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Who has had rotator cuff surgery??

6K views 24 replies 17 participants last post by  Seven Arrows 
#1 ·
Just went thru that very unpleasant operation on my left shoulder to correct a old injury that was getting worse as time went by. Two torn places so now am in a sling with a shoulder full of screws and string. My question is how long was your recuvery time, and when was your arm healed eneugh to start doing important stuff like using a bass rod, driving a stick shift and typing on a 'puter with more than finger on the wrong hand? Of course most of you know I'm a full time lefty, well...maybe not full time now though...lol..and when could you start pulling a bow, light weight of course? This being in a sling really sucks...warf
 
#3 ·
Hey Bob,

I had the works done to my right shoulder in an open surgery about 3 years ago. Your recovery time totally depends on what was damaged, what was repaired, and your attitude and compliance during the Physical Therapy. It is pretty common for a shoulder to get frozen up after the surgery, mine sure did. The PT was focused first on range of motion, then strength. I found the PT to be a fairly tedious process that pushed me at times and made me wonder if I was really going to regain full function. That said I had an great outcome. I was released for cautious but full activity after about 3 months but it was about a year before my shoulder stopped talking to me. All said and done I feel very fortunate to now have full function, strength, and zero pain.

Do as you are told and be patient during the healing. Good luck to you.

Rasyad
 
#4 ·
X- 2 Rasyad, had both mine done at different times, specialist actualy told me that archery would be good for recovery, done sensibly, try telling that to your other half ! (and others) good luck Bob, cheers Pete.
 
#5 ·
I started shooting 3 months after my rotator cuff and biceps tendon repair. Low poundage 30-35lbs. I am now 8 months out and it still talks to me if I over due shooting, chainsawing etc. but I am now shooting my 50# BW PSR. I am still a bit weaker on that side so I am still trying to lift weights to strengthen. Do your physical therapy or it will take longer to recover. I'm not know for crying but that little PT gal brought tears to my eyes several times. Good luck. Jags
 
#6 ·
I had rotator cuff surgery and surgery on a broken collar bone and surgery for a broken back all at the same time, so my recovery time was very long and I've had three more surgery's on my back just to keep me walking so I don't think your recovery time will be as long as mine, but good luck!
 
#8 · (Edited)
Bob,

We have a guy over in KY that is the host for KY afield... Tim Farmer... He lost his right arm in a motorcycle accident and fishes with something a lot like this... You might Youtube and see if there are any videos that shows his rig...

http://www.sheltonproducts.com/handicap.html

I couldn't find anyinfo on his particular item... but thought with your ingenuity... you might come up with something to keep the smallies on the go...

Jonathan
 
#10 ·
My wife had rotator cuff surgery and was committed to therapy, but she wound up having surgery again because it became "frozen". Had to break up all the scar tissue.
Has anyone seen or heard how this is done? They take your arm and put it through extreme ranges of motion!
 
#14 ·
Wow, I forgot (repressed) about that special level of frustration and pain!

Mine also "froze" but the surgeon absolutely refused to "manipulate" the joint and went back in and selectively cut away the scar tissue.

Per Doctors orders, I walked out of surgery at 0900 with a sling but was to report to the Physical Therapists table at 1645 that afternoon and next morning and afternoon and twice every weekday for the next two weeks, so the therapist could work the joint through the entire range of motion for me to keep it free. until I had enough strenght to do it myself. It never froze back up.

If you have a local YMCA or Rec. Center, that has a pool ask your therapist about using it. Swimming really helped me keep everything moving and build muscle mass back.
 
#11 ·
My right shoulder "froze" after rot/cuf+tendon repair surgery, even after religiously doing the exercises, my pyhsio kept appologising to me for all the "nessecary" pain she put me thru. It was very painful, but worked. However, same opp on the left side, no probs at all ! cheers Pete.
 
#12 ·
I had surgery to repair a torn biceps tendon, labrum and a chewed up rotator cuff. Plus I had cysts in the area due to the 15 year old injury. I was shooting a compound about 3-4 months after the surgery. But I couldn't shoot a recurve for almost a year. I went to physical therapy as well. My strength close to my body was fine, it was when I was at full draw that I had scar tissue that built up and it was painful. I was able to type on the computer with about a month though, and driving a stick around 2 months. Take it easy and heal up!
 
