# Rotator cuff surgery:((



## Mtroadie (Jul 27, 2010)

I had rotator cuff surgery yesterday. Will be off the single speed for months. Hopefully I can get on the stationary trainer soon and a road bike before spring. Anyone else had to deal with this? I'm a young 52 and can't stand downtime.....


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## DudeDowne (Jun 18, 2012)

Mtroadie said:


> I had rotator cuff surgery yesterday. Will be off the single speed for months. Hopefully I can get on the stationary trainer soon and a road bike before spring. Anyone else had to deal with this? I'm a young 52 and can't stand downtime.....


Whoa bummer dude. I feel ya as I had AC joint (shoulder) reconstruction Nov. 15th. I am happy to report that I am now in my second week of a Trainer Road training plan. If you aren't familiar with their services I highly recommend them. I am the type of person who does well with structured training and objective measurement.

For me the first four weeks of the injury were miserable. 2 before surgery and the 2 after. The thought of getting on a bike were a pipe dream due to the pain and concern for re-injury. It is still not ideal to ride an indoor trainer with 1 arm, but I do feel I can make moderate fitness gains. Speaking of, I have lost 8 pounds in a month since I can't weight train. I also have restricted calories and quit daily protein supplements.

While I am a much younger than you at 51  , I certainly feel that the injury can be a positive. I can really focus on mental toughness and training/nutrition. This is something I really haven't done since my road racing days in the 80's.

Good luck and buy a derailleur for goodness sakes.

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## Mtroadie (Jul 27, 2010)

Good info thanks! You youngsters are up to date on all the techy stuff! 
Trainer Road- will check it out when I get the clear for stationary rides! Btw- why did u stop the protein drinks? 


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## DudeDowne (Jun 18, 2012)

I figured since my activity was is limited I didn't need the extra daily intake of protein and calories. Now I only do one scoop with OJ and water after a trainer ride, 3x/week.

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## RavenDavey (Oct 3, 2015)

Mtroadie said:


> I had rotator cuff surgery yesterday. Will be off the single speed for months. Hopefully I can get on the stationary trainer soon and a road bike before spring. Anyone else had to deal with this? I'm a young 52 and can't stand downtime.....


I had same surgery (MTB crash) in January and I turned 55 in May. Was riding my MTB 4 months later (carefully). I was back to full downhill trail riding in 6 months.
Best advice is DO YOUR THERAPY AND STRETCHES...and ride the stationary.


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## stoplight (Mar 8, 2009)

2007 at age 51, left shoulder rotator cuff repair, wow..been almost 10 years. Not caused by a MB accident, just lots of wear and tear. Was in good shape going in to the surgery. Doc told me ahead time, 6 months to be where I was before the operation. I did not believe him. Turns out he right, go figure. Physical therapy was tough, lots of scar tissue build up over the years and lack of ROM prior had the PT really working the flexibility issue. Hurt like hell but well worth it. If memory serves was back riding my path bike at about 3 1/2 months, slowly and cautiously with some decent discomfort. 
Into month 4 into month 5 was able to push some good weight around and was riding steadily. By month 6 I was probably at 85% prior to the surgery. Follow PT instructions to the letter, YMMV


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## Mtroadie (Jul 27, 2010)

Thanks fellas. Yes this does indeed suck! I'm supposed to stay off the trainer for another month. However I got on the trainer yesterday and today for an hour and plan to do an hour each day. I wear my sling and don't bounce. I'm clear to walk as well. I walked 32 miles last week. I don't start PT until February 1. I'm doing very minor arm movements daily until then. Hopefully I'll be able to get back on the SS in a few months....6?


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

My hubby (53) had surgery in June 2016 for a torn labrum. He started physio 6 weeks later and was cleared to ride his bike (on road only) after about 3 months. By October he was given the ok by his surgeon to ride easy trails. 6 months later he's doing pretty good; he's back at the gym and riding more gnar but he's not back 100% but progressing well. He still experiences some tenderness and dull pain when he overdoes it. We hope he's fully recovered by spring


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## Maizie88 (Apr 29, 2014)

I'm so sorry to heat that. Rotator cuff is brutal. I had to have surgery done for a rotator cuff injury I got from surfing like three years back. It particularly sucks though because the only way to really help it is to rest as much as possible (don't want to get in that cycle of reinjuring yourself!). A couple months after my surgery though I found this shoulder wrap thing that I used for a while after and I really liked it. Felt like it was helping a lot with the post op recovery. I can't remember the name of it though.
Also just eating and sleeping well does wonders naturally. I hope your recovery is as quick as possible so you can get out riding again!

