LambJ

USA
1 Posts
 
Posted - 04/05/2006 :  13:08:09  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I fell on my R shoulder a few months ago and have been having pain and difficulty moving it ever since. I had a MRI taken recently and it displayed a partial tear of the rotator cuff. I think the doctor said the supraspinatus muscle was torn. The doctor wants me to get physical therapy. I rather just get the surgery to reapir it and get it over with. Is therapy going to help or am I just prolonging the inevitable?
Joe

HBlock

3 Posts
 
Posted - 04/06/2006 :  23:29:58  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Joe,
It is possible to not have to undergo surgery and to live a fully functional life with a rotator cuff tear. What happens is you heal and develop scar tissue over the tear. When you heal you don't heal like when you cut yourself. Instead tissue forms around the site of injury, kind of like a bandaid. Therefore, it is really easy to tear this bandaid. However, if you tear the tendon or rupture the tendon the chances are very high that you will need surgery. If you are young and fairly active it may be a good idea to undergo the surgery given your functional demands. Nevertheless, P.T. is beneficial either way beacuse it will help you get stronger and help ease your recovery process as you would already have prepared yourself physically and mentally.

D.R.

USA
6 Posts
 
Posted - 10/23/2006 :  14:00:06  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Rotator cuff surgery is almost never as easy and "case closed", referring to your comment about 'getting it over with', as it may sound and implied by the concept of'getting it fixed'.. The important point that you could learn from a PT, is an understanding of the very complex mechanics of shoulder function that you have an influence on, by the movement patterns and choices for movement that you make; it is very important following surgery, that you do not participate in movement patterns that are known problems for the rotator cuff musculature and related connective tissues and tendons, and to use movement patterns that facilitate most efficient and eeffective use of the rotatory mechanism of the shoulder.