Rotator Cuff?

[utahcarver]

How would I know if I had torn my rotator cuff? Are there any obvious symptoms/pain that I would be experiencing? I searched the forum but couldn't find an explanation of what might be some of the symptoms of this injury.

Thanks,

Mark

[Galen]

If you even suspect your tore your rotator cuff, go see a doctor. Osteopath, sports doctor, whatever. I tore mine twice, and 7 years later it stil gives me problems. My symptoms were, when I intially did it, throbbing pain, your arm feels really heavy, and had some type of refered pain in the adjoining pectoral. also a pin point of extreme pain on the outside of the shoulder where you arm goes into the socket. this went on for about a week before I went to a doctor. I think the position it was in when you injured it is what will determine were exactly you will feel the pain most. a good sports doctor should be able to tell if you tore it just by minipulating your arm in various positions. Good luck, and hope it is just a strain of some sort!

[Scotty Pumpkins]

go get checked out by a doctor. he'll perform a series of tests, and quite possibly an MRI. do it ASAP, the longer you wait, the longer the healing process if it is in fact a torn rotator cuff. last year i broke my shoulder right where the cuff attaches to the bone. it healed, but its still not 100%, and i took care of it right away. good luck

[utahcarver]

I have limited movement in the shoulder. I played ping-pong (thats Table tennis for those of you who ski) this past Saturday and could hardly finish a game before severe pain set in. So, yes, I'm going to the doctor.

If I have to have surgery and recovery time, that puts me around late November (six months) at being back to 100%.

Thanks again,

Mark

[D-Sub]

I know people are gonna get snippy but I cant help but be amazed at what people come to bomber for advice for sometimes!

hope youre not seriously injured. I hurt my shoulder first day of the season...was really sore for two weeks but then it healed. sorta.

[utahcarver]

Do you do Taxes? :)

Mark

[D-Sub]

heh. cant help ya there. dad's an accountant though:)

glad you dont get pissed. gotta admit its kinda funny some of the stuff that gets asked about here, quite often almost completely unrelated to alpine snowboarding (yours is related since you got hurt ridin, but...heck...even webmd would be a better option!)

[Neil Gendzwill]

Rotator cuff injuries also cause weakness in the affected arm, especially lifting straight up sideways. I didn't tear mine though, just tendonitis. But the one arm was way weaker, had to do a bunch of rubber band exercises to get it back.

[jp1]

Easy, hold both hands out in front of you, palms facing the floor, at chest height. Have a friend put their hands, palms facing up under yours. Then try to push the friends hands down as hard as you can. If the cuff is torn, you won't have any (or very little) force pushing down, no matter how hard you try. That was the test my Surgeon used, after 3 doctors found nothing.

Don't waste you time and $$, see a Surgeon. MRI / Scope to determine damage.

Good Luck, hopefully something not serious.

Cuff Surgery is NOT on my top ten list of things I want to do again.

[Guest ethanpt]

go see a good physical therapist

[Derf]

Here are a couple of shoulder threads:

Shoulder Surgery

Shoulder Braces

Anyone else with shoulder probs?

I ha ve some shoulder problems myself, that's why I knew where to find the threads.

[utahcarver]

I met with the surgeon today and he showed me the MRI scans and I could see the void at the top of the humerus on several of the images. Surgery is scheduled for May 24th. The good news is that I've got the time built up to take so that I don't starve while I'm outta work. I'm covered by my employer's insurance and an AFLAC accident rider that I bought 2 years ago. Woohoo!

Looks like I got about 5 weeks ahead of me sitting down at the local waterin' hole in the hot afternoons, under the water-misters, downing pitchers of draft beer and recounting this past season's outings. And, I'm getting all the movie and book recommendations from the BOL reviews and stocking up on them.

What does D-Sub know? BOL is a one stop shopping bonanza! Hey, I bet I could catch up to his post numbers while I'm healing up.

Mark

[jp1]

They'll probably have you in therapy in less than a week. It's no fun, but work at it. Maybe your goal should be to raise one of those pitchers over your head in a month!

Good Luck ! jp

[patmoore]

I had an MRI on my right shoulder last Friday and am awaiting the results. I seem to have plenty of strength in it but when I raise the arm with the palm facing downward I get resistance, a sharp click, and then it's fine. Sleeping is painful because I tend to have that arm over my head.

This really isn't all that "off topic" because the injury occurred while carving two months ago. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this kind of injury. I was doing a toe side turn (I ride regular) and was laying out a pretty good carve when I encountered an icy patch and found myself sliding feet first on my right side with the right arm extended over my head. I suspect the arm overextended. There was immediate pain but not intense. I had an identical fall at Park City a couple of weeks later. I can swing a golf club but not a tennis racquet.

Talk about the ravages of time.... I saw the same orthopedic doctor the same day for my right knee. The MRI is useless there because of the screws in the knee from an ACL surgery seven years ago. He suspects I have a "bucket handle" injury that causes painful locking of the knee. We're going to forego doing a "tuneup" at this time. Turns out I'm out of warranty and the owner's manual is way out of print. OEM replacement parts are hard to find too. Last September I had 3 pins put in my right hand as a result of a UPD ("unplanned dismount") from one of my unicycles.

The child bride reminds me that I turn 60 in less than a year and a half but I really don't want to start slowing down.

