I think I might have injured my rotator cuff. Anyone here had a bad injury before, what did you do to heal it and how long did it take? How did you go about putting on and taking off a shirt? I can't do this and probably won't be able to do this for a while. Doctors here are useless and just a waste of money.

Last night I fell off motorbike while riding it and landed on my shoulder. Ended up with road rash but my shoulder was so painful with pain radiating down my arm for about an hour after the fall. All throughout the night and this morning, if I move my shoulder a tiny bit in the wrong direction, there is immediate very strong pain, which is in the front part of the shoulder.

Today I went to one of the private hospitals in Pattaya and was told no orthopedic doctors are there now and I could see a general doctor and get my wounds cleaned and Xray. Nurses did a good job cleaning it but I had to ask how often I need to change the dressing and for how long, which is once a day and for 7 days. Doctor just looked at my wounds, asked me to lift my arm and if I wanted an Xray. I said I think I may have injured my rotator cuff and he said MRI is the only thing to see this, which they don't have. Doctor said Xray showed no broken bones. That was basically all the doctor said and did, which was nothing. All up, about a 2,500 baht hospital bill.

It can settle down, I've left an injury, 3 months seems the norm, as nothing broken. Put shirts on a different way, find a way that hurts the least, maybe avoid tee shirts and vests for a while, instead switch to button shirts for a while

4 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

I think I might have injured my rotator cuff. Anyone here had a bad injury before, what did you do to heal it and how long did it take? How did you go about putting on and taking off a shirt? I can't do this and probably won't be able to do this for a while. Doctors here are useless and just a waste of money.

Last night I fell off motorbike while riding it and landed on my shoulder. Ended up with road rash but my shoulder was so painful with pain radiating down my arm for about an hour after the fall. All throughout the night and this morning, if I move my shoulder a tiny bit in the wrong direction, there is immediate very strong pain, which is in the front part of the shoulder.

Today I went to one of the private hospitals in Pattaya and was told no orthopedic doctors are there now and I could see a general doctor and get my wounds cleaned and Xray. Nurses did a good job cleaning it but I had to ask how often I need to change the dressing and for how long, which is once a day and for 7 days. Doctor just looked at my wounds, asked me to lift my arm and if I wanted an Xray. I said I think I may have injured my rotator cuff and he said MRI is the only thing to see this, which they don't have. Doctor said Xray showed no broken bones. That was basically all the doctor said and did, which was nothing. All up, about a 2,500 baht hospital bill.

Since you went and got x-rayed, they eliminated bone spurs. Best to try a sports doctor first as it might not need surgery. All depends on the injury. If you actually heard the pop when you fell, the surgeon might be a better choice. Then they'll evaluate you by range of motion exercises and pain level.

I have torn rotator cuffs from lifting too heavy too long, and was put in a short rehab which worked back then, along with anti-inflammatories. Now they're still in need of another evaluation.

There's no way to tell unless you see a specialist. A normal shoulder bruise will heal. You can get a shoulder ultrasound or MRI to see if there's a tear. Ice in a pack wrap every few hours will help with any swelling, plus Ibuprofen for pain. If your arm on that side has any real weakness, it might be a tear. Slow overhead movements with a clicking feel might also be a tear. Bruised might hurt but you can move the arm.

It happened to me back in the early 90's. I was in the Cook Islands and took a corner too fast on a rented motorbike and landed on my shoulder. Couldn't lift my arm at all. There were no hospital facilities to speak of, so I just toughed it out. Exercising gently in the sea every day helped me recover some range of motion. I had significant pain for about a month, but eventually had a full recovery. Now I drive a car.

Paul Laew

Try to find an orthopedic that is well respected. I was hit by a car, six feet in air and landed on shoulder. They diagnosed couple small tears, one in front, one in back.

Try to find the ortho and start rehab soon. They will teach you the correct exercises, stretches to maintain your Range of Motion, icing, etc. for a better recovery.

I went to rehab for 2 weeks, learned all the exercises then performed them at home and went for checkup once a month. Unfortunately mine took four months to feel mostly normal.

