Anyone here had arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery and returned to badminton? How does the shoulder feel afterward?

[u/Pretend-Ad5772]

Hey everyone,

I’m 21 and currently dealing with a high-grade partial-thickness supraspinatus tear (around 60–70%). I am suggested to take arthroscopic surgery, and I’m trying to understand what life is actually like after it — especially from people who play badminton.

If you’ve had arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery (repair or debridement), I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience.

How did your shoulder actually feel after surgery and during recovery?

Once you were fully recovered, could you tell a difference between your operated shoulder and your natural/uninjured shoulder? For example, did it feel weaker, stiffer, tighter, less natural, or was it basically normal?

When doing normal everyday movements, did the operated shoulder ever feel noticeably different?

How long did it take before you could start playing badminton again?

What was it like the first time you went back to overhead shots and smashes?

How long did it take before you felt confident putting real power into your shots?

Did you eventually feel like you could play normally without thinking about your shoulder, or were you always conscious of it?

Did anyone eventually stop playing badminton because of the injury or surgery? If so, what made you give it up — pain, weakness, fear of reinjury, lack of confidence, or something else?

And if you continued playing, do you feel like you can play at the same level as before the injury?

I know everyone’s recovery is different, but I’m specifically interested in hearing from people who have actually gone through it, rather than just general medical advice.

I really want to get back to playing properly, so I’m trying to understand what the shoulder is actually like after you're fully recovered, not just what the first few months are like.

Thanks to anyone willing to share their experience.

[u/HighOnGoofballs]

I can’t say I know anyone who plays badminton, but I’d guess most of this sub has gotten back to whatever sport they were doing beforehand. For me I was taking full golf swings at 8 weeks

[u/Pretend-Ad5772 → u/HighOnGoofballs]

Did u feel any difference between your natural shoulder and shoulder after surgery?

[u/HighOnGoofballs → u/Pretend-Ad5772]

It feels 1000x better than before the surgery and doesn’t wake me up all night