EDIT: after some google searches I found the wrap info: Rotator Cuff Treatment


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## ducatirider2 (May 16, 2009)

In the same boat, 52, and had a full thickness rotator cuff tear and labrum tear. Surgery was 12/14/16, was totally immobilized for 6 weeks, in physical therapy now and can't wait to get back on the bike. Listen to the doc and do your PT (this was my 3rd shoulder surgery), and they have always got me back on the bike.


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## muddytire (Aug 27, 2009)

Mtroadie said:


> I'm a young 52 and can't stand downtime.....


Then don't have any downtime. Here's some motivation for ya. Watch it, then think of all the things you can do to stay active. If these guys can climb Everest, surely the rest of us can find ways to work around some injuries. Good luck, recovery sucks but it's a necessary process.


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## cbrossman (Mar 23, 2004)

Good thread for me as I am scheduled for Rotator Cuff surgery on 3/22.
I would like to think I can hop on the trainer after 2 weeks and at least get my blood moving around, perhaps lower body workouts at around 4 weeks, on the road bike in 8.

Possible? Ambitious? Overly ambitious? No Frickin' Way?

With my personality, I have to have a plan (or goal), but am willing to adapt as circumstances warrant.


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## Mtroadie (Jul 27, 2010)

I had surgery 12/14. Around the first of the year I started back on the stationary trainer with arm in a sling. My rotator cuff tear was massive voiles with a torn labrum and bicep. I want to the surgeon yesterday for a follow up and he said I won't be on a mountain bike until probably late May. I could get on the road by mid April. It sucks but once you have your shoulder repaired, the chances of a second surgery being successful is pretty slim.


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## Huntro (Mar 30, 2012)

cbrossman said:


> Good thread for me as I am scheduled for Rotator Cuff surgery on 3/22.
> I would like to think I can hop on the trainer after 2 weeks and at least get my blood moving around, perhaps lower body workouts at around 4 weeks, on the road bike in 8.
> 
> Possible? Ambitious? Overly ambitious? No Frickin' Way?
> ...


It's possible, but depends on the extent of the damage.

I'm 38 and I was Dx'd with a massive rotator cuff tear and labrum tear in December. The crash that did it was pretty minor, but I had a serious wreck in 2013 that originally caused many of my issues.

I had the cuff repaired with a Biceps tenodesis in early January. The pain post-op was intense and sleeping was challenging. I would invest in a nice reclining sofa chair before the surgery. Don't plan on trying to sleep in the prone position for a while. Opiates are your best friend and worst enemy, so have a plan going in with your Dr. on tapering off. The surgeon told me 6 weeks in the sling with only removing it to shower. At a 4 week follow-up, he gave me permission to start using it less, but still advised using it anytime I was out of the house.

I started long walks and hikes at the 2 week mark and then was on the trainer shortly thereafter.

Two very important points:

-Tendon to bone healing takes several months. Depending on your age you are at risk for re-tear within the first 6 months of the surgery... so tread lightly.

Physical Therapy is key to returning to any sense of normalcy. I was cleared at the 4 week mark and have been in 2x week since. I also do the stretches and light strengthening on my own, every day. I'm 8 weeks post op now, and I've recently started getting back on the road bike.

Good Luck!


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## cbrossman (Mar 23, 2004)

Well 1 week post surgery, not doing anything obviously and still pretty damn sore. Sleeping, or lack there of, is the worst part right now.
I'm going to try the trainer after week 2, once I see the doc on my first follow up.


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## Mtroadie (Jul 27, 2010)

I'll be 16 weeks this coming weekend. I've been on the stationary trainer for about three months in addition to hiking and a little trail running. This weekend I got on the road bike for the first time. Can't wait to get back on the mountain bike! It's going to be a while though. I tried riding up a gravel road and back down and the vibration made my shoulder sore. I could tell that it's going to be a while before I'll be able to get back on the single track. Im missing quite a few races and events that I normally do this time of year. But that's the way it goes. Have quite a few events scheduled during the summer through the end of the year. Hopefully I'll be able to enjoy them! 


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## cbrossman (Mar 23, 2004)

Good Luck Mtroadie, I'm only about 13 weeks behind you  
Started sitting on a spin bike this week, and doing easy leg workouts, but otherwise, bored off my butt.