Good luck. The more work you put into rehab usually the better results

Fell down stairs 3 years ago.X ray showed nothing broken.Very painful for the first 3 months.I asked the doc if it would ever be better,He replied “don’t see why not”

The pain in my shoulder and arm took 2 years to fully recover.

There are exercises on YouTube to help.

Breaststroke swimming helped me.

Good luck.

Showing off doing 100 press-ups with a stack of encyclopaedias on my back (drunk, young and very fit).......I damaged my rotor cuff......the pain was excruciating and took months to heal.

One of my kids fell awkwardly playing football and damaged his.......eventually need surgery.

Good luck.

Discuss with Gemini, much better communication than any doctor

Years ago I dislocated my shoulder windsurfing in shallow water, and recently the same shoulder started with a painful rotator cuff issue.

I went to the Joint and Bone centre at Vichaiyut Hospital in Bangkok and was impressed by the doctor. Had an X-ray and consultation for under 4000 THB. He knew I had decent health insurance, but he still only recommended stretching and exercises I could do at home.

Pulling my arm across my chest to stretch the tendons, plus a circular motion exercise with a dumbbell.

I think our old injuries can back to haunt us as we get older.

6 hours ago, bbi1 said:

I think I might have injured my rotator cuff. Anyone here had a bad injury before, what did you do to heal it and how long did it take? How did you go about putting on and taking off a shirt? I can't do this and probably won't be able to do this for a while. Doctors here are useless and just a waste of money.

Last night I fell off motorbike while riding it and landed on my shoulder. Ended up with road rash but my shoulder was so painful with pain radiating down my arm for about an hour after the fall. All throughout the night and this morning, if I move my shoulder a tiny bit in the wrong direction, there is immediate very strong pain, which is in the front part of the shoulder.

Today I went to one of the private hospitals in Pattaya and was told no orthopedic doctors are there now and I could see a general doctor and get my wounds cleaned and Xray. Nurses did a good job cleaning it but I had to ask how often I need to change the dressing and for how long, which is once a day and for 7 days. Doctor just looked at my wounds, asked me to lift my arm and if I wanted an Xray. I said I think I may have injured my rotator cuff and he said MRI is the only thing to see this, which they don't have. Doctor said Xray showed no broken bones. That was basically all the doctor said and did, which was nothing. All up, about a 2,500 baht hospital bill.

Here’s the thing. An ability to withstand the pain, or even use your arm is no indicator of the damage done.

A few months ago I tripped over something carrying a heavy weight on my back. I twisted to land on my shoulder. I cracked ribs, and crushed my shoulder and upper arm. Nutted the floor, got gashed bruised and an aqueous detatchment.

Went to a nearby A+E, got x-rayed. Nothing broken.

Next day at my usual orthopedist (I’ve had quite a few broken bits over the years) they did the arm movement thing, I could put my hands behind my back.  Move around easily although a little weak in some directions and angles. So with nothing broken it was a case of wait and eat a few ibuprofen. A cardinal error!

After a few weeks in which I used my arm relatively normally but with some pain, and some restrictions with hard pain, the rest had healed. That was when I noticed my arm was still in not good shape. So I went back. This time (months too late!) we had an MRI done. It looked like a Jackson Pollock. What a mess!

My doctor said it looked like it needed operating, but I had so much strength and mobility he wanted a second opinion before wielding the knife. The second opinion didn’t wait long. He operated on me a week later and I’ve been in an intensive after care program since.

That MRI showed my shoulder full of water, muscles crushed, one ripped right out of its anchor and gradually shrinking behind my biceps. Others torn. It’s a wonder I could still move my arm. But I could.

The total anesthetic OP took over an hour in which tendons were re-anchored, muscles stitched, porcelain screws inserted and everything put back where it belonged..

I’ve had to wear a shoulder immobilizer for 4 weeks now. For the next two I still have to wear it nights. Can’t move my arm behind me. Or 20° from the vertical plane. I’m off the pain killers now though.

I’m improving, largely because they’ve installed a chair in my pad which raises and  lowers my arm passively, I can now reach 90° passively ( I call it my magic throne). 3-4 times a day for 30-40 minutes.

I’ve also been doing physio with a real, qualified physiotherapist 3x a week and will be for the next 6 at least. Just entering the transition now from passive to gradually increasing the active movements. But no load yet. I’ve also been given electrical stimulator pads to apply from next week.

