Rotator Cuff

[_yngve_]

I have a consult coming up to look into why I suddenly can't hang my bikes up from the garage hooks and my shoulder aches all the time. Based on my (decidedly amateur) research, it sounds like I've strained/ruptured one or more of the structures in my rotator cuff.

Worst case scenario, I'll need to get surgery. While I know this is a huge deal for stick and ball types, I'm curious if anyone here has gone through it, and what impact it has had on their ability to ride.

Thanks,
SYJ

 

[Oldman]

I have a consult coming up to look into why I suddenly can't hang my bikes up from the garage hooks and my shoulder aches all the time. Based on my (decidedly amateur) research, it sounds like I've strained/ruptured one or more of the structures in my rotator cuff.

Worst case scenario, I'll need to get surgery. While I know this is a huge deal for stick and ball types, I'm curious if anyone here has gone through it, and what impact it has had on their ability to ride.

Thanks,
SYJ

You'll ride just fine but the surgery requires rehab and excercise which could start immediately, depending on what extent they chop you. Do it now rather than later as the damage increases.

 

[mewmewmew13]

Surgery is usually the last final option when ALL else has been tried. Ridiculous to go immediately from 'sore shoulder' to 'surgery' without seeing someone. I am dealing with this right now...loss of use in certain range of motion, weakness and soreness. See a good sports PT!! Don't waste time or it will get worse. It will probably be diagnosed as a 'tendinitis' or similar, and rest and exercises to strengthen surrounding muscles will be the RX. Good luck, and stop lifting overhead for the time being!
cheers

 

[_yngve_]

Surgery is usually the last final option when ALL else has been tried. Ridiculous to go immediately from 'sore shoulder' to 'surgery' without seeing someone. I am dealing with this right now...loss of use in certain range of motion, weakness and soreness. See a good sports PT!! Don't waste time or it will get worse. It will probably be diagnosed as a 'tendinitis' or similar, and rest and exercises to strengthen surrounding muscles will be the RX. Good luck, and stop lifting overhead for the time being!
cheers

Thanks...not planning on surgery (my guess is a strain/tendonitis, rather than a complete rupture), but I want to be ready just in case. The doc I'm going to see comes highly recommended by a former pro baseball player (had both knees and more recently, a shoulder done). Hopefully, my prognosis is somewhat better...

 

[Nearly]

Thanks...not planning on surgery (my guess is a strain/tendonitis, rather than a complete rupture), but I want to be ready just in case. The doc I'm going to see comes highly recommended by a former pro baseball player (had both knees and more recently, a shoulder done). Hopefully, my prognosis is somewhat better...

I had a fall a little while back onto the shoulder/cuff but kept riding (that and following days) and put it down to some form of strain (it did not seem that bad). However after 3 weeks I still had trouble lifting the arm above the horizontal so had it checked out. An ultrasound (but not x-ray) detected a small tear in the supraspinatus tendon and the advice was leave it if you don't need to use it much or have surgery if you do. I chose the latter (not really a choice - just couched as one!). When the surgeon went in a few weeks later not only was the tear worse than thought but also there were tears to the biceps (long) and subscapularis tendons as well so the repair job was a major one.

Back on the bike after 3 months, confident with the shoulder after 6 months (it has withstood a couple of jolts since). 2 years on - fine and dandy.

Moral of the story is get it checked out closely, don't necessarily rely on feel or initial scans (they are not perfect) and do not be afraid of surgery if it is recommended. I would have been a lot worse off had I left it.