Week 8 Rotator Cuff Surgery Recovery - Three Tips for Easier Recovery
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- Опубліковано 22 тра 2024
- This is a series of videos chronicling my journey with rotator cuff surgery and recovery. These videos were created to provide viewers an idea of what to expect from the night before surgery through full recovery. Updated videos are published regularly.
RangeMaster Shoulder Therapy: go.myrangemaster.com/rock/
The Night Before Rotator Cuff Surgery: • The Night Before Rotat...
My Rotator Cuff Surgery Explained: • Rotator Cuff Surgery E...
How to Prepare for Rotator Cuff Surgery: • How to Prepare for Sho...
What to Expect After Rotator Cuff Surgery: • What to Expect After R...
How to Put On and Take Off a Shirt After Rotator Cuff Surgery: • How to Put On and Take...
0:00 Intro
0:38 Progress Without Sling
1:21 Sleep, Pain, ROM Metrics
2:30 Physical Therapy Additions
3:58 Three Tips for Recovery
4:08 Tip #1
6:17 Tip #2
7:50 Tip #3
9:11 Signs You've Pushed Too Hard
9:24 Summary
When I went in to my surgeon on week 6, he took off my sling and tossed it on the table and said "bye bye." What a great feeling that was! I'm in week 8 now and PT is going great.
@TE S haha that is awesome! I love that attitude, "bye bye" to the sling!! I'm so glad to hear your recovery is going well. That you are still in PT at week 8 is a good sign for you. Many quit PT way too soon and never realize their potential. Keep up the PT and the success in recovery!
I am finally having surgery for the same maladies and have been enduring intrepid fear after hearing so many nightmares. Thank you so much for letting me know that I can get through it. After a guy hit me head on I had back, hip surgeries and thought I was gonna die from the pain. Now anticipating even worse has me spiraling between apprehension, depression, potential relief, anxiety and fear. I have to go it alone and hope I can pull it off. I feel better, again, much thanks!
I'm sorry to hear about that incident, it sounds awful. Yes, you can ABSOLUTELY get through it. It is a long recovery. You WILL have your highs and lows. That's normal. If you stay consistent and positive, you WILL get through it. My shoulder is doing super well now. Yours will too! You are most welcome and yes you will absolutely pull it off.
Thank you so much for your excellent videos and the the amount of time you invest in them.They are the best on internet and very thorough and professional. I'm at 7 weeks now after surgery. Both Supra and Infra completely torn plus minor bone spur clean up. I think I'm about a week behind your progress at this point because I'm very cautious. Taking it slow because I definitely don't want to retear this sucker again at age 61. But making progress. Thanks again for very helpful videos.
TheNote, thank you! Sorry to hear you needed surgery, but am glad the videos are helping you! I love your attitude about recovery. Many rush to be normal again. There is NO rush for most of us. Taking time to heal properly is the smartest thing we can do. I'm glad to hear everything is going well so far. Keep it up and thanks for letting me know!
Hi, I just wanted to update you. I finally had my surgery on 12/22 (after a postponement on 12/13 due to surgeon illness). My surgery was at 1:45p and took 2.5 hours for a rotator cuff repair and biceps tendon repair. I ended up with 5 port holes in my shoulder and a 2-inch incision on my inner arm by my armpit. I was very anxious about nerve block procedure but they sedated me and I didn't feel a thing. The worse part of the day was driving home in a blizzard at 6:40p! The first few days were hell pain management wise because the hydrocodone and hydromorphone didn't really provide relief and both caused whole body itching. Fortunately on day 3 I was switched to Tramadol and Tylenol and that combo works. Started PT and it's been painful but great to have progress. Most days I don't wear my sling because surgeon said I could just keep arm hanging down or cradle in my lap, but always wear for sleep or when I'm outside or in public - which makes sense because the injuries began by slipping on black ice 🙂. I get sutures out tomorrow and hoping it's not painful (your Tegaderm tip is pure genius!).
