# Thoughts on shoulder recovery time??



## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

Hey guys/gals I have a concern, that's actually really beginning to bother me...

about 3 weeks ago I went OTB doing something simple (but stupid), I landed hard on my left shoulder, I was a little achy but not bad.

A week after that (to the day) I washed out HARD heading into a left handed berm, again I came down HARD on my left shoulder, this time however I felt noticeable ache/discomfort in my shoulder.

So, the following day I went to the doctor...initial exam yielded nothing note worthy, so they did multiple x-rays to which the doctor described as a "healthy looking shoulder". I was told to take a week off from MTB and see how I feel....

It's now been about 2 weeks 2 days (YES I'm counting), my shoulder is still unhappy, my range of motion appears to be returning, but not without some discomfort. Certain angles are fine, but other angles still hurt more than they should. (I think)

Sooo, I'm a little gun shy about throwing a leg over the bike and getting back at it...I really WANT to, but something tells me my shoulder isn't ready to take another potential hit...

The docs don't seem to be too concerned about my rotator cuff, so I'm going to assume that's OK (I hope).

To those that have had shoulder injuries, can you give me some info on what to expect for recovery time? Can I ride cautiously, or should I stay off the bike? 

I know that age, overall health & weight (to some extent) can factor into recovery, I'm just hoping to get some thoughts on what to expect, and how to work through it (if possible).

To those that are going to ask...I'm 47 years young, and a FAR cry from a pillar of fitness @ 256 lbs, but I'm dropping the weight, and really enjoying the journey.

Thanks in advance for any insight!


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## clintj (Nov 17, 2018)

It's often taken me a few weeks to get my shoulder to stop hurting after hard landings since passing 40 as well. Sometimes it takes a couple of months in the off season to get some of the better hits to heal completely. My last one was a rough right side landing 2 weeks ago that stretched my arm upwards past its limits and strained at least one muscle. It was either that or headbutt a boulder at the time. Just take it easy and don't ride punishing stuff like techy trails until it quits bothering me is my usual approach to these.

Weight work in the winter has helped me recover faster from crashes all season the last two years. It strengthens the muscles, bones, and tendons/ligaments so they withstand abuse more readily, and helps keep aging from sucking as much on the bike.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

Hey thanks for the reply! I was figuring a few weeks (and hoping for the best).

I saw the doc today for a follow up, as I'm still experiencing some pain.

She wants me to go through about 4 weeks of PT, and to stay off the mountain bike during that time....I couldn't be more bummed....I'll be losing 6-7 weeks total of my summer, and in WI that's a LOT of my summer.

She doesn't think it's my rotator cuff (which is good news), but if I'm not feeling less pain after the PT she wants to order an MRI to be sure. 

Soooo, in the meantime, looks like I'll be logging some road/paved trail miles on my other bike....

Getting old(er) sucks....


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## clintj (Nov 17, 2018)

It really does. Younger coworker of mine tripped and slid down a flight of stairs, straining his shoulder. PT for him was resistance band training a few times a day to strengthen the shoulder and correct a muscular imbalance. Worked great for him. Hopefully yours resolves nicely.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


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## drwx (Jun 4, 2011)

it will take longer than you expect it to. about 6 years ago i went OTB and got an AC separation in my right shoulder. the doc said that this was just how my shoulder would be now and it wasn't 100% for about 6 months. a year or so later i fell on my left shoulder on my road bike and here we are 4-5 years after that injury, which i never went to the doc for, and the damn thing still hurts. I finally went to a PT in march and found that I have some impingement in my left shoulder and that my shoulder isn't even rotating correctly, but was diagnosed with no rotator cuff tear. I've been doing stretches and resistance band stuff to strengthen it.

i wish i had gone to the PT years ago because I know i made it worse by waiting 4-5 years to address it. after 3 months of PT (i only visited them once), my shoulder that I couldn't move all the way around is probably 75% and to me that's probably good enough for the rest of the riding season, but I know in the offseason that I'll need to do some work on it. don't overdo the workouts and stretches and don't ride like a maniac because all it takes is 1 good fall to set you back on any progress that you've made.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

shoulders suck at taking damage...complicated linkages in there

is this the first time you smacked it ?

