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Rotator Cuff Surgery
- Thread starter Jimmyb001
- Start date
I was consideing rotator cuff surgery.
Blew out my right cuff throwing balls hard without warming up.
Hurt for years, and then got a job as a mason assistant, and lugging bricks and sacks of cement, and hauling 5 gallon buckets of mud up scaffolds for 6 years just aggrivated my shoulder as to be almost useless.
My boss's wife recommend I try her acupuncturist. I was hesitant because I'm not a woo-woo guy, but as long as my Blue Cross accepted him; why not? Went to him for about 8 months starting once a week along with looking up some gentle stretching exercises I found on the interwebs - some involving a 3' wood dowel in both hands and very light 5 lb weights like people jog with. After a couple of months flexibility increased and pain started subsiding. I was very faithful in doing (NOT over-doing!!) these exercises twice a day, and as my cuff improved, the acupuncturist started seeing me less and less = every other week, every three weeks, the last months once a month 'til it healed. The acupuncture guy was really impressed and felt that my committed rehab regimen contributed to a very fast healing.
I haven't had any issues in almost 15 years. Surgery is pretty drastic, but before having acupuncture recommended I thought it was the only way. Anyway, something you may want to consider.
I got lucky = I found a good, honest guy. If you do entertain this recommendation do research and get recommendations from people you trust. Best of luck to you. I know your pain and it's no fun! 𝄢
Blew out my right cuff throwing balls hard without warming up.
Hurt for years, and then got a job as a mason assistant, and lugging bricks and sacks of cement, and hauling 5 gallon buckets of mud up scaffolds for 6 years just aggrivated my shoulder as to be almost useless.
My boss's wife recommend I try her acupuncturist. I was hesitant because I'm not a woo-woo guy, but as long as my Blue Cross accepted him; why not? Went to him for about 8 months starting once a week along with looking up some gentle stretching exercises I found on the interwebs - some involving a 3' wood dowel in both hands and very light 5 lb weights like people jog with. After a couple of months flexibility increased and pain started subsiding. I was very faithful in doing (NOT over-doing!!) these exercises twice a day, and as my cuff improved, the acupuncturist started seeing me less and less = every other week, every three weeks, the last months once a month 'til it healed. The acupuncture guy was really impressed and felt that my committed rehab regimen contributed to a very fast healing.
I haven't had any issues in almost 15 years. Surgery is pretty drastic, but before having acupuncture recommended I thought it was the only way. Anyway, something you may want to consider.
I got lucky = I found a good, honest guy. If you do entertain this recommendation do research and get recommendations from people you trust. Best of luck to you. I know your pain and it's no fun! 𝄢
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Thanks so much for the response. I will definitely look into acupuncture. I had a surgical consult with my MRI results and I do have 2 tears. The Dr recommended surgery before they tear gets any larger. Well see. Time to do some homework,I was consideing rotator cuff surgery.
Blew out my right cuff throwing balls hard without warming up.
Hurt for years, and then got a job as a mason assistant, and lugging bricks and sacks of cement, and hauling 5 gallon buckets of mud up scaffolds for 6 years just aggrivated my shoulder as to be almost useless.
My boss's wife recommend I try her acupuncturist. I was hesitant because I'm not a woo-woo guy, but as long as my Blue Cross accepted him; why not? Went to him for about 8 months starting once a week along with looking up some gentle stretching exercises I found on the interwebs - some involving a 3' wood dowel in both hands and very light 5 lb weights like people jog with. After a couple of months flexibility increased and pain started subsiding. I was very faithful in doing (NOT over-doing!!) these exercises twice a day, and as my cuff improved, the acupuncturist started seeing me less and less = every other week, every three weeks, the last months once a month 'til it healed. The acupuncture guy was really impressed and felt that my committed rehab regimen contributed to a very fast healing.
I haven't had any issues in almost 15 years. Surgery is pretty drastic, but before having acupuncture recommended I thought it was the only way. Anyway, something you may want to consider.