I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for making the wonderful videos. All your tips helped so much for preparing for surgery and recovery. It's no hyperbole to say that you helped me get through it all. Your biggest fan!
@garrydenny5405 hey there! Thank you for the update. You're right, it sounds like the worst part of your Day 0 was driving home in a blizzard. That's good though! I'm glad to hear the nerve block helped, but it's a major bummer you didn't have meds that worked for you at first. It's great they got it figured out relatively quickly, but I bet those few days seemed like an eternity. PT for me was wonderful. It felt SO good to get that arm and shoulder moving again, even though someone else was moving it for me with passive range of motion. PT can indeed cause some discomfort for sure. Make sure you watch my video on pain vs. discomfort, I hope it will help you on that topic. I would also be careful about having your arm out of the sling too often. My surgeon said it was only OK for me when I was sitting down and still, or showering briefly. He kept me there for six weeks. You've come this far and done all the hard stuff, so make sure you don't trip at the 10 yard line by overuse outside of that sling!
I've spent a ton of time making these videos to help others. The last few videos took about 20 hours each. It's SO good to hear the videos are helping people and that they have helped you! THAT is exactly why I made these videos. Thank you for those comments, they are appreciated more than you know. Keep up the great work, every week will be better than the last!
I got out of the sling at 4 weeks. Heaven. My therapist says my ROM is good. Hanging onto the sling when I travel to remind myself not to do anything stupid.
It was heaven to get out of my sling as well. You got out two weeks earlier, lucky you! It’s awesome you are keeping up your ROM. That’s half the battle for most.
Im 61. I had a displaced proximal humerus fracture- op 8 weeks ago today.. i look at what u currently doing and you aee miles ahead of me.. 1st week- never could i do what u did- was a serious account just to shower and get dressed.. must admit things are getting easier but still long long way to get to normal ROM and then strengthening. But as long as we keep msking progress that should be our aim.
Hi Margaret! I was 52 when I did this, so I had you by 9 years. I was also working out intently most my life prior to surgery, weight training, CrossFit, etc. I was in a good place prior to surgery, which helped me. Don't compare yourself to others. We all have different histories, ailments, ages, conditions, and healthcare teams. So many variables! I'm guessing you are doing super well for your situation. The good news is, when we follow our healthcare team's instructions, with consistent work and a positive attitude, we will ALL get to be the best version of ourselves. Things absolutely do continue getting easier and easier. It's like the stock market, you will have a LOT of ups and downs. Like I said in this video, it's a roller coaster ride. You will get there though. It just takes time and lots of patience. I'm guessing I would be lucky to do as well as you if I had done this when I was 61. Keep up the great work!
Did anybody help you make these videos ? It’s amazing that you took the time and energy to do this after surgery .. thank you 🙏🏼
@PaoloDaBeast No one helped me make the videos. I did every one of them all by myself. At first I was recording the video and audio on my iPhone, then editing with one hand on my iPhone. It was rough! As I got more usage of my involved arm/shoulder, I was able to start producing more interesting and complex videos. It got to the point around Weeks 13-17 I was spending about 2 hours on these videos for every minute of content. The first few weeks were pretty easy. The last few weeks, I spent 20 hours doing everything involved. I felt very passionate about getting real content that would help others recovery from shoulder surgery. Thanks for your comments!
I/We really appreciate your helpful videos, now I’m aware of what will happen after the surgery. At least ready mentally.
Thank you
I'm going to have reverse shoulder replacement in two weeks. I appreciate all of your suggestions, sessions and hints.
I'm sorry to hear you require a shoulder replacement surgery, but am glad the videos have been helpful. Best wishes on your recovery.
Thank you so much
Thank you so much. Good to hear.
You’re most welcome!
Cool 😎. Thank you for sharing your journey with us!
@Carolyn Daniels you bet. I'm glad you're here!
Spot on!
Thank you!