could be 6 months to 2 years

is this the second time ? possibly life-long sour shoulder

I dinged mine once racing motorcycles, took years for that to settle down, then nailed it on a pump track 5 years later....now 10 years later...daily pain I cannot escape, but stretches help and it doesn't hurt on the bike much at all ...so I got that


I've had MRI and all that, doc says well, if we try to go in and fix anything, you'd be lucky to come out feeling like it does now, so there isn't enough real damage to do any work on, it's just stuff sliding around aggravating itself doing shoulder stuff that shoulders do. it blows goats.


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## sturge (Feb 22, 2009)

Get some popcorn and a beer or two...there's lots of info here about those of us who have had shoulder injuries:

https://forums.mtbr.com/rider-down-injuries-recovery/ac-separation-shoulder-separation-300318.html

From what you describe...you did the right thing getting it checked out. Just let your shoulder tell you when it's ready. Two or three weeks goes by fast and it sounds like you are on your way back.

Good luck


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

clintj said:


> It really does. Younger coworker of mine tripped and slid down a flight of stairs, straining his shoulder. PT for him was resistance band training a few times a day to strengthen the shoulder and correct a muscular imbalance. Worked great for him. Hopefully yours resolves nicely.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


Yep, I went to PT today, they gave me 3 different resistance bands, and 3 different exercises, I'm scheduled back every 2 weeks until the first week of Sept....I guess there is still fall riding I can do.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

sturge said:


> Get some popcorn and a beer or two...there's lots of info here about those of us who have had shoulder injuries:
> 
> https://forums.mtbr.com/rider-down-injuries-recovery/ac-separation-shoulder-separation-300318.html
> 
> ...


Thanks! I hope I don't have to go all the way into Sept (per my above post), but I don't want to rush it, and crash again....


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

127.0.0.1 said:


> shoulders suck at taking damage...complicated linkages in there
> 
> is this the first time you smacked it ?
> 
> ...


Just saw this..

Well, as a semi-retired auto technician, I've been swinging heavy hammers and abusing my joints for nearly 25 years...and I feel it daily.

As far as the injury...I've been banged up before, but this most recent spill was the first to actually keep me off the bike...and I'm remarkably frustrated by it.

I'm going to ride on the road...a lot (oh how fun), and vigorously do my PT, I'm hoping I can get back on the MTB sooner than forecasted, time will tell...My spirit is willing but the body isn't as much LOL.


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## Igotsoul4u (May 11, 2019)

I have bad shoulders from injuries similar to yours. I took PT super seriously and felt much better. I ended up coming back quicker and was able to surf again. When I get weak the pain will come back, but my little stretching/strengthening routines pay off big time.


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

Shoulder injuries suck. My front tire slipped on an exposed metal pipe in the dirt. Fell hard on my left shoulder. An X-ray showed a fracture on the shoulder blade. An MRI didn't show damage to the ligaments. It was months before I was able to get back on my bike. I was in a sling for a month. I couldn't even take a shower...it hurt that bad.

I recently landed on my other shoulder from a washout. This time it wasn't nearly as bad...but it's been a month and it's finally getting to the point to where I can ride my mountain bike again. I've been riding road in the meantime.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

Igotsoul4u said:


> I have bad shoulders from injuries similar to yours. I took PT super seriously and felt much better. I ended up coming back quicker and was able to surf again. When I get weak the pain will come back, but my little stretching/strengthening routines pay off big time.


Thanks for the info!

Yeah, I've been taking my PT super serious, haven't missed a beat, currently just using those elastic bands (3 different "strengths"), it's been slow going, I've got almost 100% range of motion, but not pain free, some movements hurt more than others.

