[Closed] Torn rotator cuff, what were you experiences?

Been there, done that, couldn't put in the t shirt. Took about 6 weeks for the pain to recese to the point that I could do range of motion movements. Once I could I resumed normal activities. Fine for 6 months, woke up one morning and it was back. Once I could do ROM stuff I started again. Then I actually did the stretch and strengthening exercises I should have done the first time. Still do them, not as often as I should, haven't had a problem since.

I have done both of mine. Get good painkillers so you can get some sleep and DO ALL THE REHAB WORK YOU ARE TOLD TO!

I was back riding after I did my second one after about 6-8 weeks.  I know I left it a bit longer than i needed to as I was due to fly out to the USA for a family holiday with little ones who liked being carried on my shoulders so I was overly cautious.

Once your recovered it's worth doing some prehab stuff to add a bit of muscle to the joint, it'll help with avoiding issues down the road.

Naproxen (Prescription anti-inflammatory) did wonders for me

25 years of further shoulder dislocations. Discomfort throwing things with the affected arm. The ability to freak people out by resetting it myself.

Did all the rehab at the time but I suspect you need to keep doing it indefinitely. What really helps me is regular breaststroke swimming, seems to strengthen the surrounding muscle and keep the arm in place better. Wasn't convinced the operation offered at the time would have made it how it was before.

I'm not doing a handstand any time soon.

I took me a visit to the physio / NHS Occupational therapist and then 4 weeks of doing the advised excercises before I could comfortably raise my arm.
As mentioned above, the excercises arent just until you feel better, they're sonething to practise for ever if you dont want it to come back.
Not a big deal, I spend less than 15 minutes per week keeping on top of it.

As above. Do the physio and keep it strong long term with swimming, push ups etc. Hope to be back on the bike in 4-6 weeks, but take the mentality that it's a long term condition that needs to be managed from here on or it'll remind you of the fact later.

I’ve got the Naproxen prescription, I know it’s good stuff from previous injuries (lower back)

Good to hear about breaststroke swimming being good, I try to swim at least once a week anyway (actually swam half a mile on Wednesday morning to try and ease out what I thought was just a tight sore muscle, it worked as it was then that I felt the acute pain through the aching!)

It’s really annoying because I do try to get to the gym 3 times a week and if I can’t get in I’ll do a workout at home instead. I did this while messing around on the trampoline with my kids, just fell on to my back a bit squiffy and this is the result

hate the naproxen!

lots of good advice above and I will add, follow the medical advice religiously and remember rotator cuff is a group of muscles - what works for someone else might aggravate yours. Which muscle is it exactly you have damaged?

edit - Whilst you will probably never fully recover it is possible with continued stretching and targeted exercises to return fully to your usual activities.

Do the exercises. Takes a long time to get better. Take it slow. It will likely always feel different.

Cortisone is your friend I went from ouchy to no pain in minutes, ok so lots of physio was needed and another cortisone injection but it pretty ok now.

DO ALL THE REHAB WORK YOU ARE TOLD TO!

This. I didn't and needed an operation but was still young. I do the exercises infrequently but touch wood no issues since coming up 20years.

Health cover has come good again, triage phone call at 8.30 this morning and booked in for hands on assessment at 1130 tomorrow.

Yep, you have to do the exercises regularly (daily).
The thing is when I got to the point of normal everyday movement without the pain, I have tended to forget about it. Then I wake up on occasion with a slight pain and start them again. I have about 95% of the original pain free movement back most of the time.

Having had just basically brutalised my right shoulder for years, with crashing, snowboard crashing, a collarbone break, and suffering from shoulder pop out at the most hilarious moments (highlight was drunk in a hotel in Swindon, with my shoulder popping out at the moment of, well anyhow)...it was a delight to get proper reconstruction surgery even if I did have to have my arm in a sling for three months.
That was 10 years ago and it's not given me any issues save the occasional twinge.

All of the above.

What with neck stretching, back stretching and red rubber band thingy stretching for my shoulder it takes me an hour to get ready before getting out for a ride nowadays.

25 years of further shoulder dislocations. Discomfort throwing things with the affected arm. The ability to freak people out by resetting it myself.

Only 10 years of it for me though!

As others have said, you really need to keep on top of any physio you're given. I only go to the gym to do it plus some strength exercises to keep the surrounding muscles strong, otherwise I don't do it and the sodding thing then pops out again. It was very hard to keep it strong over the lockdowns as the gyms were closed and my home workouts just weren't having an effect, mainly due to lack of consistency.

As for riding, it only affects me when I let it get weak. I was back on the bike for gentle rides 4 weeks after the original injury but it was a good 3 months before anything strenuous was doable. Now as long as I can keep the muscle strength up I'm fine. The first sign I'm getting weak is I drift to the right on landings (right shoulder injured), can sneak up on me sometimes! It does mean I struggle with lifting the bike over stiles or onto uplift trailers at times, especially when tired, but other than that I've learned to use my left arm for tall shelves and awkward lifts.

oocha. I was in agony. Couldnt even put on a camelback for a year. Was off the bike 2 years.

Physio Physio Physio. Do everything you can!

Good luck

Watching with interest. I've had an intermittent sore shoulder/neck for years but thought it was bad posture slouching on the sofa, too much computer work, although I did see a noticeable improvement after getting a headset which meant I didn't need to hold my phone on my shoulder.

It's been getting a bit more frequent recently, after about an hour of stripping some turf at an awkward angle it was painful the next day.

Days 1-3 it got increasingly worse to the point I was taking full doses of both ibuprofen and paracetamol, and waking every morning at 3am with excruciating burning pain in the back of my shoulder leaving me kneeling on the floor waiting for the pain killers to kick back in.

Days 4 and 5 I took a back seat at work and cut down the computer work substantially and pharmacist recommended Votarol joint pain relief which replaced the ibuprofen.

Days 6 to 12, pain eased slightly and general only using painkillers to get through the night, on holiday.

Day 13, suddenly realised this was dragging on a bit, diagnosed myself with possible Rotator Cuff injury via Google. Makes sense, the long term causes are basically my job description, the symptoms match (almost pain free if I walk 10 miles, but sit down for a pint or go to sleep and it gets very uncomfortable. Found some singletrack topics, one stating to raise arms with thumb in various directions to identify the tendon, no noticeable difference, but if I brush my teeth or try and shave the opposite side of my face I need to hold my arm up and deal with the pain, so I wonder if that's the 4th tendon.

Day 15 was next working day and booked a physio for tomorrow (Day 18). Typically, the pain is starting to ease now and I've done two nights in a row where I've woken in the night but decided I didn't need to take painkillers, will be interesting to see the outcome tomorrow. I've done about 30 minutes of driving over the last 17 days, the same on the laptop and no riding, so it's had a proper rest, but I'm back at work next week which is either flat out computer work, driving, or manual work, so I will probably have to go on light duties until I've worked out what it is.

PS don't go to Afan if you've got a hurty shoulder, we stayed 1 night and then buggered off somewhere a bit more scenic!

Well, I've been to the physio and the good news is, it's not a tear! Appears to be a sprain of the acromioclavicular joint, some manipulation today has made a huge difference and I've been given a series of stretches to do before my next appointment next week.

Feeling pretty positive about it now, will see how the next few days progress.

I hope I get a similar diagnosis tomorrow!!!