Shoulder Problems; Rehab or Surgery?

**Steel_Balls** · 06-20-2011, 09:40 PM

A few years back I suffered a neck injury which lead to some serious shoulder problems. I thought that once my injury healed my shoulder would get better with some rehab, well that didn't happen. Now I've had enough of this because this injury is hold my bench back from being at par with my other lifts. Now I have 2 months until I head back to school and I'm thinking this is a perfect time to get surgery.

I've been told that my injury could be scar tissue and in that case I would get it scoped and then rehab after that at school. Would this be a good possibility?

The problems with my shoulder are a mix of things; numbness at times, lack of ROM at times, a numb pain which can escalate to a sharp pain and sometimes no feeling at all when lifting.

Any questions about my injury I can answer them.

**wmaousley** · 06-20-2011, 11:35 PM

Try the less evasive approach first!!!! REHAB

**Steel_Balls** · 06-20-2011, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by wmaousley

Try the less evasive approach first!!!! REHAB

Surgery is free for me.

**Noles12** · 06-20-2011, 11:50 PM

Originally Posted by Steel_Balls

Surgery is free for me.

He meant invasive. Its better to go without any cutting if possible

Rehab is a better option if there is no real ligament or tendon damage causing the pain. I personally have dealt with a partially torn labrum and rotator cuff for a few years. At first i was very weak. I went through rehab and strengthened the surrounding muscles. Now i still get the occasional pain when lifting but i have much more stability in it.

**Steel_Balls** · 06-21-2011, 12:41 AM

Originally Posted by Noles12

He meant invasive. Its better to go without any cutting if possible

Rehab is a better option if there is no real ligament or tendon damage causing the pain. I personally have dealt with a partially torn labrum and rotator cuff for a few years. At first i was very weak. I went through rehab and strengthened the surrounding muscles. Now i still get the occasional pain when lifting but i have much more stability in it.

Surgery was and still is my last resort but after all of these years and it's still not getting better I'm thinking about it.

I'll be going to my doctor soon to get a referral to a specialist and get it checked out, in the mean time I'll be doing rehab unless things change.

How long did your rehab last before you were almost back to normal?

**lovbyts** · 06-21-2011, 02:16 AM

Sounds all to familiar. I hurt mine falling 2x skiing several years ago. I fractured the ball and tore/stretched the tendons on my right side. I had limited use for several months, it was VERY painful at first and I had to do a lot of stretching to keep it from becoming locked.

I though it was good after about 6 months for the next couple of years until I started back into lifting then BAM it HURT. I did the cortisone shots that did almost nothing for me, maybe a little. The doctor wanted to do surgery but I didnt want to give up lifting for 6 months and take a year to get back to where I was at. What I didnt do was enough stretching. After starting to do this regularly it has helped me get back to 95% or more most of the time. The only time I have problems like recently is when I probably didnt warm up good enough.

Try these for a couple of weeks before thinking about surgery and see if it helps. It's also free
I also use DMSO on my shoulders when they do get sore and it helps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNill...rom=PL&index=2

**wmaousley** · 06-21-2011, 06:31 AM

Originally Posted by Noles12

He meant invasive. Its better to go without any cutting if possible

Rehab is a better option if there is no real ligament or tendon damage causing the pain. I personally have dealt with a partially torn labrum and rotator cuff for a few years. At first i was very weak. I went through rehab and strengthened the surrounding muscles. Now i still get the occasional pain when lifting but i have much more stability in it.

T
hank you for correcting me, I knew it was one or the other. lol

**Steel_Balls** · 06-21-2011, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by lovbyts

Sounds all to familiar. I hurt mine falling 2x skiing several years ago. I fractured the ball and tore/stretched the tendons on my right side. I had limited use for several months, it was VERY painful at first and I had to do a lot of stretching to keep it from becoming locked.

I though it was good after about 6 months for the next couple of years until I started back into lifting then BAM it HURT. I did the cortisone shots that did almost nothing for me, maybe a little. The doctor wanted to do surgery but I didnt want to give up lifting for 6 months and take a year to get back to where I was at. What I didnt do was enough stretching. After starting to do this regularly it has helped me get back to 95% or more most of the time. The only time I have problems like recently is when I probably didnt warm up good enough.