I've been off the mountain bike for about a month now....I've got a vacation planned and I'll be in Asheville NC (Pisgah National Forest) in the end of August...The plan WAS to do some MTBing...hoping I'll be ready.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

RS VR6 said:


> Shoulder injuries suck. My front tire slipped on an exposed metal pipe in the dirt. Fell hard on my left shoulder. An X-ray showed a fracture on the shoulder blade. An MRI didn't show damage to the ligaments. It was months before I was able to get back on my bike. I was in a sling for a month. I couldn't even take a shower...it hurt that bad.
> 
> I recently landed on my other shoulder from a washout. This time it wasn't nearly as bad...but it's been a month and it's finally getting to the point to where I can ride my mountain bike again. I've been riding road in the meantime.


Yikes!

Sorry to hear about your crash(s)...they definitely suck!!!

I've been riding my Trek on the road and my local paved bike paths too, though my physical therapist did clear me to ride gravel if I chose, so I may toss some appropriate tires on my Trek and add that to my riding...however she was adamant there was to be NO singletrack or any other aggressive off road riding.

Her husband rides MTB, so she's VERY familiar with the injuries that can happen, and as such is pretty restrictive with what she clears me for...


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## teK-- (Dec 3, 2011)

If it's only X-rays you've had, they won't really show much if you have ligament or soft tissue damage.

A good PT will be able to carry out a full assessment and pinpoint exactly which part of the shoulder the pain is coming from, and from there give you management or rehab exercises. . If they are unsure or suspect it might be soething that needs intervention they'll usually refer you for an MRI which gives a much better idea of what is going on aside from the bones.

If it's just soft tissue then depending on what is injured and how badly, you could be anywhere from 6-8 weeks to recover well enough to lightly get back on the MTB. For certain types of soft tissue injury you can sometimes be out for 3-4 times that long.

In the meantime an indoor trainer is good to maintain some fitness.

Anyway good luck with it. The shoulder is the hardest working joint in terms of load bearing and how much of a range of motion is required for good function and stability.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

teK-- said:


> If it's only X-rays you've had, they won't really show much if you have ligament or soft tissue damage.
> 
> A good PT will be able to carry out a full assessment and pinpoint exactly which part of the shoulder the pain is coming from, and from there give you management or rehab exercises. . If they are unsure or suspect it might be soething that needs intervention they'll usually refer you for an MRI which gives a much better idea of what is going on aside from the bones.
> 
> If it's just soft tissue then depending on what is injured and how badly, you could be anywhere from 6-8 weeks to recover well enough to lightly get back on the MTB. For certain types of soft tissue injury you can sometimes be out for 3-4 times that long.


Yeah, just x-rays so far...The urgent care doctor said she didn't think I tore my rotator cuff, my primary care doc felt the same way, and my PT also feels that I didn't tear it.

And yeah, my PT did a range of tests, and narrowed it down to 2 problem (pain) areas, and she gave me exercises for those areas. She did say that if I wasn't able to work up to the "green band" (I have 3 different resistance bands) by my next visit, that she would send me for imaging...so far I've moved past the easiest (yellow), and I'm currently working the "orange" one, I'm confident I'll be to the "green" by next Friday (appt. day), but these exercises aren't without pain...so that still sucks...

Thanks for the ideas on the timeline...I REALLY hope I'm not set out as far it could be, but I guess time will tell, and if I end up getting imaging I'm hoping I'm not in a surgery situation....


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

Yeah....so...

My PT sent me to an Orthopedic Doc, she just wanted to make sure she wasn't missing anything.

Well, I went, and between him and the physicians assistant, they spent the better part of 40 minutes trying to remove my arm from my body...or at least it seemed that way.

That "exam" set me back weeks, I can't even do the PT exercises I was doing before, the arm is useless at the moment...I couldn't even use it to steer my car on the way back to work. WTF?!?!

The "Doctor" said my range of motion was exceptional, but he does suspect at least a small Rotator tear of some sort, something he believes would be treated with PT and strength training, but he won't know for sure until we get some imaging done.

...So my MRI is scheduled for Monday, and I'm downright terrified of the results...surgery could not come at a worse time financially for me....meh.


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## sturge (Feb 22, 2009)

Well...here's a glass half full answer. Sounds like the rehab is helping and you at least are able to get out and ride a little. Depending on MRI results you may have the choice to hold off for a few months until the timing is better.