Great content. Thank you. Surgery was 7 weeks ago today - massive rotator cuff tear and bicep re-attachment. Sling gone last Friday. Had to travel for business this week, so PT not until next week. Did the home exercise my surgeon gave me and over did it. Bicep hurts more than shoulder. Started running again Saturday. Slow and careful. Did 12 miles this morning at 9:20/mile pace and feel good so far. Not supposed to lift anything more than 1 pound for the next 6 weeks - challenging when you’re traveling. Regardless - it’s progress.
D Holliday thank you! Your feedback is very appreciated. What you described is exactly what happened to me, less the travel. I have over done it as well and my bicep hurt a lot more than my shoulder for many weeks after getting my sling off. Twelve miles at 7 weeks...wow, you are a beast! That's really good. Glad you're going slow though. I hope the shoulder is feeling good while you're running. I wasn't allowed to run until week 12, so you're lucky. Glad you are doing well and making progress!
I'm also a runner I miss my running maybe I can do it in 3 weeks again
Thanks for taking the time to do these videos. They’ve been very helpful and inspiring. It seems like if you look at other social media platforms, there are too many negative stories. I’m sure these bad experiences are valid, but it’s nice to see feedback that is positive and encouraging. Surgery date for me is Aug 6. Although I’ve been thru this before, it’s been 15 years and I was younger and stronger. So, I’m a little concerned about recovery time. I’m 67 now, but very active for my age. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
@John G
You bet, I'm glad to hear they are helping! You're absolutely correct, I hear and read a lot of negative comments. The good news is there are many positive stories and I'm glad mine is inspiring others, such as yourself! While age can play a factor, I've read research that indicates surgery is more about underlying health conditions, quality of tissue and even mindset of the patient. It is definitely a long recovery, but since you are so active, your chances are much better than most to get a good result. My surgeon and PT have both said part of my positive experience is due to my level of fitness and activity prior to surgery. So, that's good news for you! Please keep me updated on your progress, it sounds like you will have a positive experience as well.
Great video. More videos please
Thank you! Hopefully you were able to see the 30 other videos on my channel!
Thank you for your videos.
I’m 3-wks out today from my rotator surgery. I think I am fortunate compared to everything I’ve read and only had 2-partial repairs.
Started pendulum swings last Friday and began hand pushes this morning. I’m currently on the couch with my ice machine running and just took a couple pain pills. Obviously I think I overdid something today. Oh well that’s how we learn. Lol.
I think I’m going to try your mini sessions idea on PT at home.
@Fitman 5150 you are most welcome. I'm glad they are helpful. It does seem many struggle with this surgery, but it sounds like you are doing well. That's fantastic! I have also over done it during different phases of recovery. I hear that often from many. Mini sessions are great. I didn't start them until week 7. They have been a game changer for me. During my first 6 weeks, it was ONLY passive range of motion. Nothing even assisted. The key to mini-sessions is to do the things from the previous phase of physical therapy in the mini sessions.
For example, once you get to Phase 2 of PT and are doing active range of motion in your regular therapy sessions, do light mobility only. Once you get to phase 3 of PT and are doing strengthening, then do active/assisted range of motion for your mini-sessions. In other words, do things that are light and easy for a few minutes several times a day. Last week's video (Week 13) I go into mini-sessions more. They're incredible as long as you don't interfere with regular PT and don't over do it!
Any questions, please let me know.
I appreciate all of your videos , they’re all very informative and helpful.. since your day of surgery it’s amazing .. thank you very much for your videos. I am grateful for this .. I’m at week 7 post rotator cuff surgery. I’m having problems with the external rotation with a 3ft pole .. my arm seems to be stuck and won’t go any further down .. my surgeon said I need to stretch it or he will have to perform surgery to stretch it .. I don’t want that .. I’m glad I saw your videos and I’ll watch them all from the beginning.. thanks again .