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## bikeCOLORADO (Sep 4, 2003)

Complete Rotator Tear. Surgery is tomorrow 5/15/2017. Dreading being off the bikes (commute, road, mountain).

Rest, recovery, patience and PT - seems like those are the keys from all I've read here and elsewhere.


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## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

bikeCOLORADO said:


> Complete Rotator Tear. Surgery is tomorrow 5/15/2017. Dreading being off the bikes (commute, road, mountain).
> 
> Rest, recovery, patience and PT - seems like those are the keys from all I've read here and elsewhere.


Yup that is the best you can do. Be careful that you do not push yourself too hard, as my brother told me (he's a PT) "With athletes, the worst part is that the mind is more willing than the body. When the body wants to give up, then the ego kicks in and can lead to a whole different world of hurt." So take it easy and listen to your PT. I got lucky in that my PT is also a mtb'r so he knew my goal was to be back up and riding this year as soon as possible. The main caveat he gave me was that races were out as the extended time in the saddle and possibility of crashes was something that I needed to take into effect. Basically, a year off just meant for "easy" riding, so we will see.


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## stoplight (Mar 8, 2009)

when you can imagine crashing on it....you are ready to ride again...


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## CUP-TON (Dec 7, 2016)

bikeCOLORADO said:


> Complete Rotator Tear. Surgery is tomorrow 5/15/2017. Dreading being off the bikes (commute, road, mountain).
> 
> Rest, recovery, patience and PT - seems like those are the keys from all I've read here and elsewhere.


How's the recovery going bC? 
Have been having some left shoulder issues lately. Hopefully not a rotator cuff issue. I shattered the scapula and broke a few small bones in it about 20 years ago flying off a small cliff trying to avoid an uphill biker. Totally my fault.
So now it's back to haunt me. But as of now it looks to be an impingement and hopefully no surgery. I have been doing some PT and its better than it was a month ago. But still some days not so good. Luckily it does not bother me when I'm on the bike. Usually only when I reach across my body while raising my arm. Then the pain will drop me to my knees. Getting old mostly sucks.


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## bikeCOLORADO (Sep 4, 2003)

CUP-TON said:


> How's the recovery going bC?
> Have been having some left shoulder issues lately. Hopefully not a rotator cuff issue. I shattered the scapula and broke a few small bones in it about 20 years ago flying off a small cliff trying to avoid an uphill biker. Totally my fault.
> So now it's back to haunt me. But as of now it looks to be an impingement and hopefully no surgery. I have been doing some PT and its better than it was a month ago. But still some days not so good. Luckily it does not bother me when I'm on the bike. Usually only when I reach across my body while raising my arm. Then the pain will drop me to my knees. Getting old mostly sucks.


It's been just over a week. It aches. Stopped taking the narcotics on day 4. I hate that feeling. Nothing over the counter takes the edge off the ache and occasional pain. The worst thing is sleeping. Holy crap. I've tried sleeping every which way. Settled onto a corner of our sectional sofa. I'll get somewhat comfortable, fall asleep and then wake up feeling like a hot knife in my shoulder. That's really the worst part.

Doc has me doing mobility exercises on it 3x a day. Just hanging the arm and using my body weight to swing it around. Follow up appointment is next Wed. Hoping to start light PT/mobility soon.

In all good perspective though...it's not like it was amputated or that I lost it to an IED in the sandbox. I will hopefully recover well and get full mobility and strength without the continuous pain I was having before the surgery.


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## stoplight (Mar 8, 2009)

Each day that passes gets a smidge better....the first couple weeks were pretty tough if memory serves. 
Is the pain you are having worse then pain you had prior and does it last as long?


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## bikeCOLORADO (Sep 4, 2003)

stoplight said:


> Each day that passes gets a smidge better....the first couple weeks were pretty tough if memory serves.
> Is the pain you are having worse then pain you had prior and does it last as long?


At this point, 10 days post op it's about to the point where it's similar to before the surgery. Except sleeping. That it still much worse. I know it will surely progress. I need to quit whining and be patient.