As you age you get better at living with old injuries 'barking' at you. Sometimes, if surgery is 'elective' only, the best choice is to live with it. At 59 I've had operations on both knees, 2 on right ankle, one on left shoulder, and a Grade 3 separation of my right shoulder that did not require surgery. Sometimes **** hurts but you just get used to it and manage the best you can. Once I get on the bike or on ski's I am 100% focused on the job at hand and everything else fades away.


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## JonJones (Feb 12, 2012)

@bassistbiker, I'm feeling your pain in more ways than most. First, if your name is anything to go by we share common 4 or 5 string interests. 

I had what felt like a reasonable but not extreme front wheel wash out and landed on my outstretched left arm. 

It immediately felt strange and I ended the ride but couldn't lift the bike on the roof. 
3 doctors, 3 surgeons, a Physiotherapist plus a Chiropractor and X-ray, ultrasound and MRI showed the following. 
Supraspinatus full rupture
Long head bicep tendon full rupture
Labral tear
Fractured clavicle.

And I lift weights, eat well and stretch to avoid this. 
Surgery was the only solution and I'm now 8 days post that and told it'll be 6 to 9 months before I get back on the trails with confidence. 

Shoulders really are anong the worst for injuries, and padding / protection scarcely helps as shown by Tahnee Seagrave in the DH this season.

It happens and I hope your damage is minimal and easier to solve.


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## jonas_24112 (May 16, 2016)

Shoulder injuries are strange and slow to heal. I'd give it 6-8 weeks and if no improvement, probably time for a 2nd opinion and MRI.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

Well, for those that have been following this thread (all 1 of you LOL), the MRI went well.

The results are...NO TEARS! and Nothing requiring surgical intervention.

Soooo, looks like I'm riding the PT wagon, I wish my progress was better, but at least there is progress, as it stands I'm hoping to be tearing it up on the trails in time to catch the fall colors...I wish it was faster, but I'm just thankful it's happening at all.

Thanks to all those that chimed in and offered advice, personal experiences etc... You guys rock!


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## bbbr (Nov 6, 2005)

Shoulder surgery sucks, avoid it if you can- I had a SLAP and Bankhart tear repairs in my dominant shoulder courtesy of an otb incident on a bike path 8 years ago. When the nerve block wears off, you will know it- i woke up screaming in pain thru the big damn Percocets I was on round about midnight that night. I was 8 weeks locked in a sling, allowed out only for PT and to take showers. It took me almost 7 months of brutal PT to regain full use and resume mountain biking at low level. Then 4 years later I somehow damaged the Long Thoracic nerve in the same shoulder (partial tear of the nerve fiber, it's slowly growing back). That's been a slow and tedious recovery spanning the years but progress is getting made. Some days I don't have any pain... But not usually. 

Rehab can be slow and tedious but you'll get back out there soon enough with patience and dedication. If they have you doing pulley exercises, get one for home use. I have a "PT board" (finely sanded floor to ceiling 1x8 that is stained, trimmed and firmly secured to a stud in a couple of places) in my home office. It's got a bunch of draw pulls i can attach carabiners to at various heights (i make loops out of my therabands) to cover any of the home exercises i get assigned. Along with the pulley mounted on up near the ceiling for my shoulder.


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## JonJones (Feb 12, 2012)

It's not always avoidable as you know. I had a shoulder reconstruction and the pain immediately after surgery was not fun but liveable / tolerable. Now that I'm past the 2 weeks period post surgery it's still niggling but getting better each day.

The PT is what's going to make life challenging for me so I just keep on the path and working with it.

Definitely not to be taken lightly and the recovery process is a long one.


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## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

in the first 3 to 4 weeks after my reconstruction surgery it was the swelling and bruising that accounted for most if not all of my discomfort. Otherwise the pain was more aching then it was sharp. Your first PT assessment session should have you on your way to beginning exercises and stretches so you are done with the worst part of it. Good luck


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## JonJones (Feb 12, 2012)

Thanks. I'm approaching 7 weeks post surgery now and range of motion is improving. It's very slow and painful to get these gains. 