I got lucky = I found a good, honest guy. If you do entertain this recommendation do research and get recommendations from people you trust. Best of luck to you. I know your pain and it's no fun! 𝄢
Jim
I had rotator cuff surgery on a nearly complete tear, back in 2010.
If it's your fretting hand arm, it's gonna be a while.
I wasn't playing bass back then, but I was at least a month in a sling with nothing but pendulum swings allowed, then remained probably another 2-4 weeks in the sling with light PT, then at about three months I was out of the sling and doing PT.
It was at least a year before I was ready to do a pushup - and up til surgery I could crank out 50-100.
Gigging?
Man, you're gonna need to talk to your doctor about specifics and prepare to be real patient.
Good luck holmes, no lie, the recovery sucks. I've rehabbed from three knee surgeries, and that process is way easier. Way way easier.
Sorry for sounding so negative, but that was my experience. I'm sure you can come up with a good long term plan if you have good doctors and therapists!
If it's your fretting hand arm, it's gonna be a while.
I wasn't playing bass back then, but I was at least a month in a sling with nothing but pendulum swings allowed, then remained probably another 2-4 weeks in the sling with light PT, then at about three months I was out of the sling and doing PT.
It was at least a year before I was ready to do a pushup - and up til surgery I could crank out 50-100.
Gigging?
Man, you're gonna need to talk to your doctor about specifics and prepare to be real patient.
Good luck holmes, no lie, the recovery sucks. I've rehabbed from three knee surgeries, and that process is way easier. Way way easier.
Sorry for sounding so negative, but that was my experience. I'm sure you can come up with a good long term plan if you have good doctors and therapists!
UGH! With what I need done, I was told by my Dr. that I'd be in a sling for about a month. PT starting in week 2. What you describe is terrible compared to what I was told. I have to talk with my Dr. again. LOL Sorry you went through that.
Yeah man maybe the methods have improved. Definitely ask specific questions and double check!
What kind of PT at week 2 exactly?
How long before you can say, open a jar?
Ask that kind of thing too.
Methods would be my guess. Both my dad and I had surgeries in Thailand that were redone in the states shortly after. Just comparing the scar size is crazy. The original one is about 6in long and I can't feel or find the other one but it's about 0.5in. Dad's was a shoulder, not mine, so no specific advice there. Sorry.
With PT, as mentioned above, if you go in with very specific goals and questions (and have a good PT place), they will track that and get you there or close. My only piece of advice when scheduling PT: They can schedule out pretty far and get booked more quickly than most medical stuff, so they may try to get you in with difference therapists. Stay with one person as much as possible. First appt is often just an evaluation and not necessarily who you will see, but it depends on the provider and sometimes location.
I got the best results when I mentioned bass and how it hangs on your shoulder with a strap etc. That is obvious to you. It may not be obvious to PT. Be specific. Be your best, loudest advocate (within reason). And get better.
One's age also has a bit to do with recovery but attitude, is everything to fully recovering. Some also are blessed with genetics that seem to ease on through. It's been 7 months since I was run over and a negligent driver wrecked my R ACL. I'm in PT heavy as being in my mid-60's, recovery is everything going forward. There's permanent damage compounded by wear & tear of age. No one needs additional injuries.
Find a block of time & commit to it or, seek an alternative knowing you'll have limitations in overall use.
Find a block of time & commit to it or, seek an alternative knowing you'll have limitations in overall use.
Had the surgery in 2017. Two complete tears and a partial, I think. Back to work (industrial mechanic) in about 3 months on a limited basis. The hired a guy to do the physical stuff while I told him what to do. I think it about 9 months or so before they released me with 25% disability. Did a ton of physical therapy. Never came back all the way, but I could function. 
I am recovering from right shoulder surgery right now. Surgery was back in mid Nov 2024, I am still recovering and it will be several months before I am fully recovered. It is the most complicated joint in the body and is the most painful surgery. I was able to play bass about three months after surgery as I am right handed and only played for 1/2 hour at a time. Whether or not the surgery was worth it or not is still up in the air. I had to have it done not only to repair a torn rotator cuff but also to remove a large bone spur and a large calcium buildup in the joint. If you can live with the limited motion due to torn rotator cuff then put the surgery off until absolutely necessary. Good luck.
