ExRx.net

Three weeks ago, I had corrective surgery for a bad rotator cuff tear. They had to shave the bone and reattach the tendon, which was torn off, completely. I want to get back into the gym as soon as possible to lift free weights. At age 56, I find that maintaining lean muscle mass helps burn calories and keeps my weight in check. In my twenties and mid-thirties, I was a competitive bodybuilder and had minor injuries. I never had to rehab myself from something like this. My request is for specific expercises I can do to speed up my rehab. Right now, my lateral movement is piss poor and painful. Thanks!

the doc didn't prescribe physical therapy or self exercises to help you regain ROM?

_________________
my journal: http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=456
discuss my journal: http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=457

one exercise you might try is the spider walk: put your hand as high up on the wall as you can get it on your own (without too much pain) and then use your fingers to SLOWLY pull it up the wall, when you get to where you can't go any further slowly walk yourself back down again. repeat that several times a day (can be done in the lateral plane or in the transverse plane).

_________________
my journal: http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=456
discuss my journal: http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=457

i injured my rc muscles last year - teres minor and infraspinatus - and my doc recommended doing rotational movements to strengthen and regain rom.
i did not have surgery or even a tear, but you can try them, but definitely ask you doc for what you can do.

here are links
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Infraspinatus/DBLyingExternalRotation.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Subscapularis/DBInternalRotation.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Supraspinatus/DBFrontLateralRaise.html
http://www.exrx.net/Articulations/Shoulder.html#anchor107050

do these with very low weight, start with 2-3 lbs, also can be done with resistance bands, which i prefered and again start with low resistance.

The Doc gave me two things to do: the spider wall walk and pendulum rotations. I'm already doing this at work on a chalk board and other movements that teaching requires. Physical therapy? He won't let me go anywhere for two weeks, even though the injury happened May 3rd. It's a WC case, so I think he wants me to take it slow and easy. I want to take it fast and easy. In the summer, I am usually very active. I'm going to the gym tonight to see what I can do at the cross-over pully station, where I can use light weight and not get too egotisical.

Two exercises I got for strengthening my shoulder rotation from physio, due to a similar problem use that surgical tube that they seem to prescribe for everything... my problem, though, was too much ROM... my shoulder can rotate externally about 30 degrees further than it should.

On involved pinching the tube in a door jamb (at about eye level), and, while standing up, pulling on the tube with the affected arm, in the same motion as arm wrestling (arm in front of you, with elbow bent at a right angle), with the other hand bracing the elbow. The other was the opposite motion, with the tube placed a little lower.

The key, I was told, was very slow, controlled movements, and not to focus on getting the weight up.

Hi everyone

Can anyone who has injured their rotator cuff tell me how they did it? and any symptoms they had before it happened.

Reason I am asking is in reference to the following post

http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=933

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

KP

The first time I did it was just a bad dislocation... flipped my sailboat, and slipped when I was getting back in once we got it uprighted. Since then, it's been weak, and has dislocated a couple of times, mostly in the gym.

If you go to physio for your arm pain, you might get some lightweight exercises to do, just to strengthen the joint. It's something you should get checked out, though.

Hi Everyone,

April 26th, I fell and tore my rotator cuff. I've been going through PT for over a month to see if that might help and it hasn't. My surgery is just short of a month off. From what I hear and read, it's going to be a tough recovery. I'm lucky, I think, as it's my left shoulder, so I'll be able to do some things with my right arm. Has anyone had this surgery on their left shoulder? What was recovery like? This may sound silly, but one of my biggest questions is what will I be able to wear once I can return to the office. Any suggestions? Are there things that I can do now to prepare my shoulder for pre-surgery / post-surgery?

Thank you,

Catherine

_________________
Smiles are inexpensive and worth their weight in gold!

I see that these are old posts, but may still be of interest. I have had pain in both shoulders, but mainly the left for the last two weeks. I find it painful when i move the shouders in any direction. I think it may be from doing chest dips which i started doing recently. I believe i may have gone down too far below the bar which put undue stress on the shoulders. So be careful doing chest dips.

Have you saw anyone about your shoulder? That should be the first step...

Chest Dips are stressful on your shoulders, but if your shoulders are healthy in the first place, they should be fine. What's the pain like?

Feel free to outline your program, you may be doing loads of stuff that's only going to make things worse...

But again, you need to get it looked at...

Good luck

KPj

My shoulders are better. I hadn't done the chest dip before and i just went too low. I guess i was too enthusiastic. I do resisitance band and light dumbell exercises now to strenghten the shoulders.

Thats good to hear :-)

KPj