I would like to know if anyone out there has had this happen to them with their shoulder injury?
I fell Aug.10, 2007 and broke my joint ball socket in 3 places , tore very big 2 Ratoter Cuffs and my Bicept muscle was just about tore off. I have had 2 surgeries one was open cut and the other was the M. U. A. it was done just on Feb. 18th. to tear all the scar tissue out. I have still been unable to raise my arm up high!! Can only now touch my forehead. Can not raise it out up or to the side up. Now I went to the Doctor this past Monday and he thinks that my shoulder muscles are so Weak this is why I can not move my arm up? BUT ..... on the other side of this I could have nerve Damage???? He is giving me 2 months to see how I do with my Physical Therapy ( witch I have been doing since Oct.07) . I what to know if anyone has had this happen to them with the same kind of th injury I had???? Or close to my injury? If I do not inprove I do have nerve Damage.! I sustained damage to my radial nerve after slipping on ice and falling on my left elbow.
You know you have nerve damage when you have a "zapping" or burning pain that neither Advil or Tylenol or Alleve will take away. It's distinctive.
The pain will keep you from full mobility, not a pronounced weakness. That's your injured muscles/ligaments/tendons.
Good luck with your therapy! I hope you have had site specific MRIs and nuclear studies. The MRI will show areas that are suspect for nerve damage. The nuclear study would possibly show damage to bone and some soft tissue inflammation that could affect nerves.
The break sounds typical. You usually have a fracture inside the ball and socket and one where the bone narrows and curves to create the ball end of the bone.
I fell off a skateboard about a year ago. I had an evulsive fracture of the radius and ulna, and significant damage to the ACL. I have some minor ulna nerve damage that affects my right hand.
Stick with the therapy. Keep up the anti-inflamitories if prescribed. Start working on building muscle around what is damaged. Let the therapist push you to work harder to keep the tissue from atrophying. I just had my Rotator Cuff, Bicep, Labium, and the bone filed in the right shoulder done January 3, 2008. I'm also going to Physical Therapy (which I've been going to since March of last year to keep the movement) according to my Therapist I'm right on track. I can't put it behind my back/head, pull up jeans, raise over head, out to the side, or a lot of things I use to do with my r/arm.
The weight training don't start for a few wks to get the strength back in my arm. But I'm following the tracks the Doctor gave to the therapist and little by little my arm is improving. I still have a while to go but it's getting better. I still have pain at night or when I do to much movement, walk to long or anything that requires the arm to move or swing as in walking. Don't know if this helped but my arm is healing, it seems a little slow but it is coming along. But I think by continuing with the P. T. this is what helped with the healing process. Didn't have to start at the bottom with no movement, my arm never had a chance to lock up on me.
I even had two Cranial Epidurals to relieve some of the pain before the surgery as well as a MRI. This kind of injury is no joke and in order to heal you must do what the doctor says. Try not to rush the healing process. I've heard it can take up to 2yrs to heal properly. God speed in your healing. :) Hi Cindy- I'm so sorry to hear that you aren't progressing at the speed you want to, but, remember, you just had a very invasive surgery. February 18th more than likely seems like a year ago at this point, but, you are still in the fairly new post-operative phase of your MUA.
Although I have an injury that is 20 years old, in my shoulder, I still have pain every time I take a breath. This is due to adhesions on my 1st rib, due to a violent fall. My range of motion is good, but, I didn't sustain the severe injuries you had, either. I continue to go to a Pain Clinic, and am currently going to a Chiropractor, along with deep massage therapy, to try to get through to the adhesions from the injury I sustained. Next, I will be going to Physical Therapy. Anti-inflammatorys are a part of my daily life, also.
Ask your Physician about Nerve Study Tests, MRIs, and CT Scans. These will indicate what you fear most. I do live with nerve damage, and it is manageable. Again, your surgical procedure is new, and was extremely invasive to your body.
At this time, I would suggest you follow the Dr.'s orders, and work hard on the Physical Therapy. It is difficult, I realize, and I'm not going to pretend that I know how much pain and fear you must be in.
Give this time. The 2 months sounds like a fair amount of time to try to recuperate and regain the strength you are looking for. Have you tried taking some wax paper, placing it on a smooth table, and making circular motions with it? Ask the Therapists if this would be a good "At Home" exercise. Working with Stroke Patients for over 28 years, their shoulders are effected, and my Mother-in-law was a victim of a Stroke. She was very determined, did this exercise, and this really helped her.
Ask yourself these questions, also:
Is your range of motion improving since the surgery?
(Remember, the Dr said your shoulder muscles are still very weak, and this is why you can't move your arm up)
Do you feel the surgery was a success? Did the Surgeon tell you about the prognosis following this procedure?
Are you seeing the Surgeon or your Family Practice Physician for your follow-up visits? If you aren't seeing the Surgeon, PLEASE MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH HIM/HER!
Keep remembering that this is a fairly new post-op surgery, one which was extremely invasive. Also remember that the Physical Therapy you are taking now is BRAND NEW- wipe the slate on the other PT Sessions taken since October. I would highly recommend that you think of this of "all new" Therapy, and this will give you the mindset, I PRAY, to make your PT Sessions seem NEW to you.
Cindy, I'm praying for you! It sounds like you are getting great post-op care, and working the hardest you can. 60 more days, 2 months, however you want to look at this, will hopefully give you the willpower to keep on keeping on. You are a good Christian Woman, and GOD is looking out for you. My Prayers continue for you, and please keep me posted on your progress, progress I believe will happen, in time. There is still a lot of swelling, I'm sure, in the area your Surgery was performed. It takes time for this to go away.
Again, I have nerve damage, and always will. It isn't fun, but, with belief in yourself, and hard work, you do learn to live with this. Have faith in yourself. GOD DOES HAVE FAITH IN YOU!
Take care and good luck! Sorry about the novel. Guess I'm trying to give you a pep talk, my friend. See what happens in the next 2 months. Therapy is a remarkable tool for the healing process following a Surgery like you just had.
PRAYERS GO OUT TO YOU!
PS- The answers above are very good. They've lived through horrible injuries, like yourself! |