@PaoloDaBeast I'm so glad to hear the videos have helped you. It took a lot of time to create them, but I didn't see much content like this before my surgery and knew it needed to exist to help others in their recoveries. External rotation was the most challenging for me as well. In fact, I spoke with my surgeon and PT about it on many occasions. They both indicated external rotation was the last thing to really come back. So that's good news for you! Just be patient. Keep working on that mobility regularly. Be consistent with it every day. It WILL come back if you keep at it. It just takes a lot of time and work. Those mini sessions are what really helped me a lot. I would do the stretches, then an hour later it was back to being stiff. It seemed like I would make very little progress every session....but the sessions add up big time! Make sure you are doing what your healthcare team are recommending. Ask them how often works for you...then do that. Stay away from another surgery. You GOT this!
I'm surprised you said exercises at week one, my surgeon told me other than moving my hand, elbow and doing hanging arm swings there's no shoulder exercises for the first 6 weeks.
I was very specific and careful about the exercises I did. All the details can be found on the 31 videos are created over 18 weeks of recovery.
💙😇 THANKS!!!!!
I’m glad the videos are helpful!
Pls can you further explain what you meant by "pack the shoulders" thanks
Good video!! I’m over 6 weeks out! Funny thing is..my dr told me to ditch sling at 2 week mark! And started PT at 3 week mark…I’m progressing quickly(however can’t progress faster than tendon heals to bone😩)…Im almost thru full PROM…and hope to be into next level by next week!! My goal is to be back to normal by may🤔
Hey Mike! Ditching the sling at 2 weeks is super aggressive for sure compared to the norm. I started PT on Day 5, so it's good you have started PT early on as well. It really helped. I'm glad you realize that you can't progress faster than tendon heals to bone. That process takes 6 months to be at 80-90% according to my surgeon and other research I've done. It can take 1-2 years to be at 100%. Yes, it takes time and we have to be patient. I would say I was back to normal about 12 months later, but I took it really slow. My surgeon and PT told me to take it easy even after the 6 month mark, to gradually build up to where I was before surgery. I followed their advice and have had a great outcome. I'm glad to hear you are doing well also! Keep up the great work!!
Did you have a partial tear, small even? It is a different sling approach, but protection is the same since even a small tendon repair needs 6 to 8 weeks before starting the slow recovery (that is when it starts really). Can you do a plank on elbows yet, or hands?
Thank you for recommending this video, I'll check out your week 11 video next on pain. But you do make me feel a little bit better because I was wondering if what I'm feeling is normal or not. Also I Vlog as well so you can see every bit of my surgery journey on my channel.
You’re most welcome. I hope it helps. I found your channel and have subscribed. I look forward to watching.
@@livelongerlivestronger Thank you. If you go to my Vlogging section you'll see all of my surgery related videos if You have any advice for me but I think our recovery treatments were very different for instance was told to stop wearing my sling after the first week and I was in physical therapy on my second week.
@@AndNowYourMommaKnows I’m on vacation now with my family, but I’ll check it out when I’m back. Yes, it seems there some differences for sure! I was in that sling 6 weeks! I also started PT on my 6th day after surgery. I only did passive range of motion for the first 8 weeks.
Your videos are very helpful. Thank you very much! But what happened to Week 7? I cannot find it!
@Sheryl Brown apologies, there is no week 7 video. In that week, I made the "What to Expect After Rotator Cuff Surgery" video. The first two weeks of videos, I just spoke in front of a camera so they didn't take much time. Starting with Week 3 and beyond, those videos take about 15-20 hours to make, so I'm only doing one per week on the average. I put a lot of time into them, so I'm really glad to hear they are helpful! Thank you.
If only i knew what packing the shoulder is
I’m at 3&1/2 weeks after traumatic full thickness tears of subscap and supraspinatus and partial thickness tears of infraspinatus and labrum with shoulder dislocation 3 weeks prior to the open and arthroscopic repair. The pain has been the pits ever since-especially when I try to sleep. My damage was so severe that I’m not allowed to start PT until this week to allow for healing to start. Hoping this will help the pain. Thank you for the recommendations. I’m getting discouraged and exhausted.
Hi @tammys.1543 it sounds like we had similar repairs, but you were a more limited by a few weeks. It's ok though! This is a very long recovery process. It WILL get better. I had a really fast recovery and I wasn't feeling great for a year. You should start feeling pretty good around the 5-6 month mark, maybe earlier. It just takes time. Starting out a little later with therapy sounds like a good thing for you based on your repairs. You may start a little late, but you could also surpass me. Keep your spirits up. I promise, it will get better!
