had rotator cuff / subacromial decompression surgery two weeks ago. have any of you guys had this surgery and how long did it take to get back in the saddle? planning on caging it to Sturgis but sure would like to do some more riding this season.
rotator cuff
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Rake I have had it twice. Took me almost 8 weeks before I rode. Even then it was short distance. Recovery the second time hurt like hell too. Don't over do it.
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I had it done 4 yrs ago. I am in shape,athletic whitewater kayaker so my upper body very strong. After surgery I was at Physical Theropy working out with 2# weights! At the time I had a dyna and didn't feel confident enough that if bike was going over I could upright it without hurting myself for 5 months. Took about 10 months before I was bench pressing 225# the weight before the tear.
Don't rush it and hurt yourself again or worse. The road will be there when you heal.
Don't rush it and hurt yourself again or worse. The road will be there when you heal.
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Had mine done Feb. 26th and still not back on the bike. Everyone is different, everyone's tear or tears is different and everyone heals different. I had 3 out of 4 completely torn. Some if not most people start physical therapy the next week, I didn't even start physical therapy for 8 weeks due to the severity of the tears. Although they say I'm 30% ahead of where I should be strength wise, strength is what takes so long to come back. I've followed what they've told me to do to the t and still am having a good amount of soreness. A friend of mine had his done a month before me and he's still not back on his Trike, of course riding a Trike takes a lot more shoulder then a regular bike.
Like I said though everyone is different. In two months you may be back on the bike. I know a guy that had his completely replaced and was back riding again in 2 months. Be careful and do what they tell you though, they say most people that re-tear theirs do it between the 3rd and 5th months. They get feeling good and over do it.
I feel what you're saying about riding. I ride about 20-25k miles a year and am jonesing real bad for a ride. I caged it to SW V in Texas and had a great time but it was killin' me not being able to ride!
Like I said though everyone is different. In two months you may be back on the bike. I know a guy that had his completely replaced and was back riding again in 2 months. Be careful and do what they tell you though, they say most people that re-tear theirs do it between the 3rd and 5th months. They get feeling good and over do it.
I feel what you're saying about riding. I ride about 20-25k miles a year and am jonesing real bad for a ride. I caged it to SW V in Texas and had a great time but it was killin' me not being able to ride!
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Hang in there!
Literally, go to a box store and buy a small pulley and some rope. Also buy a short piece of PVC pipe. From this make yourself the same setup that the PT folks make you use the first couple of weeks. You use the pulley system to use your "good" arm to pull your "worked on" arm up without using the muscles in the fixed arm. You can cut the rope long enough to have both arms straight out. Drill a thru hole in the PVC (cut big enough for your hand) and thread the rope thru it. I just tied another piece of the rope thru the pulley eye and stuck it over a door and shut the door. Of course you don't want to attempt this until you start PT and they tell you it is okay to do it at home. I did this as much as possible and it really helped to keep my healing arm loose.
Good luck with PT and as others said-don't push but don't not push a little!
Can't really remember how long it took to get better and didn't have an MC at that point either. Sorry. Doctors are usually pretty close on how long it should take though.
Literally, go to a box store and buy a small pulley and some rope. Also buy a short piece of PVC pipe. From this make yourself the same setup that the PT folks make you use the first couple of weeks. You use the pulley system to use your "good" arm to pull your "worked on" arm up without using the muscles in the fixed arm. You can cut the rope long enough to have both arms straight out. Drill a thru hole in the PVC (cut big enough for your hand) and thread the rope thru it. I just tied another piece of the rope thru the pulley eye and stuck it over a door and shut the door. Of course you don't want to attempt this until you start PT and they tell you it is okay to do it at home. I did this as much as possible and it really helped to keep my healing arm loose.
Good luck with PT and as others said-don't push but don't not push a little!
Can't really remember how long it took to get better and didn't have an MC at that point either. Sorry. Doctors are usually pretty close on how long it should take though.
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The best advice is to stick with the PT exercises religiously and to not overdo things. Better to get back on the bike a little later than to get back on too soon, push yourself past what your shoulder can handle, and end up back in surgery with the bike parked even longer.
I've had two surgeries on my left shoulder for a completely torn labrum ligament and then a manipulation under anesthesia with a scope for a frozen shoulder. I was out for eight months and in physical therapy the entire time.
My right shoulder is next on the to-do list, but hopefully it will not be as bad since it is only a rotator cuff tear and partially torn biceps tendon. Not looking forward to it, but I am looking forward to having it fixed. I have had a long list of orthopedic surgeries and, in my experience, the shoulder surgery and rehab were the worst. It is my understanding that 6-8 weeks is the time I will be looking at off the bike with the next shoulder fix. Significantly better than the eight months I dealt with on the left shoulder fix.
I've had two surgeries on my left shoulder for a completely torn labrum ligament and then a manipulation under anesthesia with a scope for a frozen shoulder. I was out for eight months and in physical therapy the entire time.
My right shoulder is next on the to-do list, but hopefully it will not be as bad since it is only a rotator cuff tear and partially torn biceps tendon. Not looking forward to it, but I am looking forward to having it fixed. I have had a long list of orthopedic surgeries and, in my experience, the shoulder surgery and rehab were the worst. It is my understanding that 6-8 weeks is the time I will be looking at off the bike with the next shoulder fix. Significantly better than the eight months I dealt with on the left shoulder fix.
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