Despite all this top notch first class care, it will be a total 12 weeks before I can return to anything approaching normal life. It will require a very gradual return to weight lifting for instance. And any kind of serious loads will have to be avoided for a few more months at least. My physio says I can reckon to start 1-2kg weights after about 12 weeks total.

The doctor said if I had waited another two months he wouldn’t have been able to rectify the damage 100%. He also said that after a year my arm would have been virtually useless and irreparable. I have a progress appointment with him in 2 weeks.

So my recommendation to you having been, like you, so confident I just needed to wait and let nature take its course is this:

Make it a top priority NOW to get to a good orthopedist and get MRI’d. You need to know exactly WHAT is wrong. If you can’t afford or find one in Thailand, then get back home on a budget flight to the public health if you have such a communist institution. If you’re American then cash in your 401k retirement - it’ll be worth every penny.

You MAY as Scuba said heal naturally. You may also be a gambler. But then again you may also spend the rest of your life nursing what I think they used to call a ‚gammy shoulder‘ - if not a completely disabled one.

Up to you pal. I missed that fate by the skin o’ my teeth.

Remember - strength and mobility are not definitive indicators and the shoulder is an extremely complex and weird structure which needs experts to comprehend. As I found out with a broken collar bone after coming off a motorbike a few years ago. Horrible machines 555

All the best.

6 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Doctors here are useless and just a waste of money.

I'd rethink this idea and get professional help at another hospital. You can do better than listening to a bunch of hacks on AN.

2 minutes ago, WorriedNoodle said:

I'd rethink this idea and get professional help at another hospital. You can do better than listening to a bunch of hacks on AN.

You got to be very sceptical of Drs who will get paid well for an operation, not to mention the inflated drug prices and bill padding

4 hours ago, J Branche said:

Try to find an orthopedic that is well respected. I was hit by a car, six feet in air and landed on shoulder. They diagnosed couple small tears, one in front, one in back.

Try to find the ortho and start rehab soon. They will teach you the correct exercises, stretches to maintain your Range of Motion, icing, etc. for a better recovery.

I went to rehab for 2 weeks, learned all the exercises then performed them at home and went for checkup once a month. Unfortunately mine took four months to feel mostly normal.

Good luck. The more work you put into rehab usually the better results

Good advise but going to much harder for him with an attitude like this.

6 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Doctors here are useless and just a waste of money.

6 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Doctor said Xray showed no broken bones. That was basically all the doctor said and did, which was nothing. All up, about a 2,500 baht hospital bill.

46 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

You got to be very sceptical of Drs who will get paid well for an operation, not to mention the inflated drug prices and bill padding

So you are a medical expert as well as arm chair sleuth solving all the worlds crimes? :-) If I was injured I would seek professional advice from people trained to give it.

Best shoulder specialist in Thailand:

https://www.samitivejhospitals.com/doctor/detail/mason-porramatikul

Harvard trained. Excellent. And very nice person as well.

If MRI needed (as it may be) can save a great deal by doing it here rather than at the hospital:

https://mrithailand.com/en/

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

Best shoulder specialist in Thailand:

https://www.samitivejhospitals.com/doctor/detail/mason-porramatikul

Harvard trained. Excellent. And very nice person as well.

If MRI needed (as it may be) can save a great deal by doing it here rather than at the hospital:

https://mrithailand.com/en/

Thanks for the shoulder specialist recommendation. Do you have any recommendations in the Pattaya area?

What about a shoulder ultrasound? This orthopedic doctor (at 4:13 on YouTube video) suggests an ultrasound as the most common test for diagnosing a rotator cuff tear:

2 hours ago, WorriedNoodle said:

So you are a medical expert as well as arm chair sleuth solving all the worlds crimes? :-) If I was injured I would seek professional advice from people trained to give it.

Sometimes they do unecessary procedures to make more money

I would make use of the internet and AI to research AFTER getting the doctor's prescription to double-check if the procedures are necessary or if there is more non-invasive way to heal the problem.

At 3:40 this orthopedic surgeon also recommends an ultrasound and for surgery planning an MRI

Edited July 26Jul 26 by bbi1

27 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Thanks for the shoulder specialist recommendation. Do you have any recommendations in the Pattaya area?