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## Mtroadie (Jul 27, 2010)

I'm 5 months post op and am back on gravel and road rides. A little single track but am very careful as I don't want to crash and be set back. Spent several months on the trainer. Also took up trail running. I had a severe 5 cm rotator cuff tear along with a torn labrum and bicep. I don't have full motion at all. Yet. I'm supposed to be stretching 6-7 times a day. Every now and then I get a dull or sharp pain but it doesn't last. Also got on the paddle board for the first time yesterday. I see the light at the end of the tunnel but it's def taking longer than I anticipated. I've decided against doing Breck Epic again this year as it would be asking too much of myself so I have decided to stay on the east coast and hit the one day events late summer and fall. Maybe I'll do La Ruta again in November. Hang in there guys it sucks but could be worse.


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## bikeCOLORADO (Sep 4, 2003)

This is from my diagnostic report after the MRI. Fun stuff! I appreciate all the cautionary words. I keep reminding myself...rest, patience, therapy. Rest, patience, therapy.









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## bikeCOLORADO (Sep 4, 2003)

3 weeks post op.

Last week I had my 2 week follow up. Doc said my tear was MASSIVE. He showed me some pics he snapped while inside and I almost passed out. But he said my tissue was in great shape and he was able to perform a very solid re-attachment.

Scheduled me for next follow up 3 weeks from today. At that time I'm hoping to be referred to PT. He said maybe 5 weeks I could do some light cycling.

But here's the hard news to hear, I won't be full strength and mobility for 9 months to a year. Jeez this getting old part of life seems pretty crappy sometimes.

All in good perspective though. It's a 1st World Problem. I crashed on my $8,000 mountain bike doing something I wanted to do in one of the most beautiful places on earth. It's not like it was amputated or blown off by an IED. I need to remember that I'll get full use eventually and to quit bellyaching like a spoiled rotten westerner.


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## GottaGetta (Jun 29, 2017)

I'm glad I found this forum. In 2015, after a MRI, I was diagnosed with a labrum tear. 10 to 2 o'clock. This after over a year of physiotherapy. I thought I might have had a rotator cuff injury but it turned out to be a labrum tear.*

After meeting with the surgeon, he didn't recommend I do the surgery because of my age. He said that he doesn't recommend anyone over 40 years to undergo this procedure because *there is a high chance of a frozen shoulder post surgery.*

Did anyone have the same discussion about the possibility of having a frozen shoulder and not getting full range of motion back?*

I read through this thread and it looks like a lot of you had this surgery over 40. I'm 46 and I was really worried about what he said so I opted not to do the surgery. Now after reading this thread, I'm reconsidering.*

I'd love to hear any comments on whether people were warned about this Frozen shoulder possibility.*

Thanks*


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## stoplight (Mar 8, 2009)

buddy of mine is an avid rider, age 54. He has been living with a labrum tear for many moons. Although I do not know the severity of the tear on a 1-10 scale I do know the doc told to think long and hard on having the surgery. He has thus far opted out of having the surgery.


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## stoplight (Mar 8, 2009)

bikeCOLORADO said:


> 3 weeks post op.
> 
> Last week I had my 2 week follow up. Doc said my tear was MASSIVE. He showed me some pics he snapped while inside and I almost passed out. But he said my tissue was in great shape and he was able to perform a very solid re-attachment.
> 
> ...


The first time the PT got hold me and performed the bent arm stretch, I almost past out, instead I cried a little. I heard this line today which applies, I have experienced much physical pain in my life, "this" pain I do not recognize.


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## bikeCOLORADO (Sep 4, 2003)

6 Weeks post op follow up on Wed the 28th. (51 years old, complete Rotator Cuff tear repair on May 16th).

Doc is happy with where I am from a range of motion and recovery stand point. Still pretty limited as is expected due to atrophy and the duration of my complete separation (injured October 2016, repaired May 2017).

I can not raise my arm above parallel to the ground, can't reach much past my ass. I'm expecting a call from the PT clinic today to get started next week. Doc is prescribing mobility/flexibility work for 6 weeks first. Once mobility is good working on rebuilding strength.

It already feels better than before the surgery, but rang of motion is more restricted. Makes sense as the tear was complete and the Rotator muscle and tendon had both atrophied and receded.

I have been released to ride light duty. Road and commute but to be extremely cautious and slow to explore limitations. So thankful for a good friend that set me up with his indoor smart trainer and staying up on my cardio with Zwift. I did a 32 mile road ride Wed evening and realized about 3/4 way into the ride it was a bit much to expect from my shoulder yet.

So back to commuting by bike, light road rides and to continue the cardio in Zwift for now. Hoping to be storming the single track again in 2 months.

