info about rotator cuff injury..good/better news!

Passing on info about rotator cuff injury. (this is a follow-up from previous) http://obesityhelp.com/forums/men/a,messageboard/action,repl ies/board_id,5479/cat_id,5079/topic_id,3286917/ Cut to the chase info? I’m not having surgery this summer. YaHoo! AND, I may also avoid it all together even in the future…. Had big, long visit with my Orthopedic Doc today. (Ernie, my bud!) All this time I / we’ve been approaching it as a typical ‘torn rotator cuff’ injury, - But my doc has given my MRI’s and case a good deal of thought and inspection prior to my visit today. Rather than the typical ‘tearing,’ -my injury wasn’t caused by internal stress / use, but rather an actually injury from the outside. (I had a fall around 3 years back when I was re-learning how to balance with my new abdominal muscles. I hit it on the newel-post at the bottom of the stairs and nearly had to have stitches. Big contusion and eventual scar on the shoulder, inside and out) He compared the imaging done on my shoulder recently with imaging done back in ’05.  The tear is such that he believes we (meaning I) might be best served to try to heal it without surgery. Apparently the scar tissue formed in such a way as to pressure the nerves whenever there is the least amount of inflammation. He’s prescribed a few months of Physical Therapy (which we tried about 15 months ago) but this time -with some high-tech aids. A combination of Ultrasound and Pulsed Signal Therapy/ Electro-Diathermy. It’s intended as a non-invasive way to break up dense scar/collagen fibers of the scar tissue and stimulate the growth of softer connective muscle tissue. Sounds like a lot of massage and gadgetry to get more oxygen into the scarred area and free up pressure on the nerve endings there. In the meantime, I’ve been given Ultram for pain flare-ups, and Lidocaine patches as well. It usually only hurts about 1 week out of every 4 or 5 and I can use the pain-aids when needed and none when it feels ok. Since my injury wasn’t from stressful use, and I’m not the most "Shoulder-Active" guy anyway, as long as I just do the exercises with the Physical Therapy folks and let it rest otherwise, he believes this may be "The Fix!" I have one of the Lidocaine patches on now--- Like the touch of Jesus!!! (poetic-metaphor, not preaching!) Zero Pain, and no loopy head like from Lortab or OxyCo or Demerol or any of the other Narcs I’ve enjoyed over the past few years. Pain relief right to the pain without shutting down the rest of the system!!! I recommend these Lidocaine patches for anyone needing spot relief from pain. Extra-Strength Ben-Gay is about as effective as bad cologne in comparison. So, I started the week looking at summer surgery and risky NSAID use till then, And have ended up feeling great and headed into a new non-invasive course of action. As my doc said, "If it doesn’t work? There’s still the surgical option, but if we don’t have to cut into you, then we won’t." Gotta love a "cutter" who’s long enough in the business to have his summer homes paid off and not pushing surgery as THE Option, just An Eventual Option. It pays to be friends with your Med-Care Providers. I’ll have to take Ernie out for diner! Get to know your docs, Ask for Lidocaine patches when needed! All I’ve got…. I’ll let you know about the shocking/vibrating therapy in a few months…. Best Wishes- Dx

Great news there DxE.   I hope it works as planned.  Always better than cutting cut, espcially if there is a plan and some logic that makes sense to you and the Doctor.  Somes like you got a home run.   Now I gitta ask the 64 million dollar question,...just because of the way I think,....You sure don't just have some electrode envy for Dan in KoKoMo or CB Fred in CA???? Good news though.  Thanks for posing your results from the doctor.

Yeah Joe, These patches are the miracle cure for people who have shingles. (skin deep pain) But, after about an hour of wearing them, the effect turns down the surrounding deeper muscle sensations so that all of the rest of the stuff isn’t "tensing’ against the original pain source. That brings it down to where a few Tylenol can knock it on out…. I love Clever Doctors! Like a chef who’ll use a Makita Screw-gun to hold his egg whisk to beat egg-whites…. Hey, what works? Works!!! So what if it’s intended elsewhere. It’s the "Ultrasound coupled with the Pulsed Signal Therapy & Electro-Diathermy," that has my interest peaked! It sounded like he was planning on shrinking a crew of astronauts and injecting them into my blood stream for a Fantastic Voyage! I’ll have an opinion about the Ultrasound while being shocked (magnetic fielded?) and heated, electrically, from the inside, ….in about a month! Plus now my INS will partially cover a weekly massage! Best Wishes- Dx

Vibrating therapy huh Dx????    Is it AA, AAA or Sears Diehard powered?  Great news for you...I bet it's a relief to know that the knife will be left in the drawer. Best wishes! CF

CF, As long as it’s not shaped like one of those "Marital-Device-Protein-Shooters" I’m fine with it!! I’m just glad my Doc is willing to throw 4 different things at it in hopes that one sticks! Surgery may still be out there in the future, but for now, relief and a suspended sentence. Best Wishes- Dx

Glad to hear you have options. From the sounds of it good ones too.  I had a rotator cuff tear about 2 years back.  Extremely painfull.! The only relief I got was from gallon size bags of ice. I even slept with the ice until it would melt and the pain returned. Went thru PT for about 6 weeks with some initial sucess bet then relapsed back to an even worse condition.Another month for an MRI and another month after that to see the ortho. Well between my obvious tear and the repititous nature of my job, I was not offered many options. I did some research among coworkers and found that they were split 50/50 between surgery and letting it heal on its own. I opted for the latter. By the time the surgery would have been scheduled and including the 6 month recovery  was looking at 11 months total. Most coworkers reported significant recovery in about 12 months.  For me it took a total of 15 months to be back to normal. The unfortunate part is that rotator cuff problems can be caused by age and use both. I have more trouble now with the shoulder that was not torn. Sometimes you just can't win. Best of luck. Tony J.  aka peppermrj

Tony, Thanks for sharing the story. Makes me all the happier with my predicament! I’ve been "icing it" for about a year and a half…. The best thing about that is when you get to take the ice OFF! I only have ‘Mouse-Pushing’ to do… Not very taxing on the shoulder. Hope yours has calmed down…. Best Wishes- Dx

Hey Dx,

my IF device can pulse too. it's one of the pre programs. goes very deep. i've been on the lidocaine patches for a year. i wear them before every installation. 12 hours on and 12 off. they work very well for me. just don't forget to take them off. because of the position i wear it, gail has to put it on before she leaves for work. i just can't reach it! even with insurance a month supply costs me $90. expensive but worth it. hope all this helps. with all the lifting i do i learned to get smart about my shoulder. i do all kinds of rotation warm ups and light lifting before a shoulder routine. i also gave up military presses behind the neck or anything that will stress the rotor cuff. later.......carbonblob

Awesome Dx, that's great news.

Greg