Shoulder Surgery

[Kelamuku]

Greetings and salutations,

 

I am looking for advice, ideas, really anything to assist me in recovering from rotator cuff surgery. Additionally I also had a labrol tear. It has been four weeks since the surgery and just starting physical thearpy. I have been told to expect a four to six month recovery and 95% mobility.

 

What I'm searching for is a real idea of what to expect. Also alternatives to just physical thearpy.

 

Any imput would be appreciated and welcomed as I'm starting to go out of my mind being one handed.

 

Thanks and Aloha

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Well, not to rain on yer parade, but yours truly (Dr. Flash Amazing, or DFA for short) went through surgery for a labral tear a couple years ago. Physical therapy was paaaaiiiinful and agonizingly slow, along with being full of setbacks. After six months, the Doctor was able to do a couple of V0s now and then, with anything much harder bringing on the pain. After about a year and a lot of slow, careful progression and still doing PT at home (stretching, Theraband & free weight exercises, pushups, etc.), DFA was able to climb the occasional .12a (prior to surgery, redpoint level was consistently .12+ and some .13-), although still having to monitor the pain when pushing too hard, and easing off climbing for short periods during that time. Now, almost two years later, it seems safe to be working on harder routes again, and bouldering at full intensity, too.

 

The key things DFA took from the experience were don't push it too hard, knowing that it's a delicate and easy to reinjure area; STAY ON TOP OF THE PT -- especially the stretching, as getting the range of motion back is huge, and do the little home exercises they give you; expect it to take a long time -- DFA was all thinking it would be three months or so, and it's obviously been a lot longer than that, and there was some major disappointment for a while.

 

Your results may be vastly different, though, so who knows? Hopefully your recovery isn't so painful and is a lot faster, because a lot of the PT -- primarily the range of motion stuff -- hurt like bad hell. It seems kind of silly not pushing yourself a bit with actually using the arm, i.e. climbing as soon as you can, but your surgeon no doubt told you that if your biceps tendon tears loose, they can't fix it, and then you're really hosed.

 

Good luck on that recovery, and hang in there!

[Kelamuku]

DFR,

 

Thanks for the info, seems to be what I get from everyone I ask. Just looking for another answer as I'm not very good about being patient.

 

While I have never been skilled at climbing(.10+ is about my max) I do enjoy it so, surfing is my real obsession and passion but as I'm stuck very far from home and no oceans I have adopted climbing.

 

Again thanks for the well wishes and advice I will let you know how the thearpy goes after I start tomorrow.

 

Aloha.