Note to self (and all others)...regularly work on your upper body strength and flexibility to avoid this type of injury!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## CUP-TON (Dec 7, 2016)

Sounds like you are on the road to recovery. Move it or lose it. PT can be tortuous but ya gotta do it. Good luck and keep us posted with your progress..
Happy 4th..


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

cyclelicious said:


> My hubby (53) had surgery in June 2016 for a torn labrum. He started physio 6 weeks later and was cleared to ride his bike (on road only) after about 3 months. By October he was given the ok by his surgeon to ride easy trails. 6 months later he's doing pretty good; he's back at the gym and riding more gnar but he's not back 100% but progressing well. He still experiences some tenderness and dull pain when he overdoes it. We hope he's fully recovered by spring


One year post op . Hubby is doing great. Full recovery and breaking his pre surgery pr's. Riding and trail building to his full scope


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## pedromayall (Jun 12, 2013)

After repeated crashes with shoulder dislocations I pretty much ruined rotator cuff and labrum. Had a reconstruction cirurgy last May 25 that was sucessful. First three weeks were quite miserable, imobilized arm, pain, nothing to do but rest and wait... after 40 days my doctor did away with the arm imobilization and allowed me to go back to work and start phisioterapy and light physical activities at the gymn. That´s where I am now. I was in good shape before the operation and I feel the shoulder is recovering very well. However, my doctor told me to take it easy because the internal healing only gets completed 3 months after the cirurgy. I´m 52 and ride enduro/DH style trails. I don´t do anything too crazy, but like to go fast and do drops and jumps. Anybody is or have been in a similar situation as mine? When do you think I should be back to normal riding? I believe by setember I must be fit and healthy to do it. Thanks a lot and a speed recovery to all of us!


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## bikeCOLORADO (Sep 4, 2003)

bikeCOLORADO said:


> 6 Weeks post op follow up on Wed the 28th. (51 years old, complete Rotator Cuff tear repair on May 16th).
> 
> Doc is happy with where I am from a range of motion and recovery stand point. Still pretty limited as is expected due to atrophy and the duration of my complete separation (injured October 2016, repaired May 2017).
> 
> ...


Now 8 weeks post op (see above). I've been doing PT twice a week for 2 weeks. There is plenty of pain with PT. Prepare for it, expect it, push into it but not too hard. Atrophied muscles do all kinds of stupid things, fascia and fibers bind together where they're not supposed to, etc. You get to do things to break these up and stretch them back out again. Deep tissue massage, passive stretching, active stretching. Laying down and deeply massaging those spots with in my case a lacrosse ball. My upper bicep area into my shoulder feels pretty beat up. Tender to the touch from all the stretching and deep tissue massage.

But...guess what? It's loosening up! I reached for something on a shelf over my head last night with that arm. I practically jumped for joy because I used that arm, didn't hesitate and it didn't feel too bad. Pretty encouraging as the work is starting to pay off. A lot of work to do still. Just barely now starting (in PT) to work on rebuilding strength and it's only by gripping weights. Apparently working the grip engages the rotator without putting it into too much stress.

I've been riding road/commuting for 2 weeks. Probably another 4 weeks before I hit singletrack again.


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## jewels (Mar 17, 2004)

*motivation*



cyclelicious said:


> One year post op . Hubby is doing great. Full recovery and breaking his pre surgery pr's. Riding and trail building to his full scope
> 
> View attachment 1144821
> 
> ...


thanks for the pix and motivation. I think I have a full tear and awaiting mri and such this week. acute tear and Dr. thinks it'll be surgical from physical examination. 48 and time isn't making healing any faster. Glad I found this thread, trying to keep optimistic cuz it's gonna be what it's gonna be.


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## pedromayall (Jun 12, 2013)

Updating my case: Left shoulder rotator cuff and labrum reconstruction cirurgy last May 25th. Age 52, 1,85m height, 88 kg before cirurgy, in quite good shape, enduro/all mountain riding style.First 40 days after cirurgy, shoulder fully imobilized in the sling, no activities at all, just resting. Then three weeks of physioterapy and light physical exercises, allowed back to work. Today, 63 days after cirugy, I saw my doctor. He told me all is going very well. Almost full range of left arm motion already recovered. No more physioterapy needed, prescribed some gymn arm and shoulder light exercices. I´m now free to run and swim (except crawl style). My aim now is to complete the cicatrization process, which happens three months after cirurgy, and also strenghtning shoulder muscles for the next two months. After four months I will be free to ride bikes, but only road and very light trail riding. According to him, I will be able to do normal mountain bike riding around five months after cirurgy. I gained some 5 kg and lost most of my conditioning and agility, but it feels great to be back to almost normal life. It´s hard and sad to look at my awesome Santa Cruz Nomad unused for so long, but it will be great to ride again without constant fear of injury. I plan now to loose weight and regain my fitness as fast as I can. Cheers!


