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Damaged rotator cuff. Treatment besides surgery?

giddyup

By giddyup
in Health and Medicine

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giddyup Diamond Member

giddyup

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I'm 75 and foolishly attempted to do some push ups, something I hadn't done for a long time. The result was damage to my R/H side shoulder which now causes me a lot of pain if I stretch or lift that arm over my head. At rest I get very little pain so I'm adverse to any kind of surgery, but wondering if there is something I can do to help with the healing as it's been more than 2 months since I damaged it.

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Sheryl Star Member

Sheryl

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Surgery is needed only when there is a complete tear. Mant roattaor cuff injuries (if that is what you have sounds like you have nto seen a doctor) can be managed conservatively.

 

The mainstay of conservative management is physical therapy and it needs to begin as soon after the injury as possible so you have done yourself something of a disservice in waiting this long.. The exercises need to be tailored to the exact location of the injury, trying to establish an exercise program by yourself may do more harm than good. You need to be examined by a specialist and probably have an MRI. Once the exact nature and location of the injury has been determined and yo uhave been prescribed exercises then of course you can continue them on your own.

 

Steroid injections are also sometimes used, judiciously.

 

There is no getting around the need to see a good ortho and it is unlikely (if you see a good one) that surgery will be recommended unless it is a complete tear.

 

Where do you live?

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giddyup Diamond Member

giddyup

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1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

Surgery is needed only when there is a complete tear. Mant roattaor cuff injuries (if that is what you have sounds like you have nto seen a doctor) can be managed conservatively.

 

The mainstay of conservative management is physical therapy and it needs to begin as soon after the injury as possible so you have done yourself something of a disservice in waiting this long.. The exercises need to be tailored to the exact location of the injury, trying to establish an exercise program by yourself may do more harm than good. You need to be examined by a specialist and probably have an MRI. Once the exact nature and location of the injury has been determined and yo uhave been prescribed exercises then of course you can continue them on your own.

 

Steroid injections are also sometimes used, judiciously.

 

There is no getting around the need to see a good ortho and it is unlikely (if you see a good one) that surgery will be recommended unless it is a complete tear.

 

Where do you live?

Pattaya.

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giddyup Diamond Member

giddyup

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2 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Come into Bangkok and consult this doctor, top shoulder specialist. Harvard trained.

 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Mason-Porramatikul

 

Thanks, but trips to Bkk are a bit of a chore for me, I'll see if they have a specialist at Bkk/Pattaya hospital. At 75 you kind of learn to live with another new pain.

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altcar bob Apprentice Member

altcar bob

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That guy Neil Kenley? or similar fixes them 1000 baht cortisone injection  Pattaya Tai soi 16  just on junction  I had one,but read 6 months to 2 years for pain to vanish.  I swim but it still gets damned painful crawl stroke

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giddyup Diamond Member

giddyup

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8 minutes ago, altcar bob said:

That guy Neil Kenley? or similar fixes them 1000 baht cortisone injection  Pattaya Tai soi 16  just on junction  I had one,but read 6 months to 2 years for pain to vanish.  I swim but it still gets damned painful crawl stroke

Thanks, maybe I'll just tough it out. At 75 another ache or pain to deal with is just par for the course.

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couchpotato Gold Member

couchpotato

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6 hours ago, giddyup said:

Thanks, but trips to Bkk are a bit of a chore for me, I'll see if they have a specialist at Bkk/Pattaya hospital. At 75 you kind of learn to live with another new pain.

Did my rotator cuff in 25 years ago with a fall. Absolute crying pain for the first night. Went and had my first cortisone shot which lasted 10 year or so.

Then another that also lasted 10 years. Still hard to do overhand stuff at times but no pain.

So actually I have had 2 shots in each shoulder and I still do weights, jogging etc.

So for an old guy that is the way to go, about 3-4000 baht with the X-ray etc.

Just go to the Orthopedic Dept at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital and they will take care of it. My doctor is Dr Suradej. (in my opinion very good, listens and explains).

Rehab exercises I presume are good, but to religiously do them every day is a chore, so do the shot and you are done.