#13 ·
Tore my labrum and detached my bicep tendon... repair was 2 years ago.
Started shooting again the day after surgery but I had to switch bow hands:


LOTS of Physical therapy! 1 hour every M-W-F every week for the past 18 months. I'm still not 100% range of motion on external rotation and have a slight abduction impingement, but I was cleared by medical last months as fit for full duty and this morning I just set a new post-op record of 16 push-ups.

It truly was the best thing that every happened to me, archery wise, because while I was forced to stop competing, I started coaching and discoverd a whole new world.
 
#16 ·
Get well soon Bob!

Sounds like a horrible surgery and recovery time for an archer. I have some crunching, popping feelings in my draw shoulder over #50 but no pain at this point. I've settled on #45 max and shoot great at that weight. Hopefully I can avoid the cuff surgery till I'm too senile to shoot!
 
#17 ·
Just back from therapy, it went pretty good, range of motion is better than expected so so far so good I guess. Archery season here in Idaho opens in ten days but that's off the table of course. Arm in sling won't stop me from wandering the woods popping grouse with a .22 pistol and a few snowshoe bunnies. Come October when the rifle seasons open I won't dare shoot a rifle off the bum shoulder but I can still use my 14" Thompson Center .44 Magnum handgun with Aimpoint site, 300 gn bullets and primer flattening loads. A pretty good combination if you can stand the recoil..lol..It's not bowhunting but sure beats sitting home watching TV and playing on the 'puter. Fishing is still out the window for awhile but late September might be doable and the smallies will just have to wait a bit longer for me. I love the fall time of the year!...warf
 
#19 ·
Please don't over do it. Remember that a fall or lifting something can tear it all loose. That happened to a friend of mine and they had to have another surgery. Shooting a gun is only part of the problem for this years season. Field dressing the animal may hurt that shoulder.

I went javelina hunting with friends a few weeks after my surgery. The jarring about drove me to my knees. Rest up so you don't screw anything up. :2cents:
 
#18 ·
Like they are all telling you Bob, follow the instructions to the letter.

I had a boss who had to have his shoulder rebuilt. He did well until he started skrimping on the hours at home mandated in a rented motorized range-of-motion therapy chair. The boredom got to him. Anyway the scar tissue adhesions bound up the shoulder. They "manipulated" the shoulder (actually bending twisting the shoulder joint until the adhesions tore loose) and he was pretty much back to square one with the therapy program. He eventually recovered but never regained full range of motion or strength as a result of the added damage.

the smallies will just get bigger, or you could take up ice fishing for them (LOL)
 
#20 ·
Bob,

I hope you have a quick recovery, but you will likely sit the hunting season out. In the early 80's I dislocated my Left shoulder while on manuvers with the Marines.

They placed a large screw in my shoulder, with about 10 big staples. My physical therapy took about 3 months, and I ended up 10% disabled. Try to do as others have stated and follow the good advice of your physicians and make sure you do ALL your physical therapy, as it can payoff dividents with respect to getting back your range of motion, and have you flinging arrows again sooner!

Regards,

Barry Buckley
 
#21 ·
Yea, I'm starting to realize that this isn't a few week recovery thing and that I have to put the fun things on the back burner until all healed up, have heard to many horror stories from people who jumped the gun doing things and really messed things up, don't need that to happen as this routine recovery is bad eneugh to get behind me. Damb, and hunting season is a week away, trout are jumpng, smallies are hungery and deer in my back yard, bummer...lol..Gonna be real bad when the local elk start whistleing in a couple weeks and here I sit listening to them..warf
 
#23 ·
The PT clinic I inhabited for months has "The wall of shame"... Which is covered with frowning pictures of all the patients who charged ahead and tried to do too much too fast and fooked themselves back up in the process. Every picture is captioned (and signed) "I should have listened to my P.T."


It's a hard lesson to learn but one you don't want to learn the hard way.
 
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