What about a shoulder ultrasound? This orthopedic doctor (at 4:13 on YouTube video) suggests an ultrasound as the most common test for diagnosing a rotator cuff tear:

MRI is the gold standard but ultrasound is also an option. Be guided by what the treating doctor recommends, after he has made a thorough physical examination which in itself can tell quite a bit.

No doctors of quite the same caliber as Prof. Mason in Pattaya (or anywhere else in Thailand). Best shoulder specialist in Patts is

https://www.bangkokhospital.com/en/pattaya/doctor/pratya-jaratjitwilai-m-d

Will probably cost more there than going to Bangkok even including travel costs.. But of course save you the hassle of a trip at a time when your arm mobility is limited.

If finances are very limited then I would recommend going to Queen Sirikit (Naval Hospital). The process will be longer there/more red tape and waits. But less expensive.

Before considering any surgical intervention (if it is recommended) definitely go up to Bangkok and consult Prof. Mason for a second opinion bringing all records with you.

The main issues for you are to determine (1) if there is a rotator cuff injury (2) if so the extent of it and (3) whether any other injuries are present. Note that hairline fractures do not always show on Xray right away.

Once there is a clear diagnosis that includes the extent and thickness of any tear, next issue becomes treatment. If it is a partial tear, conservative management would usually be recommended at least initially - arm sling, rest, PT, anti-inflammatories. The decision tree is more complicated if it is a complete tear, especially from traumatic cause rather than degenerative ones. Patient specific factors like age, activity level, risk factors for surgery would need to be considered. The experience of the doctor is quite important at that juncture in determining best course of action for specific patient.

38 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

MRI is the gold standard but ultrasound is also an option. Be guided by what the treating doctor recommends, after he has made a thorough physical examination which in itself can tell quite a bit.

No doctors of quite the same caliber as Prof. Mason in Pattaya (or anywhere else in Thailand). Best shoulder specialist in Patts is

https://www.bangkokhospital.com/en/pattaya/doctor/pratya-jaratjitwilai-m-d

Will probably cost more there than going to Bangkok even including travel costs.. But of course save you the hassle of a trip at a time when your arm mobility is limited.

If finances are very limited then I would recommend going to Queen Sirikit (Naval Hospital). The process will be longer there/more red tape and waits. But less expensive.

Before considering any surgical intervention (if it is recommended) definitely go up to Bangkok and consult Prof. Mason for a second opinion bringing all records with you.

The main issues for you are to determine (1) if there is a rotator cuff injury (2) if so the extent of it and (3) whether any other injuries are present. Note that hairline fractures do not always show on Xray right away.

Once there is a clear diagnosis that includes the extent and thickness of any tear, next issue becomes treatment. If it is a partial tear, conservative management would usually be recommended at least initially - arm sling, rest, PT, anti-inflammatories. The decision tree is more complicated if it is a complete tear, especially from traumatic cause rather than degenerative ones. Patient specific factors like age, activity level, risk factors for surgery would need to be considered. The experience of the doctor is quite important at that juncture in determining best course of action for specific patient.

Ok, thanks for the info

Edited July 26Jul 26 by bbi1

7 hours ago, Sheryl said:

If finances are very limited then I would recommend going to Queen Sirikit (Naval Hospital). The process will be longer there/more red tape and waits. But less expensive.

Queen Sirikit isn't particularly cheap, for my Meniscus op they said it would be about 200k plus a 6 month wait, might as well go private and avoid the queues

17 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Doctors here are useless and just a waste of money.

They are not useless. You are just too cheap to pay for MRI. My wife's father used a 30b scheme and had a very successful keyhole surgery at siriraj hospital. He did pay 10k for MRI beforehand which pretty much tells you what grade your injury is. If it's grade 3 it will most likely require a surgery especially if you are old.

On 7/26/2026 at 9:30 PM, save the frogs said:

Sometimes they do unecessary procedures to make more money

Tell me about it, I had a bacterial abscess develop on my waistline earlier this year, first hospital I went to wanted me in patient several days and under general anesthetic to remove said abscess with a deposit of 130K and expected bill of 160K depending how many days they would keep me locked up. Went for a second opinion (another professional doctor, not some internet sleuth) and was in and out within 20 minutes and a bill of 4000THB for the surgery procedure. I pays to shop around and go where Thais go with a Thai, not farangs only.