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## Streetdoctor (Oct 14, 2011)

Good thread for me to follow. Crashed on a tucked shoulder coming up short on a triple at 35mph and broke my scapula pretty good. Healing is going very well (3 weeks post injury). Started PT yesterday and still have 100% passive ROM. I have an MRI in 3 weeks to rule out any tears. The unknown is killing me. I'll either be riding again in September or next spring...


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## pedromayall (Jun 12, 2013)

Hey, Streetdoctor, wish you luck. Try not to think much about bike riding for now. It has helped me making through this whitout losing my sanity. Follow your doctor prescriptions and try to mantain your fitness as much as possible. All the best


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## pedromayall (Jun 12, 2013)

Updating my case: Left shoulder rotator cuff and labrum reconstruction surgery last May 25th. Age 52, 1,85m height, 88 kg before surgery, in quite good shape, enduro/all mountain riding style. First 40 days after surgery, shoulder fully imobilized in the sling, no activities at all, just resting. Then three weeks of physioterapy and light physical exercises, allowed back to work. 

Today, three months after surgery, I have full range of left arm motion back. Feel the shoulder quite healthy, almost as strong and mobile as the good one. Working out at the gymn, running, swimming and lots of stationary bycicling. Internal cicatrization process seems to be complete. Loosing weight and recovering my conditioning and agility. Life is back to normal, except for the most exciting aspect of it: go fast downhill on a mountain bike! One more month of strenghtening the shoulder in particular and the body as a whole and I will be back. Cheers!


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## Streetdoctor (Oct 14, 2011)

pedromayall said:


> Hey, Streetdoctor, wish you luck. Try not to think much about bike riding for now. It has helped me making through this whitout losing my sanity. Follow your doctor prescriptions and try to mantain your fitness as much as possible. All the best


Thanks! Cleared for road riding today and real PT. Back on the MTB in a month or so. MRI showed an old (small) labrum tear, otherwise everything looked great. Apparently the scapula fx saved me from a grade 3 AC separation. Today was 50 days from day of injury. I've felt great for the last week or so but still taking it easy.


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## bikeCOLORADO (Sep 4, 2003)

pedromayall said:


> Updating my case: Left shoulder rotator cuff and labrum reconstruction surgery last May 25th. Age 52, 1,85m height, 88 kg before surgery, in quite good shape, enduro/all mountain riding style. First 40 days after surgery, shoulder fully imobilized in the sling, no activities at all, just resting. Then three weeks of physioterapy and light physical exercises, allowed back to work.
> 
> Today, three months after surgery, I have full range of left arm motion back. Feel the shoulder quite healthy, almost as strong and mobile as the good one. Working out at the gymn, running, swimming and lots of stationary bycicling. Internal cicatrization process seems to be complete. Loosing weight and recovering my conditioning and agility. Life is back to normal, except for the most exciting aspect of it: go fast downhill on a mountain bike! One more month of strenghtening the shoulder in particular and the body as a whole and I will be back. Cheers!


How long were you out from work?


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## pedromayall (Jun 12, 2013)

bikeCOLORADO said:


> How long were you out from work?


40 days. I'm a lawyer, so managed to do some work from home, but very little. Tough time.


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## bikeCOLORADO (Sep 4, 2003)

pedromayall said:


> 40 days. I'm a lawyer, so managed to do some work from home, but very little. Tough time.


I feel like I got ripped off in the time off zone. I took off two days...and back to work!


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## pedromayall (Jun 12, 2013)

bikeCOLORADO said:


> I feel like I got ripped off in the time off zone. I took off two days...and back to work!


I had to postpone the surgery until I could afford to be off work for so long.


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## pedromayall (Jun 12, 2013)

Updating my case: Left shoulder rotator cuff and labrum reconstruction surgery last May 25th. Age 52, 1,85m height, 88 kg before surgery, in quite good shape, enduro/all mountain riding style. First 40 days after surgery, shoulder fully imobilized in the sling, no activities at all, just resting. Then three weeks of physioterapy and light physical exercises, allowed back to work. After that, working out at the gymn, running, swimming and lots of stationary bycicling. Loosing weight and recovering my conditioning and agility. 


