Anyone else here experience frozen shoulder or rotator cuff problems? I'm scheduled for surgery but having second thoughts.

Thanks,
Glenn

Glenn my wife went thru the frozen shoulder problem after a very serious bicycle accident. It was not "Rotator Cuff." Although they did not operate in the traditional sense they did an arthroscopic procedure. At the time she only 20% movement. The memory is a little vague on the exact details, but she just mentioned that while she was under anesthesia they also put her arm/shoulder in some type of medical device that forced movement to the arm. She then had to undergo therapy for 6 months. She has total movement today, she was about 49 years old when this all happened. I remember it was painful and the day she was able to really reach and stretch to a top shelf in a closet at home it was a major victory. Would she do it again? No on the accident but for results of the procedure, yes. The procedure was done by a medical group called University Orthopedics, the group is an arm ( no pun intended) of the Brown University Medical School here in Rhode Island.

Glenn ... My wife had rotator cuff surgery about a year ago ... like any such procedure, the hardest part is the post-op therapy ... if you don't go through the pain, you won't enjoy the gain ... She was diligent with it and has full use ...
Make sure you have a Doc you have faith in (check on his past performances if you can), and ask how many of these procedures he performs in a month ...
Best of luck,
t.

Glenn,

You may want to check this site out--lots of information. http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/Rotator-Cuff-Tear/RCI_surgery.html
Gary

From what I've learned so far, which is quite a bit, A LOT depends on who's performing the surgery. Also, if it can be done as arthroscopic surgery the rehab time is reduces considerably. Since my doc comes highly recommended, by several sources, and it's gonna be a scope, it's a go for sure... New Year's Eve morning. Best news is I'll be awake for all the football games.

Glenn

My experience: I had an old baseball injury - a minor r.c. tear. I let it go for years as I was able to do all necessary tasks. As the years went by, and my equipment got heavier I felt more pain, but still I did not have it tended to. About 2-3 years ago I had to get off the stage in a hurry with my sound equipment and a keyboard stack which included a PA1XPro that was a little heavy, and the hard case made it awkward to handle and I felt more pain, went for an MRI that showed a serious tear in addition to a bicep tear. I had the surgery – four screws in the shoulder - and after I finished rehab, I felt as good as new. That was 2 years ago. About 2 weeks ago, I experienced a pain again and the pictures showed that I had re-torn the r.c. The doc told me that anywhere from 20% to 60 % of those who have surgery re-tear the r.c. especially if it is the dominant side. In my case, age is now a factor and he recommended P.T. for a while to see how the shoulder reacts, and there is a possibility of arthroscopic surgery depending on how or if P.T. works.
My advice, get it tended to. Rotator cuff tears do not mend on their own, only worsen. Then, do some life style and equipment changes. Good luck.
Ciao,
Jerry