Torn/aggrivated rotator cuff :(

how long does an either torn or aggrivated rotator cuff take to heal? it hurts like a bitch and i can barely move my arm... the doc said the x-rays should be done monday so they can tell me if its torn, frayed or just strained. they gave me a cordizone shot today though..

any ideas to aleviate the pain? i know if i get my adrenaline pumping i cant feel it

 

Torn Rotator Cuff will not show up on an X-ray, only on a MRI.

 

This happens to me all the time. I just try to only move my arm from the elbow down. It starts feeling a little better after 3 or 4 days. 2 or 3 weeks to feel a lot better.

 

they said x-ray because its a harder tendon and itll show hairline cracks. lol im tryin to limit movement as much as possible but i do way too much crap

 

Additionally Coritzone Steroid shots limit the blood flow to the affected site. So don't be going in there and keep getting them like free samples at Costco on a Sunday. It'll take far longer to heal and will actually end up causing it to atrophy.

 

i didnt have a torn rotator cuff but i did tear my labrium (i dont know if thats spelled right) from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock - top to bottom - from dislocating while snow boarding and only showed up on MRI and had to have surgery to re-connect and 3 screws inserted. about 4 months in a pretty beastly sling and 9 months of therapy...
good luck man, it sucked

 

haha howd you know im a drug mule, lol just kidding, would you reccomend any chiropractic stuff to help it?

 

est thing to do is rest it

 

when you say "heal", you mean more like, "stop hurting"? don't think it will heal.

 

this is true....it will never heal, but it will scar over and the pain will dissapate. but because it never heals its always able to be torn further.

 

this depends on what you guys mean by "heal" I have torn both of my rotater cuffs, torn both my Labrum's and had to have one shoulder surgically reconstructed, so I am a pretty good authority on this.

Best thing to do is be nice to it for the next two weeks, ice it down daily, or a couple times a day if you are able, and basically do not do anything that makes it hurt.

Once you can move it around without having any serious pain, it's rehab time. It is actually pretty easy to get your rotater cuff stronger than it was before you injured it, mostly because it is an ignored muscle in the body, and once you start working it specifically you are able to make some serious gains, strengthwise.

Most rotater cuff exercises involve keeping your elbow prone to your side (but with a spacer between your arm and body, generally a small rolled up towel works well) and rotating your arm in and out, with differnet types of LIGHT resistance, depending on the motion.

Also doing arm lifts, both directly in front of you and straight out to the side are great for strengtheing that area.

The key that I have found to getting your rotater cuff back to normal is lots of rep's and very light weight with all the exercises. for example, three sets of 20 with a 4 pound weight. The really weak stretch bands work well too, tie one end to a doorknob and work your shoulder lightly over and over until it burns.

google rotater cuff exercises and you will find what you need.

Just remember, ice it and don't over-do it, cuz it's really gonna piss you off if you injure it again doing something you know you should not be doing.

moral of the story, it can come back just fine, and actually better than it was before, just pay attention to it.

 

Chiropractors can't really help with this. If it's torn it needs surgery.

Otherwise the exercises listed above are the best bet.

 

go buy an arm sling to minimize movement to reduce pain till you hear from your doctor. ...you will probably need surgery.

 

If it is really torn, it will never heal. It will scar over, but you will have issues down the road. Don't think you won't. The rotar cuff keeps your arm in its socket as your arm moves up. If it the cuff is damaged, this will allow the arm to move out of the socket thus creating issues over time. For someone who is not active, never will be then they might get by. If you don't fall into that, then have it looked at and fixed if need be. For now, I would rest it, ice it for 15 mins at a time. A chiropractor will help with the pain but it will come back. I say do the above for a week or so, then resume activities lightly. You will know if there is a problem. If there is, get it fixed. Over time, your body will compensate for the bum shoulder and other problems may result. ie, bicep tendon, upper pec muscles, labrum.

Trust me, I speak from experience. Just food for though, good luck!

 

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I zinged mine about 10 years ago when twisting while planting a tree (felt it immediately). It took about 3 weeks of rest to feel decent ... but still acts up if I over do things.

Mine is not real bad and doc said that operating could make it worse. I had a series of steroid shots that only helped for a few days.

FWIW ... I would only have surgery if it really bothered me a lot.

With that said ... you have some OTs & PTs on here that can tell you more about their therapies (with & without surgery).

PS ... Light Yoga and stretching has helped mine ... but I still have to be very careful what I do.
.

 

@brow: +1

 

just so you know, it is VERY hard to tear your rotater completely through the first time you injure it, usually you end up in surgery after multiple injuries that keep aggravating the same spot, basically it tears a little more each time you hurt it.

If this is your first time injuring it, you probably don't need surgery, just PT and pay attention to it in the future, basically, if it starts to hurt, stop what you are doing.

 

Sorry man. I try not to use heavy weights when doing shoulders. Mr rotator cuff is all fucked up too. Bands are great exercises that work the rotator well. future reference.

 

Shoulder surgery has come a long time in the past few years. I had a torn labrum, back half completely off the bone and my cuff was very very beat up. Few more months and it would have been toasted. Some damange up where the bicep tendon connects to the shoulder (around that grove that super-spinatus nerve (sp) goes through). 7 months of rehab got me back to work. After about a year of working it and paying attention, the thing is rock solid. Never have to worry about what I do.

Modern medicine man, just awesome.