Don't mean to be the poo poo man here but, I had it done. I will be perfectly honest. After surgery, recovery hurts like hell, and so does PT. Your profile doesn't say where you live. If you are going to have it done and you live in snow / ice states, have it done when there isn't any snow or ice. My greatest fear was falling! I have a high tolerance to pain. It's not just get up n go afterwards! I believe I was in the wonderful sling full time for 3 weeks. Do your PT and take your meds! Someone else said this before me. I have also had 3 right knee surgeries. (Sports) Compared to my shoulder, they were a breeze!
My band had to get a sub bass player for 3+ months. The first time I played back after the surgery, I almost wished I wouldn't have done it. It set me back almost a week. I got in a big rush to play, WRONG!
My band had to get a sub bass player for 3+ months. The first time I played back after the surgery, I almost wished I wouldn't have done it. It set me back almost a week. I got in a big rush to play, WRONG!
You might ask your Doctor if there are any conservative treatments (injections, etc) to try first. I had issues with my left shoulder a year back. MRI showed partial tear, spur, and something else that sounded bad. My Doctor said nothing about the MRI would have him rush to surgery. He did an injection which brought relief a few days later. Some pain returned in 4 months so I had a 2nd injection. I would say the 2nd was not as immediately effective as the first. However, a year later I am doing much better. Not 100% and I get the occasional pain reminder. But I can deal with it.
Not the full blown rotator cuff, but had some damage and "debrading" of torn up stuff in my right shoulder repaired. It took about 8 weeks to (mostly) heal, some rehab. Its definitely better, but playing for more than about 45 minutes becomes painful. I think a lot of it is that I tend to accumulate tension in my picking (right) hand and arm as I play, something I've always struggled with. It's a bummer, unless I can overcome it somehow, it may just be a chronic sort of low-grade aggravation I will have to live with permanently. I'm 63, and some things just don't get better physically as we age, so you have to accomodate limitations.
Best outcomes involve committed PT and stretching for recovery and the same when not recovering as prevention. I've had adhesive capsulitits related to Dupuytren's in both shoulders about a dozen times since I was 30, originally figuring torn rotator cuffs before the ACA made healthcare more accessible and doctors became involved. No fixes for me due to the genetic component, but a lot of time spent with folks recovering from surgery on joints. Not the same as a tear, but plenty painful and sometimes bass restrictive at the very least, immobilized for months at the worst. Don't shortcut things and be patient and persistent. The worst outcomes were the folks who did the least and looked only for pain mitigation. Pain is part of the process.
One problem I'm having is lack of immediate feedback. I've been going to the gym 2-3 times a week and Yoga weekly, trying to gradually improve strength and flexibility in my right shoulder using very light weights. The only way I know I've overdone it is pain when I try to sleep later. I still can't comfortably sleep on my right side around 6 month after surgery. I think the stretching part of Yoga helps, but there are certain movements I just can't do, and they announce themselves loudly in a way I don't seem to get at the gym.
Had the surgery. Biggest hurdle was the nerve block. It was some time before i could feel a feather on the back of my hand. Your fingers go numb. All surgeries are different. My surgeon blocked a major nerve . Affecting the entire arm, fingers etc. Fretting arm. I was playing in a sling in two months, just in my living room. Not recommended. At least three months before i could drive because of the shoulder restraint. By six months, you’re probably able to gig. After a year, youre close to where you were but you 100% need PT. You will never be what you were prior to the surgery. Its been nearly five years since my surgery and my shoulder still occasionally pops out of joint. In terms of what the surgery does to your playing, id say it has a negligible long term impact… TLDR; six months to a year - leaning towards a year before you should be playing out, IMO. I’ve broken 23 bones, had numerous surgeries, rotator cuff was by far the worst.
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I'm no doctor, but if a doctor thinks you need rotator cuff surgery i'd put more weight in that than how long you won't be able to play bass for. Getting it means being out of the game for a little bit. Not getting it could mean a lifetime of pain and potentially not being able to play bass ever again. (I'm aware it's not always as black & white as that. It's still your decision to make in the end.)
