Anybody know any good orthopedic surgeons or shoulder specialists? I may need surgery on my left rotator cuff. Ive been to physical therapy on and off for a few months, but I think it only strengthened my shoulder muscles rather than healed it. I would prefer not to get surgery, but the tendonitis has been there for almost three years, and my left shoulder is significantly weaker but not in pain. When I work lures, its like a work out for my shoulder and can be irritating at times. As well as daily activities that involve lifting or repetitive activities that involve my shoulder. I would like to see somebody who will give me an honest evaluation instead of just opting to cut my shoulder open. My insurance policy is PPO. Thanks!
Do you know what the goal of the therapy was? It sounds odd to say it strengthened your muscles, but yet they didn't heal? Unless you're referring to strengthening the actual deltoids, while the rotator cuff remains injured? If that's the case, then either the PT didn't know what he was doing and picked the wrong muscles to target or your mechanics were too bad for him to target the right ones. Either way, a more competent or experienced PT should be an option before doing surgery.
Yeah I felt like the PT i was doing there was inadequate, they would run me through the same motions almost everyday. Sometimes they would throw a few new things at me, but pretty much the same routine. My shoulder definitely felt stronger, more range of motion, and less pain everyday after the workouts. Although after a day or so without working it, it would regress. I was there consistently for 3 days out of the week for 2-3 months. Although its just so hard to stay committed, going from highly intensive workouts to sitting there and doing boring shoulder exercises. Not to mention my schedule restrictions, but I figure I might as well try PT again because if I go through surgery im going to have to be going through PT recovery anyways you know? my shoulder pain isnt extreme, but its there when especially if I push my shoulder. Its mostly loss of range of motion and weakness.
The next time you go into PT you've got to have a good understanding of how the rotator cuff works and how your arm should be moving. Read up on the subject as much as you can. Know the muscles and what movements they're used in. What kind of exercises were you doing? Did you get any massage therapy? you've to to deal with the fascia as well, not just the muscles, otherwise the proper muscles may not activate. If they don't, then your body will find another way, an incorrect one, to complete the movement, which doesn't help. You should also be getting some attention in other areas, not just the rotator cuff. when your rotator cuff went bad, other muscles had to pickup the slack and little by little that snowballs into other areas of your body. You've got to work backwards and "reset" everything. Otherwise the compensatory actions of those other muscles will interfere with the rotator cuff's activation.
http://www.orthopedicsports.com/ I had a torn labrum in my left shoulder with hill sachs and bankart lesions. Dislocated/popped/hyper-extended my shoulder while grabbing a rebound back in 2003, and it has never been the same. MRI showed there was a lot of damage, but like you, I didn't have pain... my shoulder was just felt very weak. I had the surgery last month to clean up everything and pull back the labrum, and will start full rehab tomorrow. I did PT for a bit but they just stretched out the arm, wasn't too bad. These guys are great and I'm under PPO. Everything was pretty damn cheap. Kinda wish I took care of this injury sooner. Good luck with your situation. Only gripe with them is that you have to work around their schedule...they're really busy people.
1 year rest is the best therapy... I had that problem and so far it's gone. back serving aces... my doctor is already in jail... he's the doctor from st joseph that was sued for sex crime.
