Injury Progress Seems Slow

[spotly]

Some time in July, I caught a fall on my outstretched right arm. It hurt like hell but I kept climbing, but at a much lower level and with some pain, which I figured would eventually subside if I took it easy. Then at the end of August, I took a header on the wet talus above Source Lake and wound up aggravating the original injury and messing up the righ elbow, upper arm and wrist too.

 

The shoulder turned out to be a partial tear in the rotator cuff and I've been taking it easy and doing the PT ever since. It's coming up on 3 months of PT now and it does seem to be much better than it was. My range of motion is good but I still get occassional shooting pain (wrist, elbow and mainly shoulder) if I contort the arm just right. I've started climbing again but just aid and up to 5.6 depending on the route.

 

Anyhoo, my question is this...for those with some experience with these types of injuries, does this progress seem acceptable for someone of my age (49) or should I consider surgery. The doc says if it's not nearly healed within the next month, we should consider a cotisone shot but that surgery isn't being ruled out. He and the PT seem to think progress is ok but just wanted to see what others have experienced.

[layton]

It can take up to a year to heal your shoulder especially if you keep tweaking it climbing. I personally would not get a cortisone shot but go straight to surgery. That is, if the PT wasn't working.

[Maine-iac]

injuries blow, i tweaked my hip flexor back in may, i brushed it off as a simple stain, and didnt do anything right for about a month. Meanwhile i kept training, and it kept stoping me in my tracks, i did a few weeks of PT. It is only now getting to a point where i can climb in a gym for a few hours. I have yet to try running, because i dont want to tweak it again before ski season. Just remember ICE, it works wonders. Goodluck with the shoulder.

[spotly]

Sorry yours is taking so long too. In a wierd misery-loves-company sorta way, it does give me encouragement knowing that 3 or 4 months isn't really that long with this kind of thing. Doctors and PTs are so non-committal when it comes to giving a time. I've been getting the "it can take some time for these types of things" answer. Which of course is true but time is relative.

 

If it's not nearly healed by the next doc appt (mid Dec), I'll ask more fervently about the surgery option.

[spotly]

In case anyone else is interested, after several months of PT, my rotator has healed and the "tweeked" labrum is supposedly better too. I did manage to pick up what he called "frozen shoulder" which is a secondary condition brought on by the injuries. I googled it and according to the interweb and the doc, it'll take anywhere from 8 months to two years to heal up. It consists of pain and stiffness that's almost exactly like the rotator tear, which is why my mending of a minor tear seemed to be taking so long I guess. Anyhoo, doc says to use it anyway but to just be careful and if I need it, he'll gimme a shot. I've ressited so far. I've been working the weights in moderation (2 on, 1 off) and have been into the climbing gym every other day for the past few weeks. I'm sticking to the 2+ (5.8ish?) routes and avoiding any dynamic movements (has the added bonus of improving my foot work ). Anyhoo, for anyone doing a "Search" when they run into an injury, there's my status. Looking better every week.

[pindude]

Spotly, Glad to hear you're getting better. Keep at it and stay strong!

 

--Steve