[stevo]

Hi Pat- I've had both my L/R rotator cuffs (supraspinatus) screwed back down to my humerus bones. The first one happened in a fall like you described...I wiped out wakeboarding and face-planted with my one arm outstretched still hanging on to the rope...I thought I could stop a 310 hp boat...NOT! Anyway, the PC doctor and the physical therapist said I could not have torn the tendon because I would be hurting a lot more than I was. After a few months of useless physical therapy I finally had the MRI done and sure enough it was a full thickness tear with the muscle retracted. Both of my tears were so big they could not be scoped...I have a 4" scar on both shoulders.

Anyway, I'm glad you got the MRI done ASAP...the sooner it is diagnosed the easier it is to repair (if needed) and the quicker you are rehabbed back to normal. Hopefully yours is not torn at all:)

[patmoore]

Just heard from the doctor's office. They said there is evidence of tendinitis and a possible "labral tear" in the tendon that attaches the bicep to the labrum, a rim of soft tissue around the socket. It won't necessarily require surgery and even if does it most likely can be done arthroscopically.

I did a little research on it and found this site. They mention that the injury can occur when "falling on an outstretched hand".

I go in on the 25th for further assessment.

Rats - this was the year I was going to get the handicap back in single digits....

Pat

[utahcarver]

Had the operation yesterday complete with labrum repair, some scraping on boney material; neck block didn't take so I got a bunch of morphine for surgical pain. Now I itch all over from the morphine. I also got this nifty cooler that circulates ice water through a harness that fits over my shoulder.

I start physical therapy tomorrow. Should be outta this sling in about 6 weeks.

I bought a Tanker 200 this past weekend. Guess which one of these things I had more fun doing?

Gotta stop, and go take another oxycontin (aka a 'Rush M & M').

Mark

[Skully]

You're the one who bought that 200.

Lucky Sucker.... (I'm jealous....)

[patmoore]

Yesterday's diagnosis confirmed a labral tear. They gave me a shot of Cortisone/Novacain and scheduled me for PT. They said it won't heal by itself so surgery may be required. I think they said it can be done on an out-patient basis.

Oddly enough I can still play golf. The sore right shoulder restricts the back swing but doesn't impede the follow through.

If I do go through with the shoulder surgery and another "tune-up" on the knee, it will be a total of five surgeries from the same orthopedic group (prior hand and two knee surgeries). Maybe I can qualify for volume discounts....

[utahcarver]

Skullly: I'm sorry that you missed the Tanker but, I had to get it. Good luck on the new ones that Dave is getting in soon.

BTW, if you ever have a doctor give morphine to you, make sure you get some stool softeners in you asap. Wow!!! Now that's what I call off topic.

Mark

[Guest OCD]

Mark,

Keep us up to date. I went in for an MRI this morning with what sounds like the same injury. Went of a jump sideways and landed on my left shoulder. PT didn’t help much and it sounds like I’ll need to be scoped. Little concerned about the sling and recovery time with work and all so I would appreciate the occasional update.

Thanks

Rich

[Skully]

Mark,

I'm just giving you crap about the tanker man... First come first serve. I've got a 192 on the way anyway!

Besides, I'm sure if I beg hard enough, you'll let me try the 200.

Get better soon!

[utahcarver]

Rich: I was out and about with wife this morning; farmers market, coffee at a local cafe, and such. The sling is great for supporting the weight of the arm so that the shoulder/repair can heal. I take it off to do PT twice a day and to shower each day: but I keep the arm close to my body. I've learned to shave, bathe, brush my teeth, itch, and eat with my right hand, too.

I also wear an Iceman collar that fits around the left shoulder. It hooks to a beer cooler that runs icewater through the collar. It is great; that alone counts for about 40% of the pain relief. The other 60% is 12 hour oxycontin and percocet about every 6-8 hours. I had a percocet yesterday and I'll probably take one tonight but, I could really go without them. I can ditch the collar sometime next week after I get the staples out.

I can sleep with the sling on rather comfortably, too. I am a heavy sleeper so if you are a light sleeper, you'll have to adjust your sleeping meds. The doctor said I'd be in the sling 6 weeks tops and I think I'll need all six to get back to normal.

Mark

I also watch a lot of skateboarding, snowboarding, and some carving videos during the day to pass the time.

[Guest OCD]

Mark,

Thanks for the update. I got my results back from the MRI and it looks like I have a torn rotator cuff and the cartilage on my shoulder ball joint ( don’t know the exact facts yet ) is also torn so I’m going to have to have to have surgery. I’m really worried about the recovery time more than anything else. Work is not going to like this.

Rich.

[utahcarver]

Got all the staples out yesterday. Now, the wounds has steri-strips over them held firmly in place with Derma Bond. Over the years, how many skateboarders, mountainbikers, climbers, mxers, etc. have used super glue for bloody flesh wounds instead of going to the emergency room? Makes you wonder where DBond got the idea from, huh?

I also got a new exercise to do: I lay on my back and hold my left wrist with my right hand and extend my left arm over my head as far as possible and then back. I do this for about 15 minutes each day now. The discomfort is about a 6 on a scale of 10. But, afterwards, the joint is very limber and feels better.

I'm becoming very interested in wanting to wear shoulder protection next season because I don't want to go through this again.

Mark