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View Full Version : Possible torn rotator cuff



batrypk
04-04-2007, 02:48 PM
I was injured Monday at work. The er doc said he couldn't tell by the x-rays if I have a torn rotator cuff, and my reg doc said he wasn't able to tell because the swelling is fairly bad. I will probably have to have an ultrasound or an MRI next week.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of injury?

I do know my pain medication is doing NOTHING for the pain.

freeby4me
04-04-2007, 03:09 PM
I believe this is what my grandmother has and surgery is not an option for her due to her lung condition. She has a very hard time with it, cant use the arm hardly at all and when she does she is in pain. She doesnt take medication (pills) for the pain because once she does she wont be able to stop. I know she has gotten shots in her shoulder for it though. I dont know if any of that info is what you're looking for though :(
Wishing you the best ((hugs)) Keep us updated

earnhardt1
04-04-2007, 03:29 PM
Good luck my uncle has this and greatly suffers

batrypk
04-04-2007, 03:30 PM
I dont know if any of that info is what you're looking for though :(
Wishing you the best ((hugs)) Keep us updated


Good luck my uncle has this and greatly suffers




Thanks and any info will be greatly appreciated.

aneisu
04-04-2007, 03:36 PM
My dad has torn both of his. He has had one repaired and is holding off on the other b/c the recovery time is about a year. Of course that really depends on your overall health and age. He is in his fifties, severly overweight, but moderately active. With therapy after the repair he could only lift his arm about half way between his shoulder and his head, nowhere near straight up. In other words he lost a lot of mobility. I know of someone who tore hers when she was playing softball at 18 and recovered fairly quickly and regained full mobility - so it is really individual. I do know it was one of the most humbling experiences for my dad b/c it was his right arm and he couldn't do anything after surgery. His arm was completly immobilized for several weeks. He even had problems going to the restroom by himself. My mom pretty much had to stay right there with him until they let him have some movement.

SLance68
04-04-2007, 04:01 PM
Have you tried putting ice on your arm to reduce the swelling. The pain meds would work better if they gave you a muscle relaxer to go with them - If you call your Dr. they will probably call one in for you.

cathych
04-04-2007, 04:13 PM
this looks like a fairly good article:http://www.webmd.com/search/search_results/default.aspx?query=torn+rotator+cuff

Tasha405
04-04-2007, 04:17 PM
My Dh just went through this last year. The doctor he was seeing did not want to do the surgery, he said it would be last resort. So my Dh ended up going through months of physical therapy. He injured his shoulder in Jan. and didn't get released for work without restrictions until Oct. So it took a while for it to heal but he's much better now. You have to really listen to what they tell you (no heavy lifting and so on) and do the exercises they give you to do at home (if they require you to do them).

Good luck and I wish you a speedy recovery. :)

I just wanted to add that I think they had my DH on pain meds, muscle relaxers and something for the swelling.

batrypk
04-04-2007, 05:52 PM
Have you tried putting ice on your arm to reduce the swelling. The pain meds would work better if they gave you a muscle relaxer to go with them - If you call your Dr. they will probably call one in for you.
As far as ice, I have used ice packs for the first 2 days as instructed, then heat therapy. I was prescribed 800 mg Motrin, Lortabs and Flexeril, but they aren't doing anything for the pain.


this looks like a fairly good article:http://www.webmd.com/search/search_results/default.aspx?query=torn+rotator+cuff

Thanks

cuddlebugg
04-04-2007, 07:04 PM
Physical Therapy will greatly help you obtain your full range of motion back in your shoulder IF you follow the exercises they give you and don't try to rush it. I work in a PT office and we have some some patients that are at full range of motion in a month or so, others have taken up to a year. We have a few that probably never will regain it for various reasons.

crystalbug
04-04-2007, 10:20 PM
I know what you are going through, my daughter was bench pressing in fitness class and the spotters werent paying attention and she ended up with 95 lbs on her right shoulder, this was in january, they didnt fill out an accident report at school because they thought she just pulled a muscle. I took her to her family Dr and he gave her some motrin, but it didnt help and it never improved, Doc sent her to a orthopedic surgeon who refered her to a sports medicine Dr with a diagnosis of labral tear in the rotator cuff. took her to sports med Dr and he wants her to have six weeks of physical therapy, he gave her ibuprofen and lortab, to take 30 min before therapy. Her family Dr seems to think she isnt going to be able to do physical therapy, he thinks she end up with surgery, luckily she is left handed and it is her right shoulder. She is a senior in High school graduating june 2nd, Im so afraid if she has to have surgery it will mess her schooling up, considering all the time it takes to recover from the surgery, she is 17 so maybe she will heal fast. I dont know what is going to happen at this point and I am very concerned. I wish you luck with your injury, and a speedy recovery.

PrincessArky
04-05-2007, 04:18 AM
Oh I do hope you are feeling better soon

MistyWolf
04-05-2007, 05:10 AM
My brother had both shoulders done .. one redone cause of scar tissue. That was about 2 1/2 years ago since his first surgery and he is still going to therapy, but he can moves his arms fine. He said the surgery wasn't a picnic, but he's glad he did it.

PreciousDarlin
04-06-2007, 04:15 AM
DH was diagnosed with labral tears two years ago. Surgery wasn't an option at that time because of lack of insurance. He worked it as much as he could and took some pain medication and muscle relaxers. He was able to use it again for the most part in a couple of weeks, though he didn't regain full range of mobility. Apparently, however, he (we are assuming) reinjured the old injury because he is back to barely being able to move it. He uses his arm a LOT at work and the Lortabs and Skelaxin and Aleve just isn't cutting it. He has an MRI scheduled for Monday, so we will see where we go from here.

SLance68
04-06-2007, 01:58 PM
As far as ice, I have used ice packs for the first 2 days as instructed, then heat therapy. I was prescribed 800 mg Motrin, Lortabs and Flexeril, but they aren't doing anything for the pain. Thanks

Well I was going to suggest Flexeril but you are already on it. Make sure you take it every 8 hours - it does work - but it does take time. At least they told you about using ice - when I broke my arm no one - not the Dr. or any of the Nurses told me to put ice on it. Finally my Grandmother asked why I wasn't using ice every 2 hours - she was a nurse. All I can say is that I now have a lovely collection of ice packs. I used them for weeks not just 2 days and it did a lot of good - reducing the swelling. Hope something works for you soon - I hate the idea of surgery. And the PT such as Blackburns for shoulder injuries looks really easy but if you have a shoulder injury they seem impossible and do make you very sore but it does work.