After four months, I was allowed to do road cycling. Now, almost five months post surgery, my doctor released me to do light mtb trail riding. I rode (prudently) some pretty rough trails last saturday and felt great. The operated shoulder feel almost like the good one.

According to the doctor, fully recovery is completed six months after the operation, so I'm still a month away to completely normal mtb riding. But I'm already riding without the fear of the shoulder dislocating at any moment, which is great. Ah, the pleasure of riding fully healthy that I had lost for two years! Cheers!


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## tubbnation (Jul 6, 2015)

pedromayall said:


> .... Ah, the pleasure of riding fully healthy that I had lost for two years! Cheers!


Cheers, man - I hear the stoke in your voice!!


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## pedromayall (Jun 12, 2013)

woodchips said:


> Cheers, man - I hear the stoke in your voice!!


Thanks, man! You're right, super stoked here!


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## jewels (Mar 17, 2004)

*update*



pedromayall said:


> Updating my case: Left shoulder rotator cuff and labrum reconstruction surgery last May 25th. Age 52, 1,85m height, 88 kg before surgery, in quite good shape, enduro/all mountain riding style. First 40 days after surgery, shoulder fully imobilized in the sling, no activities at all, just resting. Then three weeks of physioterapy and light physical exercises, allowed back to work. After that, working out at the gymn, running, swimming and lots of stationary bycicling. Loosing weight and recovering my conditioning and agility.
> 
> After four months, I was allowed to do road cycling. Now, almost five months post surgery, my doctor released me to do light mtb trail riding. I rode (prudently) some pretty rough trails last saturday and felt great. The operated shoulder feel almost like the good one.
> 
> According to the doctor, fully recovery is completed six months after the operation, so I'm still a month away to completely normal mtb riding. But I'm already riding without the fear of the shoulder dislocating at any moment, which is great. Ah, the pleasure of riding fully healthy that I had lost for two years! Cheers!


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Glad to hear you are doing well. I have a similar timeline of 4-5 months recovery. Had surgery 3 tears(full supraspinatus,bicep tenodesis and large subscap) and had to wait 6 weeks until surgery. (mistake 1, but was an insurance thing) The first 3 months were tough. month 4 5, pain nearly gone, though strength not there. Able to light mtb riding at exactly 5 months after surgery, though loading the bike on roof rack, not there yet, haha. I'm grateful for a talented surgeon and PT group, so I'm a lucky one. For ALL those in the same boat, believe that there is joy at around 4-5 months and keep moving. swimming/hiking/walking if you can. :thumbsup:


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## pedromayall (Jun 12, 2013)

jewels said:


> -----
> Glad to hear you are doing well. I have a similar timeline of 4-5 months recovery. Had surgery 3 tears(full supraspinatus,bicep tenodesis and large subscap) and had to wait 6 weeks until surgery. (mistake 1, but was an insurance thing) The first 3 months were tough. month 4 5, pain nearly gone, though strength not there. Able to light mtb riding at exactly 5 months after surgery, though loading the bike on roof rack, not there yet, haha. I'm grateful for a talented surgeon and PT group, so I'm a lucky one. For ALL those in the same boat, believe that there is joy at around 4-5 months and keep moving. swimming/hiking/walking if you can. :thumbsup:


Good to know, man! I know your feeling. Riding afraid of dislocating the shoulder at every feature of the trail is so unpleasant that I almost quit the sport. Now you can just enjoy riding your bike. It´s been 8 months since my surgery and I´m fully recovered now. I have not been riding my bike a lot because it´s summer here in Rio, Brazil, too hot and wet for mountain biking. Instead I´m focusing on building my fitness and preparing for the cool and dry autumn/winter, the proper mtb season here. When I ride I ride the same rough trails of always, but somehow I improved my technique and also my prudence, for I haven´t crashed once since I got back to my bike. The final test of the success of my surgery will be a hard crash, of course, but I am not in a rush to go through it.


