Riding with a Rotator Cuff Problem
07-09-22, 06:48 PM
#51
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I am the OP here, BTW. While I have one more follow-up with the 'surgical team' (which could bring on a MRI), the diagnosis in my case is little to no soft tissue issues (like rotator cuff), but a whole bunch of arthritis. The situation is tolerable at the moment (barely). I don't expect surgery in the next year or so. Golf, cycling, sleeping and interestingly playing my classical guitar are the activities that are somewhat inhibited by my left shoulder.
The other day I noticed that there is a specific upper arm motion that generates a distinctive (and consistent) scraping vibration (like course sandpaper on coarse sandpaper). It is audible in a quiet room. A golf buddy has years of dealing with shoulder issues (in his case it is soft tissues in one shoulder and pure arthritis in the other), so I asked him about his experience with my scraping sensation/sound. He said "it isn't something to worry about until it sounds like a couple of chicken bones being put down your garbage disposal'. So I guess I won't worry about it for now
dave
The other day I noticed that there is a specific upper arm motion that generates a distinctive (and consistent) scraping vibration (like course sandpaper on coarse sandpaper). It is audible in a quiet room. A golf buddy has years of dealing with shoulder issues (in his case it is soft tissues in one shoulder and pure arthritis in the other), so I asked him about his experience with my scraping sensation/sound. He said "it isn't something to worry about until it sounds like a couple of chicken bones being put down your garbage disposal'. So I guess I won't worry about it for now
dave
07-16-22, 07:57 PM
#52
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I self massage with a dense rubber ball like a lacrosse ball. That has helped me out of many situations. I'm currently working on my shoulder now, having tweaked it recently.
06-25-23, 10:56 AM
#53
Junior Member
I damaged the roator cuff on both shoulders and having visited 4 doctors and spent time with 5 PT people I finally read a newspaper article that explained the nature of the injury. We are like apes and not built for heavy lifting with our upper body. Very little relative strength when a weight or work task has our hands higher than our shoulders.
I was fortunate in that with the second damaged rotator cuff I was treated by a PT who was a former trainer with the Giants pitching staff. He explained that when the pain of the injury causes people to not lift their arm as high that in a matter of weeks the tendons will shorten and then surgery is required. He stretched my arm to get my range of motion back and he went a great deal further than I could have done by myself. Heat and massage and then stretching and then 15-20 minutes with an ice pack. After 4 weeks and 12 sessions my range of motion was back to what it was before the injury and after that I am much more careful about doing overhead work.
It is easy to have shoulder pain from stressing the trapezius muscles with riding and a good approach is to do exercises with lightweigh dumbbells to strengthen these muscles. Planks are good for torso muscles but not that great for the shoulder muscles.
I was fortunate in that with the second damaged rotator cuff I was treated by a PT who was a former trainer with the Giants pitching staff. He explained that when the pain of the injury causes people to not lift their arm as high that in a matter of weeks the tendons will shorten and then surgery is required. He stretched my arm to get my range of motion back and he went a great deal further than I could have done by myself. Heat and massage and then stretching and then 15-20 minutes with an ice pack. After 4 weeks and 12 sessions my range of motion was back to what it was before the injury and after that I am much more careful about doing overhead work.
It is easy to have shoulder pain from stressing the trapezius muscles with riding and a good approach is to do exercises with lightweigh dumbbells to strengthen these muscles. Planks are good for torso muscles but not that great for the shoulder muscles.
Very good advice. Range of motion (ROM) is KEY to quality of outcome no matter what the nature of shoulder injury is.
I broke my arm (greater tuberosity of humeral head non-displaced fracture). Within days, I started PT passive ROM work and progressed with assisted ROM, and later light weights (3lb) full ROM exercises. I did this at least 3x weekly for 12 weeks.
Last week, I visited my ortho surgeon (I did not have surgery) at 12 Week anniversary, humerus is healed!
I have good strength arm strength&movement in most directions.....except reaching behind back. Putting on shirt is painful when I stretch around back.
It is probably a rotator cuff tear. My Dr. is giving me another 6 weeks to see how things progress. I have just returned (3 months after injury) to a weight routine.... restricting to maximum 30% resistance of what I was doing BEFORE injury and avoiding ANYTHING that may cause the slightest bit of pain.
I dont want surgery.....hoping for the best with time and smart exercise routines.
I'm back on the road bike! Stationary bike sucked!
PS: I'm 59. The injury due to a nasty bike crash. Left should subluxation....fracture....RC injury all sustained in crash.
In the past, I've had good luck nursing tendon/ligament damage with conservative treatment (no surgery) and smart/progressive exercise routines over time (dislocated elboe w/stage2 ligament tear...but achieved 90+% of strength/stability/ROM after 12 months!!!)
Thoughts?
Last edited by pullings; 06-25-23 at 12:38 PM.
06-27-23, 07:05 AM
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I know this is an old post... but for a few years I rode just fine with a frozen shoulder from my beetus. I couldn't do many things, but I could ride.
Then I crashed, broke that shoulder and collarbone - frozen shoulder was somehow fixed from the impact, but then I had broken bones to deal with. I was still able to ride with the broken bones... now the frozen shoulder is fixed, but I have left over pain from the breaks that doesn't bother me while riding.
Then I crashed, broke that shoulder and collarbone - frozen shoulder was somehow fixed from the impact, but then I had broken bones to deal with. I was still able to ride with the broken bones... now the frozen shoulder is fixed, but I have left over pain from the breaks that doesn't bother me while riding.
06-27-23, 07:56 AM
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dave
ps. Years ago I was having significant wrist pain on riding to the point that RD shifting was difficult after an hour or so. Simply changing to gloves with better padding resolved that completely.