I want to reword what I said but it pisses me off hearing and reading your, “I’m doing great comments!” I know this surgery has a 50% success rate or less. I’m on my 3rd rotator cuff surgery (2 failed). One on my left two on my right. Last was 7/13/23. I am almost constantly concerned that whatever little jerk move that just accidentally happened was “the one” that retore. Then it’s two days of 4-5 pain and worry. How is this guy so positive? Have you done nothing that worried you?
I've been in many bad situations in my life. At each of those points, I can choose to be negative or positive. I have always chosen to take the positive outlook and attitude and it has served me well. You're absolutely correct, not everyone has a good outcome. Recovery is also a very long road, which can get many down. I believe that staying positive and following my healthcare team's advice optimizes my odds of having a good recovery. I did just that and I am now back at 100% lifting heavy weights, doing complex CrossFit movements, playing basketball, etc. without ANY pain in my involved shoulder. It's amazing!
When people write comments, I have the same choice, to provide optimism and encouragement or be negative. I choose the former.
I have indeed had many things that have worried me and I have had many bad days of discomfort and even some pain. I've captured most of that in the 31 videos I've posted. If you watch them, you will see it hasn't been all roses, but I have always kept a positive attitude in my own life and for others here on this channel. Here is the playlist. I encourage you to watch the videos, especially from Week 11 on.
I'm sorry to hear you have been through such an extensive process with your surgeries and recoveries. If there is anything I can do outside of the videos, I'm here to help.
ua-cam.com/play/PLQSf5JL3jJjSHFX3dxy1_j9Hxyv-jKAoo.html&si=otpWEj-cgjV-cSGr
At what point can you lean on the stationary bike (i.e. some weight on the handlebars)? Then at what point real bicycle, MTB shape (on a paved trail)? And at what point/week could you do a plank on elbows, then hands? I know everyone is different but your detailed history is a good reference.
I started putting a very small amount of weight on my shoulder around Week 13. It was around Week 17-18 for more significant weight. You can check that out in the weeks 14-17 videos. Hope that helps!
I had my surgery July 23,2021
After 4 week I started washing hands in sink .I went for PT after 3 weeks , my physiotherapist just told me few motions and gave me paper to do exercise at home but she didn’t help me to move my hand ( she told me everything from 6 feet away)
I’m confused that is it normal? I don’t feel satisfied
But I’m watching some videos and trying to do by myself.
Your videos are helpful. Thank you so much.
@Farhat Aziz it sounds like you are doing great being able to wash your hands in the sink after only 4 weeks. What you describe with your physical therapist has not been my experience at all. I wouldn't be satisfied either. Perhaps you can find another physical therapist who you resonate better with. Doing it yourself can still work, if you do the right things. Did you have the same procedures I had? Repair of full thickness tear of the supraspinatus, biceps tenodesis, distal clavicular resection, acromioplasty and clean up of arthropathy. If you're close to doing what I am, you can certainly follow along if you have no other help. If you can, I would highly recommend getting a PT that will help you. If there's anything I can do other than create this content, please let me know!
When did they let you go back to work I figure maybe week 8 I'm hoping anyways
Fortunately, I work from home for my "real" job. I was able to do some things on my iPhone on week 1, including creating and editing these earlier videos. My "fun" job is more physical. I did not return to that job for about 6 months. It really depends on what your job is and if you can avoid doing things your healthcare team asks you not to do.
I know this is an old video but wonder if you could say exactly which part of the rotator was repaired
I made this video, linked below to show my repairs. I hope that answers your question.
ua-cam.com/video/C3TUMJ9iBXk/v-deo.html
Haw much will be pain
Pain will vary for everyone. I describe and show my pain levels through the first five weeks in a graph toward the end of this video. Hope that helps!
ua-cam.com/video/af04LqR0vh4/v-deo.html