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## buggravy (Sep 12, 2018)

This thread is tough reading. Currently 5 days post-op from repair of 2.5 cm full thickness tear of the supraspinatus. Had the same repair done on the other shoulder 11 years ago, but at age 44 the suck factor is greater than I remembered it at 33. I feel like my surgeon was sugar coating the recovery time when recommending surgery (though he is one of the top shoulder guys in the country), and while I know I made the prudent decision in moving forward with the surgery, I keep getting overwhelmed with this feeling of "what have I done?". Other bummer is my 8 year old has really gotten into biking lately, and weekend rides (just local bike paths) have been real bonding moments lately. Hoping I can at least get back on the road bike by the holidays for family riding. Santa Claus may be bringing Townies for the family, which I hope could help the cause with the riding position. Despite the tear being fairly large, the tendon had not retracted, and the tissue around it was healthy. Doc says figure roughly 20% healing per month. Sure hope that plays out, but not getting my hopes up (yes I am).


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## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

Does anyone have any experience with rotator cuff damage associated with a shoulder dislocation in terms of the severity? Im 2 weeks post shoulder dislocation and had my first appointment with the ortho last week at which he said i had a rotator cuff tear and ordered a MRI and suggested that it will probably require surgery to correct. 

I had my (left) shoulder replaced in April of 2018 due to arthritis by the same ortho. The recovery was steady and progressive. It was a good experience overall. 

Being so early in the 12-16 week shoulder dislocation recovery period ive honestly only focused on shoulder rehab. Although it seems like i do have some symptoms of a RCT i cant pinpoint any particular RCT pain b/c my arm and shoulder are still pretty swollen. Im just trying to stretch things a bit and rest it the best i can. Im also completely off the bike and out of the gym which really sucks b/c i was really making progress....

TIA...


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## pedromayall (Jun 12, 2013)

I do and have no good news for you. Conservative treatment failed miserably, so I went through surgery for repairing my severed rotator cuff. Unfortunately, it did not work because of too much bone loss caused by subluxations. So I went for another surgery, called latarjet procedure,which involves removing a piece of bone from another part of the shoulder, and attaching it to the front of your shoulder socket. The bone will then act as a barrier which will physically block the shoulder from slipping out of the socket, while the muscles which are transferred with the bone will give additional stability to the joint. After a long 6 months recovery, I am now cleared to go back to trail riding, operated shoulder feeling quite well. Let´s see how it goes from now on.


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## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

bone loss in the cuff of my left shoulder is what lead to the reconstructive surgery of my left shoulder. Ill say as bad as your experience is due to complications beyond the scope of the original surgery its great to hear that after 6 months youre able to ride dirt again. Walking to the bus this morning since i cant ride to work i began thinking that depending on how this whole things swings im potentially out of commission from anywhere from November of this year to winter or maybe spring of 2020. Dang FaK me....


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## pedromayall (Jun 12, 2013)

Wish you luck. Shoulder dislocation is bad, happens once, will happen again. It pretty much ruined my peace of mind. But Now that they screwed one bone to the other twice I feel more assured to ride, but have no plans to ride downhill hard again any time soon. I am spending a lot of time in phisioterapy and in the gymn to get leaner and stronger, specially the shoulder, of course.


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## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

*Rotator Cuff Surgery/Nerve Blockers*

after 5 weeks of x rays, MRIs, and pain i finally saw my doc yesterday and i was diagnosed with a massive rotator cuff tear, damage to the temur and a torn bicep..neeto. Advice was that sooner i take care of it the easier it is for him and the better the recovery prognosis so im trying to schedule it for the first half of September. Six weeks in a sling, PT and out of work for 3 weeks.

Does anyone have experience with use of nerve blockers with this type of surgery? When i had my other shoulder replaced due to arthritis i was on blockers for the first 72 hours and it made a huge difference in managing the pain after they wore off.

TIA


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## JonJones (Feb 12, 2012)

I'm approaching 6 weeks post rotator cuff surgery. Torn supraspinatus, torn longhead bicep tendon, Labral tear and other damage too.

I had to have open surgery but the scars are healing wonderfully.

Definitely have the nerve block. I've had it twice now and it makes a huge difference. I barely felt it being administered but it just removed all pain after for about 18 hours, then the other drugs kicked in.

I will say with the bicep tendon you only have so long to reattach it before it gets too short. My surgeon recommended 4 weeks was about it otherwise you just get shortening and problems with range of motion as it heals. 

I was fortunate in that whilst it took 5 weeks to get the diagnosis right and arrange surgery, the tendon actually had part ruptured for the first 3 weeks then went fully two weeks prior to surgery so it was fresh when he went in to repair it.

4 weeks in a sling 100% of the time is pretty ordinary and no fun. Sleeping is uncomfortable and sparse but it does get better. Don't do anything the surgeon doesn't tell you to.

Good luck!


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