My shoulder’s been giving me jip since March. Been to gp a few weeks ago and diagnosed with being a buggered / sprained rotator cuff. Advised If no improvement in 5-6 months, make an appointment to come back in and we’ll take it further.

Chatting to someone today, they had similar experiences a couple of years ago. They had a year(!) of similar issues before being referred to have surgery.

Now, call me precious but I’m not especially excited about having a knackered shoulder for 18 months.

Anyone been through similar, and any advice for expediting recovery / would private physio be beneficial?

Ta

Pay for physio. A couple of months sorted mine out and barely notice it now.

investigate macebells, that’s all I’m saying…

I feel your pain. Literally. Mine went a few years back. Bloody hell it hurt!

I didn’t have surgery but did the physio and I’ve got full movement back with no lasting effects at all

Stay off the bike. I know it’s frustrating but you need to just let it heal properly and keep up the physio

Do it properly and it won’t be anything near 18 months

Look at resistance band exercises

It’s a bugger of an injury, isn’t it? I couldn’t lift my arm to vertical or past it without pain. I really wanted to avoid the surgery for a bunch of reasons. Physio helped accelerate the healing, although I don’t know that it had that much effect. They were useful in guiding me when to start exercises and how hard to go etc. Once I started the exercises proper ( which are frustrating – really light weight and no discernable effect because they are small muscles and well hidden) but I was pain free in under 6 months and, touch wood, haven’t had any problems since.

Back to gp and ask / insist for a physio referral. Physio is needed.

I am 3 months since doing mine and even doing the exercises I am struggling.

I keep reinjuring mine while I am sleeping

+1 for resistance band exercises. Did lots of them, quick and easy to do in the mornings at work etc.

I had surgery to fix mine as it would dislocate just sneezing. Bloody hurt.

Now it’s all good as long as I keep up exercises. I’ve found kettle bell work outs have worked for me and I can now lift my arm up without fear of it popping out.

For biking there was a support strap you can purchase, it just gave me that added confidence when back out on the bike.

I did mine in when I was knocked off my bike 12 years ago. Still not 100% but highly recommend this book:

Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1598582062/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YEEbDbBPSTNRJ

Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1598582062/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YEEbDbBPSTNRJ

I read that book when I had rotator cuff problems after a fall. Also had physio although he was pretty useless and gave up on me when I fell again skiing and made it worse!

Read that book and did all the exercises, plus more from a pt at the gym who had some SA degree in that area.

Took all my resistence bands and a gym ball on holiday to the Maldives thinking I would concentrate on fixing my shoulder but nothing was really happening so, as I’ve said on here before, I attempted to swim around the island using a long breatstroke and no leg motion.

Gave up after 50 minutes but the next day I had no more shoulder pain.

Henceforth I used to do a 1.5 hr swim like this around the island on the 5 maldives holidays I have had, so at least 10000 strokes plus normal snorkling pre holiday, which has kept any shoulder problems at bay, including fixing it back up after I broke my collarbone and then again when I nearly broke it after a pizza delivery guy rear-ended me.

Don’t do the holidays anymore but did discover the macebell which is as good or maybe better.

Also intending on learning to use indian clubs.

Now got some physio type looking at some knee problems and I showed him the macebell and he then bought one. Next time I saw him he said all his shoulder issues were fixed and he has been recommending it to his other patients with similar results.

Start with a lighter one to learn smooth technique (I mainly do 360s) and then progress.

Took 18 months to get referred for surgery (AC Joint decompression) after being knowcked off my bike. Another 18 months before I was pain free. Daft thing is, the operated shoulder is better then the non-operated on shoulder, and that one is starting to give pain and restricted movement.

You need the professional advice because the rotator cuff is complex and linked to a variety of muscles. The wrong exercisves can do damage.

The exercises needed depends on what part is injured

Thanks all – I can get private physio through work so I think I will investigate that Avenue.

Thanks all – I can get private physio through work so I think I will investigate that Avenue.

and then buy a macebell in 10 years time when you still have niggly issues, and regret not buying one earlier…

good luck.

I used to do a 1.5 hr swim like this around the island on the 5 maldives holidays I have had,

#humblebrag

I fixed mine with a regime of stretches that I’m still keeping up with. After 18 months of not being able to take a shirt off over my head to pain free in a couple of months. and if it takes a few minutes at a time, every couple of days, why wouldn’t you keep it up?

Had similar problem after crashing in November, GP sent me for ultrasound as she thought it was RC problem as did a friend whose a physio but scan was fine, then had X-ray same day as going back to doc again all ok. After about five months saw musculoskeletal specialist who diagnosed traumatic frozen shoulder, it’s now pretty much back to normal and playing badminton with it so happy with that. You should have scan and X-ray to properly diagnose even the physio didn’t guess what it was. Extremely painful at its worse,little sleep little movement convinced I had broken something.

#humblebrag

not really as the sea is very salty so buoyant, you have a mask and snorkle on head is straight – no struggling to breath or pull your head up clear to breath, there’s loads of fish (and more) around to look at, and there is a big incentive as you have a bad arm/posture to fix.

And the maldives cost was 2600pp at the end but 1850pp at the beginning, which was all inclusive for 14 or 16 nights, so not that bad and then when you add on the theraputic benefits from the intensive swimming it was well worth it.

I went from struggling with the shirt over my head to pain free overnight because of that one 50 minute swim, and the macebell I mention has the same sort of effect, and is also very time efficient – the offset weight does your core as well, like kettlebells but they do very little for your shoulders compared.

So… go private and get yourself checked out. The shoulder is the most complicated joint in the body and every individual story is different. Mine? Bike crash in Jan, hurt like hell but was glad I hadn’t broken anything. 5 minute ride down from Mt Gungin took 45 minutes. After a month of pain, went to see physio mate, got sent for MRI and turned out my crash had dislocated the shoulder, fractured the cuff and then popped back in. Fractured shards now welded back into joint. Gross. Complication was that I then got frozen shoulder through nursing the joint because it hurt. Initial prognosis was physio to get full mobility back then full reconstruction 🙁 After three months of physio and a cortisone injection I had little mobility improvement so had a mobilisation under GA and more cortisone. That worked a treat! No pain and almost full mobility, but I have been totally rigorous with exercise and still am. Surgeon now says let’s skip reconstruction – I’m 43 and don’t play AFL, rugby etc. so am not at risk of dislocating again. That said if I crash my bike and land on the shoulder again, it’ll pop out – but on balance, avoiding surgery and recovery is best.

TL:DR – get it looked at professionally otherwise it’ll wipe you out.

That ^^ and what TJ said. Get the proper diagnosis and proper recovery exercises and do them religiously.

My story – didn’t bother with exercises first time and ended up having surgery. Sorted.
More recently, GP said rotator cuff physio said otherwise. Exercises have helped so far, still not regular enough on my part. It has been 6+ months (but only saw GP after 4).

I had a shoulder rotator cuff / tendon inflammation, and a huge cortisone injection and a bit of physio put me right.
My bro thought he’d had the same injury but had ruptured the tendon, unneeded surgery to put it right and had three months off the bike. Sorted now tho.
Go and see an expert 👍

Also do not do what I have done. Rotator cuff injury is in my right shoulder. Favouring it led me to tear my left biceps! I now have two buggered arms
Grump!