Originally Posted by
david58
Many folks have tears of some degree, more as we age. With a small tear, rehab should help you. Mine was a traumatic tear, over 90%, so they cut it the rest of the way to make it clean for reattachment, and had to do labrum work too. So surgery was no option unless I wanted to live in a sling. If rehab will get you through, that is the way to go. Took a year for me to feel normal again.
I had minor tears in both of my rotator cuffs up until a year ago, then finished the job on the right one last spring. It was excruciating, I couldn't even bear the strain of my right arm hanging free. It felt like it weighed a million pounds. I had surgery in June of last year and I'm still recovering.
Although, lifting some light weights to build up the surrounding supporting mucsles definitely helps.
I'm a big fan of side sleeping, it took me along time to be able to sleep on my back.
From what I understand, the tears can be progressive and get worse over time. When I first found out about mine, the doctor said, "it's not bad enough for surgery, but will eventually need it."
RC injuries suck, heal fast.
What really sucked for me is that I developep a blood clot shortly after the surgery, which perplexed quite a few doctors, and took some time to diagnose. While they were trying to deduce what was going on, I became increasing ill feeling, and wound up being hospitalised for it. I now have permanent damage to one of the veins in my leg. Biking is part of my PT to help increase blood flow to the damaged region.
My doctors assistant, who thinks she's my mom, said to me, "you almost died you know?". That's never fun to hear.