Of all the injuries I've had, including broken ankles, fractured spine and other aspects, this is by far the most frustrating. 

Definitely look after your shoulders, and even then the injury ninja can strike.


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## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

I sometimes wonder what god was thinking when he gave us this pitiful excuse for a shoulder joint, but that does little good when it comes to the suffering that follows a crash or other mishap. And to make things worse for me, I was born with bilateral "type 3 acromial" defect, which over time greatly increases the odds of some kind of impingement leading to to something or other tearing. 

I had a supraspinatus injury that I actually compensated for by weight training for a long time, maybe a couple decades, until I finally tore it up pretty good in an downhill OTB crash. It was continuously popping out on me, and I knew it was time to see the sawbones about it. I rehabbed it pretty good until I tore the repair out a few years post-surgery.Now I'm rehabbing it again, as the pain I experienced post-op was the worst I've ever had to put up with, and I don't want to go through that again. 
My surgery involved an "acromiotomy"....which means sawing off the end of the acromion. There's a lot of nerve endings that the surgery made VERY unhappy, and all of the opioids in China only served to make me feel less bothered by it. 

It takes a great deal of patience to rehab a shoulder post-surgery, a bit less than to try strengthening and compensating for the damage. That's the route I've been on for a few months now. I'm simply hanging on for the long run.

In short, give yourself 6 months-to-a year to recover, and NEVER stop the maintenance work.


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

Hey, thanks everyone for the info!

I'm still pushing through, I am back on the bike now, riding just light XC type stuff, which is fine because I'm still finding ways to wipe out, and with each wipe out I become even more scared of the bike and trail...LOL :madman::madman::madman:

At this point, I'm taking a step back, and revisiting "the basics" I enjoy riding, but the frequent crashing has caused me to doubt my limited skill set :skep:...so, I'm working on the basics, walking features to find cleaner lines, practicing proper body positioning, and finally working on proper bike set-up.....All of these things I should have already been doing, but now I'm forcing myself to do them in an effort to increase my skills & enjoyment of the sport. :thumbsup:

....I'll report back.


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## JonJones (Feb 12, 2012)

@Bassistbiker, while it's great to hear you're back in the saddle, the crashing must be frustrating.

What type of spills are you having? OTB, front wheel washouts, stalling and off the side...? 

Where does it happen on the trail? Flowy / jumps / tight single-track / rock gardens?


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

JonJones said:


> @Bassistbiker, while it's great to hear you're back in the saddle, the crashing must be frustrating.
> 
> What type of spills are you having? OTB, front wheel washouts, stalling and off the side...?
> 
> Where does it happen on the trail? Flowy / jumps / tight single-track / rock gardens?


Yep frustrating to be sure..

As far as how/why/where I'm crashing...I'm a bit of an equal opportunity crasher 

*1st crash*...I had an unplanned dismount OTB trying to ride a skinny that was WAY above my paygrade, seemed like a good idea at the time.

*2nd crash*...Bad front tire washout into a left hand bermed corner.

*3rd crash*...I "think" I spun the back tire out, and then caught a pedal strike...I was trying to gain some speed, so I stood to pedal, well I think I got too much weight front and just simply unloaded the rear tire.

*4th crash* (and most recent), I was approaching a blind left corner, when I came around I saw a log across most of the path on the right side...well because I'm gun shy now, I over corrected trying to avoid the log, and just spilled into the weeds...AGAIN on the left shoulder....Grrrr

There have of course been others too, but those four were the most painful.

I think a lot of my issues can be attributed to 2 things...

-I'm just not good at this LOL, I NEED more practice, and to learn to ride within my current skill set. :nono: ...I've only been doing this about 1.5 years.

-I think I'm running too high of tire pressure, I run tubeless, and was running 40 PSI front and rear...yes I know that's high, but I'm a big guy @ 265+ so I figured I needed to run higher pressure...