On 7/26/2026 at 8:03 PM, Sheryl said:

Best shoulder specialist in Thailand:

https://www.samitivejhospitals.com/doctor/detail/mason-porramatikul

Harvard trained. Excellent. And very nice person as well.

If MRI needed (as it may be) can save a great deal by doing it here rather than at the hospital:

https://mrithailand.com/en/

I went to Samitivej about 15 years ago for rotator cuff injury and was recommend 10k$USD surgery. Went for a second opinion at Bamrungrad and was recommended physio over the period of 6 weeks instead at much less cost at their physio center. YMMV.

Edited July 28Jul 28 by WorriedNoodle

On 7/26/2026 at 11:57 AM, bbi1 said:

I think I might have injured my rotator cuff. Anyone here had a bad injury before, what did you do to heal it and how long did it take? How did you go about putting on and taking off a shirt? I can't do this and probably won't be able to do this for a while. Doctors here are useless and just a waste of money.

Last night I fell off motorbike while riding it and landed on my shoulder. Ended up with road rash but my shoulder was so painful with pain radiating down my arm for about an hour after the fall. All throughout the night and this morning, if I move my shoulder a tiny bit in the wrong direction, there is immediate very strong pain, which is in the front part of the shoulder.

Today I went to one of the private hospitals in Pattaya and was told no orthopedic doctors are there now and I could see a general doctor and get my wounds cleaned and Xray. Nurses did a good job cleaning it but I had to ask how often I need to change the dressing and for how long, which is once a day and for 7 days. Doctor just looked at my wounds, asked me to lift my arm and if I wanted an Xray. I said I think I may have injured my rotator cuff and he said MRI is the only thing to see this, which they don't have. Doctor said Xray showed no broken bones. That was basically all the doctor said and did, which was nothing. All up, about a 2,500 baht hospital bill.

You need to go to Bangkok Hospital Pattaya and make an appointment with Dr.Suradej Loiduenxai Orthopedic. He has operated on me 3 times now once for a knee replacement, shoulder rotator, and just recently a Hip replacement. You will be glad you took the time out to see him.

31 minutes ago, WorriedNoodle said:

I went to Samitivej about 15 years ago for rotator cuff injury and was recommend 10k$USD surgery. Went for a second opinion at Bamrungrad and was recommended physio over the period of 6 weeks instead at much less cost at their physio center. YMMV.

The hospital is not important, it is the doctor.

15 years ago (indeed, even 1 year ago) the doctor I have recommended was not at Samitivej, He was at Bumrungrad.

So definitely your experience there 15 years ago was not with this doctor. Who does not recommend surgery unless necessary and does a good job outlining the options and pros and cons to the patient.

On 7/26/2026 at 12:05 PM, scubascuba3 said:

It can settle down, I've left an injury, 3 months seems the norm, as nothing broken. Put shirts on a different way, find a way that hurts the least, maybe avoid tee shirts and vests for a while, instead switch to button shirts for a while

Yes, I agree with that advice. I had a nasty fall a few years when crossing a rickety bamboo foot bridge and landed on my right shoulder. It was very painful and completely immobilized.

Providing you're sure that there are no broken bones, the shoulder can heal itself using very gentle exercise and pain killers as required. Treat it the same way that you would a frozen shoulder. My wife, a retired masseuse, massaged it with good old Tiger Balm.

It took me a full 18 months before full mobility was restored, but it was useable again within 3 months.

And NO! I no longer risk life and limb crossing bamboo bridges!

When I injured my shoulder after a fall, waited a couple weeks and it hadn't gotten better, I went to a physician and asked for a cortisone shot. After the cortisone shot shoulder felt much better and then healed very quickly.

Stop speculating and get an MRI.

On 7/26/2026 at 2:21 PM, scubascuba3 said:

Discuss with Gemini, much better communication than any doctor

Yes, agreed. I have BAD and GI doctors here have no clue. I communicated with Gemini and came out with some amazing insights.