Gear VS Partially torn rotator cuff

[pcbboy]

My job consists of repetative motion of my arms putting in 50lb plus parts on a daily basis. One day i felt something funny in my arm as i went to push a part in. The next day it hurt like hell and for about 4 weeks there after with pain from moderate to severe. I am wondering it has been 3 months since my injury and it use to hurt me pretty bad to the point i couldn't lift my arm past my waist. I went to PT but it wasn't much help. My last appointment it didn't hurt much at all. I slowly started doing cables with light weight to exercise the joint. I have started to cycle and no problems as of yet and pain is minimal. The only thing i can't really do very well is military press with a bar. Will cycling gear actually help repair the torn portion or am i running into fire?

[abstrack]

I would advise with a doc or even PM Doc M the medical advisor on this board.

[Jack87]

I've posted this before a few times... God I wish I could
find that post so I don't have to type this all again... lol

Anyway

I partial torn my right rotator cuff back in 95' or 96' or so...
One of the worse injuries for me personally... I thought it
would only be a few weeks, turned into 4 months or so of
not being able to lift... I honestly couldn't push a kitchen
chair back under the table without servere pain... It even
effected back work as I felt a strong pull on my delt during
the stretching part of any back work...

Went to one of the best area Sports Orthopedic's and did
PT for weeks and weeks, that helped a little... Came down
to him telling me surgery was the only option as the PT did
not help as much as I had hoped... I never liked the idea of
getting cut...

I decided to run a fairly small cycle of deca/test as deca from
all my research was long known to help heal nagging injuries
for some... About 5-6 weeks in I could finally press and lift again
without pain and by the end of the cycle I was able to go all out
again and no the pain never came back even after I was off the
cycle for months, so IMO the cycle is what helped in my recovery...

Not saying it would work for everyone, but it worked for me...

Did you ever get a X-ray and MRI to determine how and what kind
of damage you did to it first? Mine was the 2nd rotator cuff muscle
from the front of my delt and was roughly 50% torn...

What was the extent of your injury?

[jrock38]

I agree with Buff87 as I have a bad rotator cuff and am using Deca/Sus and have seen huge improvements with the pain going away. I hear Deca lubricates joints? I have also seen a huge diff in my knees???Might wanna ask some more before jumping into it tho...

[spud]

I too have found gear to be helpfull in recovery from injuries. In my case it's a knee with an injury that's inoperable. So my only option is PT.
The deca allows the joint to move more freely, and test obviously helps build strength. That was important to me because the only exercises I could do were isometric. The gear essentially allowed me to get more out of PT and thus get to a point where I could start using hamstring curl machines, for example.

You don't say if there has been an MRI on your shoulder. I'd push for that to see what's going on. If you have a complete tear, obviously surgery is the only option.

good luck!

[Jack87]

Yes with a complete tear surgery is the only option if you ever want to
be able to try to reach really any goals in the gym... I was lucky in that
I only torn about 50% of mine and it was only 1 of the 4 muscles that
make up your rotator cuff... and that was bad enuf to deal with, hate
to have to deal with a complete tear... A MRI is a must... A X-Ray will
sometimes show the tear, but a MRI gives more detail about the tear...

You don't say if there has been an MRI on your shoulder. I'd push for that to see what's going on. If you have a complete tear, obviously surgery is the only option.

good luck!

[jc3]

I'm glad to be reading all of this. I am going to be going on a test e and deca in the fall. I have multiple injuries from repetitive motion and football. Torn superspinata (sp) tendon 50% 3 sepreate times (2 times in one and 1 time in other). Bad knees from football. I have been through all the therapy, and they would like to cut. I think I will run a cycle and see first. I already decided against cortisone as that just blocks pain. My injuries are mostly healed, but nag still...

Good post....JC

[kman]

One thing you guys should be careful about is going to heavy to fast. The deca will lube you up pretty good, so you will feel great and think you can go heavy, that is a big mistake IMO.. Start slow and build up from there..

[pcbboy]

Well no MRI was done on me, but the pain is going away and is almost non-existent during exercise, just the military presses are what kill me. I might be lucky and just have a very small tear. My arm has been resting for the past 3 months. I am running Dbol right now and I feel great. I started at 210lbs and have dropped to 198 as of this morning since last wednesday. But then again i have completely shocked my body too. Going from bad diet and no weight lifting (just running) to, suggested diet from these forums to completely destroying my muscles in the gym and adding more than 3 times a week cardio to 5 times a week. Just overnight 4lbs of that 12lbs mentioned above was lost overnight. Also been taking in about 200grams of protein, and at least a gallon of water per day. About the only problems i am having now is mild back pumps and my shins are experiencing bad pumps when i run. To the point i can't sustain a run for my 2 miles/day target, have to stop and walk quite a bit. I've added Milk thistle to my diet as well as Flax seed oil, Ultra water, glucosamine/chondroitin (for joints) and a multiple vitamin. Also take 3 protein shakes a day and cell-tech after workouts with some glutamine. So far everything is going good. Just no military presses.

[phwSSJ]

DO rotator cuff exercises for warmup every time you do upper body!

ANd lay off the millitary, if it hurts then dont do it.
Listen to you body.

and one more thing....dont try to lift heavy just cuz you feel good. You got to ease back into it or else you will hurt yourself worse than the first time!