Torn Rotator Cuff

[WCB]

I'm back at work today but a little tired... You know, the ELDERLY... LOL

Well..... I think that just set me to pushing it off for a few more months...

If you can draw a bow then put it off till after season. If not then do it NOW!!

[OleTomTalker]

I'm back at work today but a little tired... You know, the ELDERLY... LOL




If you can draw a bow then put it off till after season. If not then do it NOW!!

Thanks for the input. Honestly, I haven't gotten my bow out since it's been hurting. Had a bad feeling, I know what's gonna happen. Laid off doing any lifting with it that I can help for last 3 weeks. Seems to have gotten some better but not going away. That's what's got me thinking its more than just a sprain.

[OleTomTalker]

Tx Wader, hope you get some answers and relief!!

[Hoytbowhunter]

Yep not fun at all, I had a Fusion done in my lower back, And so now pushing myself up and down I tore my rotator cuff, ripped my bicep tendon and tore a bunch of Cartlidge. What a mess that was going through therapy, I end up buying a crossbow for that year.
Get it done and over with You’ll get past it good luck.

[the marshall]

I had a detached cuff and torn tendons. After surgery, 6 weeks in an isolation sling. Then 12 months of tearing scar tissue that formed during isolation sling period. Shots don't work they just prolong the inevitable.

[ranchdog]

To those of you who have had surgery, how long was recovery? ex. How long off work?

The first thing to know is that is it your dominate arm ? If your right handed and it is your right arm that makes it harder to get around big time. Mine was that case and I had trouble learning to use only my left arm hand for a while. Your arm will be in a sling for several weeks and you need (Must) leave it in there. If it is your non dominate arm that helps a lot.

I went back to work in about 3 weeks and on very light duty. The rehab is a killer, but you have to do it. I had mine done in August so no bow hunting for me however I did gun hunt late Nov / Dec with reduced recoil 308 rounds my daughter shoots. I started pulling my bow in April the following year but I was super conservative and I even bought a 60lb bow (set at 50Lbs) of the same model of my 70lb bow to shoot. You have to get an MRI for the Dr. to know exactly what is going on with your shoulder and then he will only really know when he gets inside your shoulder. I feel mine has recovered very well. I don't test it to see if I can tear it again as I am not as young as I used to be. Mine would not and was not healing so I had to get the surgery. I felt 100% back after 1 year. Good luck.

Ranchdog

[Ouch]

I had 3 RC tendons repaired, biceps reattached and labrum repaired on 12/23/16. I was a grumpy bear for Christmas.

I was back at work the following week. Sling for 6 weeks, went to 3 PT appointments, then rehabbed myself. I had people tell me it would take anywhere from 6-18 months to get back to normal. Took me about 8.

Do it now. You'll be glad in the end.

[bboswell]

Agree get the so that you know exactly what you have going on and don't give up on the shot just because the 1st one doesn't work. My first shot did near nothing, I changed docs and got another shot and it fixed it. That was over 2 years ago.

[Still Hunter]

Gets it repaired now before you tear it worse. I had my surgeon add extra anchors. He laughed when I asked him but he actually did it. He has cut on me four times. Do not wait, why prolong the pain and risk further damage. The longer you wait the more damage will be done. You can shoot a crossbow with one arm. I was in a sling for probably six weeks. Don't freak when you arm shrinks to half its normal size. It will come back.

I had surgery in November 17, 2016. I was elk Hunting in Colorado the following September and shooting 74 lbs, (my bow support arm). It is a slow healing process. You have to do your physical therapy to get it back. I was extremely motivated. Every night a hot shower was stretch time. I marked spots on the tile wall to show progress. Put a pulley on the top of a bedroom door and use your other arm to help raise up and stretch the other one up once you start back with your therapy. Just sit in a chair and work it. I have full range of motion again and it is still getting stronger.

Get the " block", deadens your shoulder for about 18-24 hrs and get a "polar care" ice water machine. It helped tremendously with the healing and helped reduce inflammation.

[76aggie]

I have to disagree with jumping in there and getting the surgery done. My Ortho Doc is a great guy! Surgeons make money doing surgery. That is what they do. He diagnosed torn rotator cuff through MRI. All set for surgery. My Insurance company said no surgery. They wanted me to do PT first. I was really pi$$ed. I played along with them and danged if it didn't work. I had a great Physical Therapist. I bought a lower poundage bow for rehab and she even designed some exercises for me to help shoot the bow. I am really glad I did not have the surgery. Feel great now and shoot most every day.

[JonBoy]

I'm in a similar boat. Had an MRI done 2 weeks ago for a suspected Labrum (SLAP) tear in my left shoulder. Still waiting on the results but the doc was pretty sure it's torn. Shoulder surgery in my future too, just not sure how bow season is going to pan out. Its in my support shoulder not my pulling shoulder. I can still use it with little to no pain but it gets pretty upset afterwards

[Rudyl]

I'm a wuss when it comes to pain but my goodness that surgery was nasty. I had the surgery in Feb. 2015 so i missed that season and interestingly i could pull and hold my recurve fine although its only 47lbs but goodness i couldn't pull my 54# PSE until 2017 aannnnddd I throw like a girl so i still don't have my full range of motion.

[Garbuster]

As previously stated go ahead and get it done. I had mine done around 6 years ago. Dr. that performed mine said I had one of the worst tears he'd seen along with bone spurs. He cut the whole top of my right shoulder open to make the repairs. From the time of surgery to full medical release was 3 months. At the end of the 3 months I went back to doing the same things I did before with no issues. I'm a welder/millwright so my body gets abused. With that said I haven't had any problems since surgery. On another note a friend of mine just had his done by a Dr in Dallas. He had the same surgery as I did but his recovery time was a little over half of what it took me. If I'm not mistaking his Dr. did something with stem cells on him which sped the recovery process up

[mchildress]

I have had both shoulders done. The second time was my right shoulder. I could not pull my bow back but could hold the string and push the bow out with my left and come up for the shot. I put the surgery off until after hunting season. Do what the Doc tells you don't push it after surgery. It took almost a year to get back up to strength.

[Clark]

My left shoulder dislocated jumping onto a raft at the lake.
Was told that old men joints and ligaments are "less elastic" than young mens and had a good chance of avoiding surgery.
6 months of PT, had a great therapist.

Reached for a fastball playing catch with my boy, my shoulder dislocated and I popped it back in.
Month later tried to let down my bow and again, my shoulder disassembled on me.

Rotator cuff, torn labrum, 5 anchors.
Couldn't sleep for 2 months post surgery.
Pretty lousy experience.

Avoid surgery if you can.
But I doubt that happens with a torn cuff.

My repaired shoulder is great now.
Range of motion is slightly less, but its a solid wall bent all the way back.
Good luck.