+ 1 Shoulder surgery
What's up fellas. So I recently had shoulder surgery and I know it's early on but my range of motion is clearly drastically different than it was before, especially when going straight up laterally from my side. They actually had to remove a lot (almost half) of my left trap so shit is all out of whack and certainly no longer symetric to the other side which is fine, it is what it is. But just wondering if anyone has any experience with something similar and if you think it's possible, working with what I've got, to build that muscle back to be somewhat comparable to the other side/trap. I've been in the gym all my life but never with any major injuries or surgeries so I'm going to have to resist the urge to push myself too much for a while and just wondering what rehabilitation workouts anyone could recommend. I almost feel embarrassed asking this because with as much experience I have in the gym I feel like I should know, but as I said, I've never had to deal with a major injury/surgery like this.
Any help is appreciated
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That sucks bro... I've got torn rotator cuffs in each shoulder, trying to avoid surgery as long as I can. A fantastic PT for ROM & strength are clubbells. You get a pair that are 2lbs. each... there are various exercises that you can find on youtube. I perform a small routine daily & it's been extremely helpful. Also, get yourself a personal TENS unit...also VooDoo bands for flossing... and do the RICE method on your own. Godspeed!
Exactly what surgery was done any why? Without that it's hard to know what to recommend specific exercises.
Have you done any phwical therapy? When was the surgery?
I'm sorry to hear about your situation brother. But the good news is it can only get better from here, right? In my opinion the best course of action for now would be progressive PT and stretching, in baby steps with plenty of recovery/healing time in between sessions. And as lame as it sounds I think your yoga idea would definitely do more good than bad.
I would concentrate on getting full range of movement possible (whatever that may be for you now) before I even considered lifting weights. Then once I had that back and the muscles/attachment points were fully healed, that's when id start lifting light weights and slowly progress into heavier lifting over time. Just make sure to ease into all of this with plenty of recovery/healing time in between and of course proper nutrition/rest.
Good luck bro and keep us updated!
That sounds like a crazy surgery, I've never heard of them removing trap muscles for something like a shoulder surgery. My condolences brother I know injuries suck. Do they have you in a physical therapy program?
Cheers mate, I appreciate it. As for a program, they have suggested shit or else I can do it at the hospital which costs a shit load more. Unless your insurance covers everything, it adds up real friggin quick.
I'm sorry to hear about your recent surgery brother.
To answer your question, in short, only time will tell. When muscle is lost it cannot always be rebuilt. And depending on if your insertion or origin points have changed, this will be a very big factor in symmetry.
I've had 3 shoulder surgeries now. One of them, I had to have a tenodesis performed because my bicep tendon was 60% torn. This essentially shortened my bicep on one side and altered my range of motion compared to my other side.
Through rehabilitation, time, and patience, I have regained almost complete ROM on that side. I recently had my other labrum repaired (I know, it really sucks having injuries), and I can again tell the difference in ROM compared to the other side. But again... patience... and rehabilitation. I'm sure in a few more months I will be right back in the swing of things and have my symmetry back.
Even if your ROM is different, we can modify to make the best of what we have. It's a mindset. Stay positive. Stay patient. Keep your head up. It gets better if you will it to be so. Best of luck to you.
I appreciate the hell out of that brother. Just wondering if you could tell me some of the exercises that you did to help get your ROM and overall strength back. I'm guessing probably a lot of movements with no weight for a long time while trying to get that ROM back, but anything like yoga or some shit like that that you think is really effective? What worked for you?
Thanks again!
What worked for me might not work for you.. I'm not sure what you actually had done. Best bet is to work with your PT 2x/week if your doc clears you to do so.
For me, I was in a sling for 6 weeks each time. At 4 weeks I could start daily passive ROM exercises... i.e. Moving my arm with only the Assistance of my other arm or letting my PT do so, before the pain got to above 5/10. Stuff like that.
At 6 weeks I got to progress to active assist ROM exercises (grabbing a plastic pole with both hands but using my good side to help raise the arm while keeping the other side level). And then at 8 weeks I could start active ROM exercises (i.e. Raising my arm on my own).
Strengthening (internal and external rotation) at zero degrees abduction started around 6 weeks and I could start strengthening at 90 degrees abduction around 10 weeks. I'm a little over 3 months now and I was just cleared to start progressing into pushups.
Again, that's for a labrum repair. Every doc/PT has a different protocol. What I did might not be appropriate for you and it's best to consult your physician. I'm just sharing my experience. You will come back. Give yourself time to heal, and make sure your nutrition is in a caloric excess to give your body the ability to do that. I'm keeping mine about 300 above maintenance right now and I'm gaining naturally (no AAS over 6 months now) with diet and training alone.
Yeah I get it, I know it's difficult to offer advice for something that is not exactly the same as your surgery, but was just wondering if there was any different type of therapy that you had done like hydrotherapy or some crazy shit that is out of the usual rehab norm.
What sucks is that I just finished a cycle a little while back before I knew I needed surgery and I even have a new order now sitting on my shelf which I know I can't even consider for a long time to come...killin me! lol
Even though every cell in my body wants to get right back to "normal" asap, I know I gotta take it easy for a while. i appreciate the help and if you think of anything else you think might help i'd love to hear it brother. Cheers mate
Nothing out of the normal for me. Just the tried, tested, and true. I am currently getting some dry needling and electric stimulation for a nagging triceps tendinitis... which has been great! Not applicable for the shoulder though.
I Know how you feel bro. I'll be sitting on my stockpile for a couple more months before I can even think about running a cycle again. It Is what it is though. We have to do what's best for us to heal and be patient while we do that. Do me (and yourself) a favor. Try thinking about all of this differently.... yes, you can't train like you normally can. Take that time to focus on another area of your life that maybe needs some attention. Do some reflection. Do some reading. Spend more time with family. Etc.
We only have one life. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone. Make the best of today by accepting things as they are. Focus your energy on making today the best day it can be, like you might not be around tomorrow to do it again. Humility is a powerful thing. Take this time and use it to your advantage!
I like your style, mate. And funny you should say that because I thought that I could use some meditation each day which is something I've never really done before but feel like it could really be beneficial if I could just get my high strung ass to chill the fuck out for an hour or two per day! lol But I think it's kind of up the same alley of what you're talking about and I'm definitely willing to give it a shot. Cheers, brother. Really appreciate the advice.