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I just strained/had some minor tearing on my rotator cuff from overuse doing a certain move at the climbing gym repeatedly. No surgery needed. Lots of pain. It's been about 9 weeks since the injury. 6 weeks since i started PT. I just started climbing again yesterday, very lightly. My rotator cuff is mostly healed and i'm still in a lot of pain from all the other muscles around it being completely knotted up from compensating.
I've been able to play bass the whole time; no problem; no pain specifically from playing; played with the OK from my Physical Therapist so long as it didn't hurt. That said, the rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles/tendons. I don't know if any of those individual muscles/tendons are more sensitive to bass-playing positions than others. I might have gotten lucky and just injured ones that don't seem bothered by it.
But this was just a rotator cuff injury, not full-on injury + surgery. If you need surgery i can only imagine how much more pain you're in than me. This $#*@ sucked. Sympathies and i hope whatever your course of action it heals up nicely.
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I just strained/had some minor tearing on my rotator cuff from overuse doing a certain move at the climbing gym repeatedly. No surgery needed. Lots of pain. It's been about 9 weeks since the injury. 6 weeks since i started PT. I just started climbing again yesterday, very lightly. My rotator cuff is mostly healed and i'm still in a lot of pain from all the other muscles around it being completely knotted up from compensating.
I've been able to play bass the whole time; no problem; no pain specifically from playing; played with the OK from my Physical Therapist so long as it didn't hurt. That said, the rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles/tendons. I don't know if any of those individual muscles/tendons are more sensitive to bass-playing positions than others. I might have gotten lucky and just injured ones that don't seem bothered by it.
But this was just a rotator cuff injury, not full-on injury + surgery. If you need surgery i can only imagine how much more pain you're in than me. This $#*@ sucked. Sympathies and i hope whatever your course of action it heals up nicely.
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The reason the rehab hurts so d@mn much is that to heal, it has to be immobile, and when it's immobile, it becomes stiff, and you lose range of motion.
My experience was that every millimeter of range of motion I recovered after a month of immobility (bar pendulum swings) was purchased with pain.
Basically, your joint becomes a stuck hinge, and one part of PT is loosening it back up, which hurts. No two ways about it.
My experience was that every millimeter of range of motion I recovered after a month of immobility (bar pendulum swings) was purchased with pain.
Basically, your joint becomes a stuck hinge, and one part of PT is loosening it back up, which hurts. No two ways about it.
I've had partial rotator cuff tears in both shoulders repaired. It really depends on how bad the damage is in terms of whether surgery is needed but discuss it with your orthopedic surgeon. Both surgeries were done laparoscopically, which left me with three small scars (about 1/2") on each shoulder. Recovery took about three months total including PT, which I attended diligently and did all required home exercises. After six weeks I could play bass and guitar no problem.
This is why I elected to NOT get the nerve block for both surgeries. The risks of permanent nerve damage made me leery. I can deal with pain. And regarding pain meds: get off of them ASAP after surgery. I split the pills in half and only took them for a few days, then moved to Ibuprofen and Tylenol.
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Not rotator cuff, but multiple hand/wrist surgeries in the last 18 months.
A bit of advice - find a PT who will take the time to understand that bass is important to you, and will tailor your recovery to that end.
First procedure I had a PT whose focus was restoration of important life skills. Guess what bass and guitar are not? Yeah. Second and third procedure I had a PT who was recommended by a professional orchestral cellist. It made all the difference. From day one she was into angles of arm and hand, functional grip strength and stability while in playing position, etc.
Good luck!
A bit of advice - find a PT who will take the time to understand that bass is important to you, and will tailor your recovery to that end.
First procedure I had a PT whose focus was restoration of important life skills. Guess what bass and guitar are not? Yeah. Second and third procedure I had a PT who was recommended by a professional orchestral cellist. It made all the difference. From day one she was into angles of arm and hand, functional grip strength and stability while in playing position, etc.
Good luck!