Anyway I am sure you'll get all sorts of remedies and ideas from many people, but for me a 10 second shot that fixes the pain and movement nearly immediately is my recommendation.

 

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Lacessit Star Member

Lacessit

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I'd suggest trying some gentle Thai massage - not the girls at the shops. Some temples have massage facilities attached, and most know what they are doing.

I'm 75 too. Do 25 pushups a day, plus a whole range of stretching exercises which take about 30 minutes. Hindsight I know;  however, when I have had a layoff, I ease myself back into the routine gradually.

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Sheryl Star Member

Sheryl

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2 hours ago, Ulven said:

Sheryl would you know a good doctor for this in Phuket or Phangnga? I have the same problem, thought it would heal but now a year later and it's very painfull with I raise my arm....

There is a German Ortho some Tv members have reocmmended

 

http://www.phuket-international-health-clinic.com/doctor-profiles/dr-gerhard-melcher.html

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Kerryd Diamond Member

Kerryd

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On 6/6/2018 at 1:24 PM, Sheryl said:

At BPH, this doctor

 

https://www.bangkokpattayahospital.com/en/doctor-profile?v_id=171&depid=22


This is the doctor I went to see a couple of years ago when I tore my (right) rotator cuff. Silly me - I tried doing chin-ups, thinking I used to be able to do 16 full arm pull-ups a mere 20 years earlier. (35 then, 55 when I tried a couple years ago.)

 

A couple days after the "chin up" attempts I started getting a pain in the shoulder. At first I thought I'd just slept at an awkward angle or something and the pain would go away on it's own. That was in early January 2016. A month later the pain was getting worse, to the point it was getting hard to sleep as anytime I rolled onto that side, the pain would jolt me awake. 
In March I finally gave up and went to see that doctor.

 

We started off with physiotherapy twice a week with no results. Tried a couple of cortisone shots. No change (minor relief for a short period then right back to full pain again). Finally went to do an MRI.

That showed that there were a number of shredded ligaments dangling in the joint and, to make matters worse, a small bone spur on the bottom of the clavicle was acting like a claw, digging into the damaged area when I moved.

Ended up going in for the surgery. Went into the hospital one afternoon,  prepped and in surgery the next morning. Back in the room for recovery and released the next day. As it was the Bangkok Pattaya hospital it was pricey. My insurance covered half of it (not sure why they didn't cover the whole amount but I'd forgotten I even had that insurance and was expecting to pay the full shot myself. Luckily one of the girls at my bank questioned me about why I was asking for such a large cheque for the hospital and when I told her she said "what about the insurance I sold you last year ?")

The procedure itself involved the doc cutting into my shoulder in 3 different places. The camera when into one, the work to snip off the loose ligaments was in another and the gizmo he used to grind off the bone spur was in the third incision.
I tried to start exercising again 6 weeks after the surgery but that was too soon. Waited another 6 weeks and was able to do pretty much everything normally again (did not try any chin ups though) !
Been just over 2 years now and I haven't had any problems with the shoulder at all. I ride my Harley all over the country and she can be a heavy beast at times. I was a little worried at first but now I don't even think about it (the shoulder) when I go for a ride somewhere.

Initially I had tried to "tough it out" as well but it eventually got to the point where it was almost constant pain and I was having problems even riding the scooter. So glad I finally got the problem fixed.

I am very satisfied with the treatment (pre and post) that I got and with my dealings with this doctor. I highly recommend him.

 

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altcar bob Apprentice Member

altcar bob

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19 hours ago, Ulven said:

Tried rest, tried massage, not helping... I actually now work out and it seems to get better!

 

About sums it up,have to crash through that pain barrier.Left it for 6 weeks,then had injection (1000 baht) instant pain relief,but started working on it,no need for docs visit,you know where it hurts and just concentrate on that arm movement ,christs sake,there are only a few movements for the arm anyway,    slowly but surely pain diminished,just kept pushing on that pain.  Now 90% free Id say,2 to 3 more months ,pain will be gone

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