Try these for a couple of weeks before thinking about surgery and see if it helps. It's also free
I also use DMSO on my shoulders when they do get sore and it helps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNill...rom=PL&index=2

I'll do that stretch before I practice with my wrist wraps instead of a band, I'll probably do them more often now.

See the way I hurt my shoulder was originally a slipped disc in my neck which lead to my right trap basically disappearing like it was a bad imbalance from my left to my right. They are finally coming back but that damaged my shoulder and no one knows why or how. I spent about a total of a week in doctors offices and hospitals doing tests and anything possible to find what it was and how to fix it.

**brad1986** · 06-21-2011, 10:01 AM

ALWAYS try rehab before surgery!!! You obviosuly have a mucsle imbalance/alignment issue... this can be corected with the right stretching and activation exersices

**Bullseye Forever** · 06-21-2011, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by Noles12

He meant invasive. Its better to go without any cutting if possible

Rehab is a better option if there is no real ligament or tendon damage causing the pain. I personally have dealt with a partially torn labrum and rotator cuff for a few years. At first i was very weak. I went through rehab and strengthened the surrounding muscles. Now i still get the occasional pain when lifting but i have much more stability in it.

I agree,i would though get an MRI to make sure all is ok,esp you rotator cuff etc....cause i had shoulder impingment surgery in jan of this year,my doctor removed 4 bone spurs and a slightly torn labrum which i didnt know was torn until he got in there,luckly it wasnt very bad,just one stitch,but recovery from the surgery was hell and still is,i done 12 weeks of PT and had to lay out of the gym for 3 months,and was released in april to start working out again and its a slow healing process,surgery would be my last option man

**Bullseye Forever** · 06-21-2011, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by Noles12

He meant invasive. Its better to go without any cutting if possible

Rehab is a better option if there is no real ligament or tendon damage causing the pain. I personally have dealt with a partially torn labrum and rotator cuff for a few years. At first i was very weak. I went through rehab and strengthened the surrounding muscles. Now i still get the occasional pain when lifting but i have much more stability in it.

I agree,i would though get an MRI to make sure all is ok,esp you rotator cuff etc....cause i had shoulder impingment surgery in jan of this year,my doctor removed 4 bone spurs and a slightly torn labrum which i didnt know was torn until he got in there,luckly it wasnt very bad,just one stitch,but recovery from the surgery was hell and still is,i done 12 weeks of PT and had to lay out of the gym for 3 months,and was released in april to start working out again and its a slow healing process,surgery would be my last option man

**Noles12** · 06-21-2011, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by Steel_Balls

Surgery was and still is my last resort but after all of these years and it's still not getting better I'm thinking about it.

I'll be going to my doctor soon to get a referral to a specialist and get it checked out, in the mean time I'll be doing rehab unless things change.

How long did your rehab last before you were almost back to normal?

It was around 8-10 weeks i think. Im not really sure as it was many years ago

**Builder15** · 06-21-2011, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by Steel_Balls

A few years back I suffered a neck injury which lead to some serious shoulder problems. I thought that once my injury healed my shoulder would get better with some rehab, well that didn't happen. Now I've had enough of this because this injury is hold my bench back from being at par with my other lifts. Now I have 2 months until I head back to school and I'm thinking this is a perfect time to get surgery.

I've been told that my injury could be scar tissue and in that case I would get it scoped and then rehab after that at school. Would this be a good possibility?

The problems with my shoulder are a mix of things; numbness at times, lack of ROM at times, a numb pain which can escalate to a sharp pain and sometimes no feeling at all when lifting.

Any questions about my injury I can answer them.

Those symptoms you describe are typically not associated with shoulder problems. Those types of symptoms are typically neurological in nature, and especially since you said that you originally had a neck injury that makes more sense. What was the original neck injury?

I would also suggest rehab prior to surgery as well. Most people will typically make good progress with a proper supervised rehab program and then you can decide if the progress is enough that you feel you don't need surgery, or if you decide you do, then at least you are going into surgery with optimal function which will make your rehab after surgery that much smoother.