I've been slowly lowering them and experimenting. :thumbsup:

My last ride I ran 30R and 29F...that seemed the best so far, but now I'm considering getting some Cush Cores and running even lower pressure...we'll see.


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## JonJones (Feb 12, 2012)

Thanks for the details.nof course I've not seen you ride but from the sounds of it there could be a selection of contributing factors.

Riding within one's ability is one I'd look at. 
Always looking up the trail so things can be anticipated and prepared for. I find my eyes drift closer to my front wheel unless I make the effort to look ahead.

Braking and set up ahead of the corner instead of in it. The front wheel can get overwhelmed with braking and steering duties.

Bodyweight / body english. Getting active on the bike so your weight helps you go where you want to. 

All of this comes with practice, experience and application. 

Get smooth and controlled and the speed will come. 

And you've got your tyres pressures to contend with. I'm 95kgs and use tyre inserts. They're great for comfort / sound and vibration damping as well as tyre and rim protection. Well worth the investment I say.


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## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

4 days post op. Surgery was ok. Had some bleeding around one of the incision sutures and the swelling hasnt turns to bruising yet so theres some pretty good pain. Pains been pretty manageable using tylenol and CBD. Sleeping has been the worst and i seem to do more harm trying to sleep then when im awake. Just keeping low doing walks and such. Doing some work in order to keep me from watching tv.


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## JonJones (Feb 12, 2012)

I remember the sleeping.. it took decent pain meds to get some. 
Definitely keep up the walking as it helps keep you sane as well as promoting healing. 

Keep positive, it does get better.


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## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

Frustrating is a understatement...Week five and still in the sling and im about to f-ing lose it. Im in my 3rd week back to work and traveling to and from work each day combined with using only my non operated side to sleep, and carry things has jacked up that side of my body and neck from having to compensate for the operated side 24/7. Not to mention my balance is a mess.


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## JonJones (Feb 12, 2012)

I hear you. I'm now at week 13 post surgery and have been cleared by my surgeon to ride very gently.

The first 10 weeks are horrible, the first 4-6 just brutal if you're used to being active or self sufficient.

It will get easier and you'll notice you can do a little more each day / week.

Discipline in staying in the sling is vital, and then working on RoM once instructed to. Don't go too hard but as my surgeon told me, if it's not hurting, it's not helping. 

Keep the faith and trust it'll come good. I'm now amazed at what it's like at 13 weeks but at 10 weeks it wasn't great and I felt I'd gone backwards a little in terms of comfort and mobility.

Still notice it in the morning and during some nights but it's less each day... Good luck!


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## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

*Entering my 9th week..*

since surgery. At my 6 week check in i was scolded for being frustrated by my lack activity and told to just "hang out" wait it out..till i start PT. I was scheduled to start PT in week 7 but will be starting this week instead b/c they were booked. Im scheduled for PT once a week clear into January. Im hoping i can get cleared to ride by week 12 and begin strength by next year.

ROM is improved but there still discomfort most of the time but ive gotten used to it. I know people have stated that the first couple of PT appointments are really painful but at this point i just really need some kind of assurance that things are as they should be and that im making progress. I really hope PT marks a turning the corner moment b/c im really frustrated and pretty depressed this far into what feels like endless recovery...

Ive been limiting my self to walking since surgery which isn't really working for me anymore to fulfill my need for physical exercise and monitoring my weight anymore. I got on the stationary bike last week end and "rode" for an hour. I was able to raise the bars to a level where i could hold myself upright without much pain and it felt really good to spin. I also did some mat stretching but i was very limited in what i could do so i focused on core and lower body.


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## JonJones (Feb 12, 2012)

Please listen to your surgeon. They often have patients come right back in after they overdo it and damage the repair.

I'm now at 16 weeks post surgery and am still bring told not to ride MTB trails, only fireroads. By week 9 I was on the verge of insanity as I just couldn't do anything for fitness or fun. Watching my body change for the worse was so demoralising.

Your situation may be very different given your injury, health, age etc.
Just let it heal before giving it too much stress. You'll be miserable if you have to go back under the knife or live with a compromised repair.

Good luck!


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