon

Posted by jerseyjames @jerseyjames, Oct 28, 2022

General consensus for a senior non-athlete seems to be to give physical therapy a good hard try before jumping into surgery. Thoughts & experiences? Jim

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anisman1 | @anisman1 | Feb 10, 2023
In reply to @safarigoddess "Well, wow ! I "do" love Canada and have had two best friends who are Canadian,..." + (show)
@safarigoddess

Well, wow ! I "do" love Canada and have had two best friends who are Canadian, but you don't know about other countries health plans, government, etc. until you live there !! I have very good insurance, plus medicare and can get whatever I want done with a referral. Of course I pay for it ( comes to about $5000 per yr ) but with the corrective surgeries, etc. including a surprise open heart surgery ( didn't know I had anything wrong -was playing pickle ball, biking, etc. ) it cost me almost nothing, including a week in a beautiful rehab place. Back surgery, also was billed at over $ 100.000 but paid only a few hundred out of pocket.
Not to dispute what they told you, but !!! I have found over the years that Xrays only show bone, not soft tissue, my Xray showed nothing, and a few wks. later I insisted on an MRI and that is where they found the 50% partial tear. So, am going to try PT but a bit sceptical about how it will heal, I don't have any pain, can play Pickle Ball( which is very important to me for exercise ) and only pain in bed trying to sleep. or reaching back for the seat belt !!!!
Well, guess time will tell, I'll give it 6 mth, because surgery would put me out for 8 mth. and I feel that would be worse on the other parts of my body. What a dilemma !!!

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I too will be discussing physical therapy as an alternative to left-shoulder replacement -- am right-handed -- or a future of reliance on medication to alleviate the intense pain. I just cannot understand how the stress of physio would not increase the tearing of the muscles involved.

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2 replies
margaretob | @margaretob | Feb 10, 2023
In reply to @anisman1 "I too will be discussing physical therapy as an alternative to left-shoulder replacement -- am right-handed..." + (show)
@anisman1

I too will be discussing physical therapy as an alternative to left-shoulder replacement -- am right-handed -- or a future of reliance on medication to alleviate the intense pain. I just cannot understand how the stress of physio would not increase the tearing of the muscles involved.

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Fell and damaged my ROTATOR CUFF which split the nerves away from each other. Got a black brace where I have to hang my arm close to my heart which is annoying. PAIN at night where I have to hang my arm over a pillow. WILL PHYSICAL THERAPY HELP? NEVER DID IT BEFORE....Margaret O

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1 reply
Nanny23 | @nanny23 | Feb 10, 2023
In reply to @safarigoddess "Rashida Thank you so much for sending that video, I just saw your Email , started..." + (show)
@safarigoddess

Rashida Thank you so much for sending that video, I just saw your Email , started to watch it, but will continue to watch it in depth, tomorrow. Do you too, have a partially torn rotator cuff ?? I am so upset about it and truly don't know how it happened, but the surgeon said it could have been there for years, but now started hurting !! ??? I am going to look into PRP - have you heard of it or ?? I play Pickle ball, and the doctor said , if it doesn't bother you when you play, it's OK, I am so confused, but can't just sit around. I wouldn't mind having surgery ( I had several other corrective surgeries that have corrected problems, but !! recoup is 6 - 8 mth. OMG, I will go stir crazy and it is my left shoulder and I am LEFT handed !!!!!!
Donna

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I tried physical therapy cortisone shots gel shots. I wanted to avoid surgery. None of it worked. Had a large tear in rotator cuff that turned into a hole. My bicep was shredded. Fell on ice Dec 2020. Just had the surgery Nov. 2nd 2022. It’s a hard recovery. In the beginning PT hurts a lot. I still go 3 times a week. Dr. Said I’m ahead of schedule. I tore my left rotator cuff but not as severe T work. The cortisone injections and PT WORKED. Also kayaking helped. Hope you get some relief.

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Nanny23 | @nanny23 | Feb 10, 2023
In reply to @margaretob "Fell and damaged my ROTATOR CUFF which split the nerves away from each other. Got a..." + (show)
@margaretob

Fell and damaged my ROTATOR CUFF which split the nerves away from each other. Got a black brace where I have to hang my arm close to my heart which is annoying. PAIN at night where I have to hang my arm over a pillow. WILL PHYSICAL THERAPY HELP? NEVER DID IT BEFORE....Margaret O

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It’s worth a try. Worked for my left tear but not the right one. Depends how bad the tear is.

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1 reply
rashida | @rashida | Feb 11, 2023
In reply to @nanny23 "It’s worth a try. Worked for my left tear but not the right one. Depends how..." + (show)
@nanny23

It’s worth a try. Worked for my left tear but not the right one. Depends how bad the tear is.

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@anisman1 @margaretob - @nanny23 is right. It it all depends on how bad the tear is.

Physio exercises for rotator cuff tears/injuries are quite gentle. I was pleasantly surprised at how doable they were for me.

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1 reply
Nanny23 | @nanny23 | Feb 11, 2023
In reply to @rashida "@anisman1 @margaretob - @nanny23 is right. It it all depends on how bad the tear is...." + (show)
@rashida

@anisman1 @margaretob - @nanny23 is right. It it all depends on how bad the tear is.

Physio exercises for rotator cuff tears/injuries are quite gentle. I was pleasantly surprised at how doable they were for me.

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My physical therapy hurt in the beginning. They force your arm up after being in a sling for 6 weeks. My therapy started 2 weeks after surgery.

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rashida | @rashida | Feb 11, 2023

@nanny23 my physiotherapy hurt in the beginning too because I couldn’t lift my arm, but my therapist encouraged rather than forced me to raise my arm just a bit higher each day, till I was finally able to lift it all the way up. Among about ten exercises I was taught, the pulley exercise was very helpful in my being able to achieve that.

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Nanny23 | @nanny23 | Feb 11, 2023

I used the pulley too. The physical therapy works very welll. ❤️

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ch665296f | @ch665296f | Feb 12, 2023

I have had three rotator cuff surgeries. The first one on my right arm included a bicep tendon tear as well. Not only did I have that annoying sling, I also had a cast on my arm. The second tear was on my left arm. The third was to clean out scar tissue on that arm. Therapy is tough, and healing takes time. Both of these surgeries were years ago, and I still have some trouble reaching over my head. After sixteen years, I was scheduled for my fouth surgery on the right arm, but it was cancelled due to my wife's illness. I don't have much pain in that arm, just not a lot of strength.

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jfsherley | @jfsherley | Feb 13, 2023
In reply to @anisman1 "I too will be discussing physical therapy as an alternative to left-shoulder replacement -- am right-handed..." + (show)
@anisman1

I too will be discussing physical therapy as an alternative to left-shoulder replacement -- am right-handed -- or a future of reliance on medication to alleviate the intense pain. I just cannot understand how the stress of physio would not increase the tearing of the muscles involved.

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I have torn rotator cuff but I also have chronic back pain and I’m 78 yrs old I told the surgeon I didn’t think I could handle the pain of recovery for my shoulder because of my back so I’m just getting the shots I can’t lift my arm pass my shoulder but that’s ok I manage with it . The way physical therapy works is that it strengthens the muscle to the point that it overrides the tear and the pain but if your very bad it won’t fix the shoulder but it can postpone surgery sometimes

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