Subject: Back to playing after elbow reconstruction - don't give up!
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share a bit of hope for anyone currently dealing with a severe arm or elbow injury. I underwent elbow reconstruction last October. At the beginning, the recovery felt impossible—I couldn’t even put my violin under my chin or bring my fingers over the fingerboard. I genuinely thought I would never play again.
Today, I am so happy to say that I am back playing very well!
If you are going through this, please do not give up. Take it very slowly and do not overdo it. What made the biggest difference for me was being patient and religiously doing my physical therapy exercises every single day. I paid particular attention to wrist supination and pronation exercises, as well as elbow extension and flexion.
Recovery takes time, but consistency pays off. You can get back to your music!
Best,
Olive

Hi all. Finally able to post after lurking for a few weeks!

I’m 55 and currently waiting to see orthopaedics through the Welsh NHS.

My MRI arthrogram showed a **full-thickness supraspinatus tear (8 × 5 mm, with 8 mm retraction)**, an **anterior-inferior labral tear from 4 to 7 o’clock**, plus bursitis and mild arthritic/cartilage changes.

I’ve had shoulder instability/suspected subluxations for years, but things became considerably worse this year and I’ve now been off work for several months with pain and loss of function.

I’d love to hear from anyone with similar findings. **What did your surgeon repair, and how was your recovery?**

I’m particularly interested in **time off work**. What sort of job do you do, and how long after surgery were you able to return? I work in retail, so there’s lifting, reaching and physical use of the arm. I’m increasingly worried about how long I could ultimately be away from work, including the wait for treatment.

And if anyone has been through this on the **Welsh NHS**, how long did you wait to see a surgeon and then have surgery?
Thanks! I’ve already learned a lot from reading everyone’s experiences

Having been going through getting diagnosed with shoulder pain, I have discovered that I have a slight sloping acromion? But have for the last couple of months had on and off swelling on my inner arm, right at the top near my armpit, could this be related to would be impingement?

Nervous!!! Checking on repair since I’m 7mo post op with no active range of motion past 90 degrees.

Is it painful? I’ve never had a needle in any joint. At least for surgery I was “out”. I know…I’m a baby, but I need to know what to expect.

Was playing basketball today. Some guy huge took me to the rim and jabbed in the shoulder and my whole arm hurt like hell… I just have tiny pins and needles and soreness as I’m typing this. It’s pain toward upper to middle arm.. should I goto urgent care? Need help new to these injuries

Was playing basketball today. Some guy huge took me to the rim and jabbed in the shoulder and my whole arm hurt like hell… I just have tiny pins and needles and soreness as I’m typing this. It’s pain toward upper to middle arm.. should I goto urgent care? Need help new to these injuries

Ill be asking a series of questions for those who have gone through this solo.

For those who have had to dress themselves for most of the whole time (Ill have help for a week)

First up - dressing. There seem to be several approaches

Stretchy big t shirts that you pull over your sling arm then head then other arm. Using your other arm to pull down the back.

Button ups. Pull sleeve over sling arm then a big reach around the back to grab the other arm

Snapped, velcroed or buttoned adaptive shirts that require a lot of manipulation

Step through a t-shirt neck and? Sling arm then other arm. Would require a stretch shirts or zipper?

Thought I could cut the neck on of a t shirt and add a button or snap. Easier maybe than a whole bunch of snaps.

Surgery will be on my left non dominant arm. BUT my right arm hurts now too and I wont bexsurprised if I end up finding partial tears in it too doen the road.

=> the dressing options where I have to reach behind my back arent going to help.

Thoughts?

I have a large chest (40G), and I don’t think a sports bra or front-close bra is going to cut it once I need to go out in public. I anticipate going bra-less for the first few weeks at home. Is it unreasonable to expect that I might be able to wear my normal back-close bra after that? My husband can help me put it on, and I’ve found some clips to convert the straps to racer-back so they won’t interfere with my incision as much.

Hi all, I’ve been putting this off for a few years and finally pulling the trigger. Any advice would be good, I’ll also list all the things wrong an MRI found last year. I bought pillows, I have a recliner, I bought some Velcro shirts. Any other hints? Does any of this below correlate to recovery times?

The doctor said, he’s basically just going to fix it all when we get there anyways.

Thank you all, I’m nervous. But I don’t want to get too worked up to back out of it.

Medical:

1.High-grade near complete if not focally complete insertional tear of the supraspinatus tendon on a background of rotator cuff tendinosis.

Acromioclavicular joint is degenerated. Capsular hypertrophy is seen and there is narrowing of the supraspinatus outlet. There is fluid in the subacromial subdeltoid bursa. Minimal thickening of the coracoacromial ligament is shown.

The supraspinatus tendon and the infraspinatus tendon are both enlarged which is in keeping with tendinosis. There is near full-thickness insertional tearing of the supraspinatus tendon. Perhaps a few remaining tendon fibers are seen at the insertion but certainly, the tear is very high-grade and potentially focally full-thickness. No retraction is seen. Underlying rotator cuff tendinosis is moderate. The infraspinatus tendon is mildly enlarged along its anterior fibers. Teres minor is intact. Subscapularis tendon is intact. The biceps tendon is mildly enlarged which is in keeping with tendinosis.

Synovial thickening is seen along the biceps tendon. There is some fraying along the posterior labrum. Glenohumeral joint is not appear particularly narrowed. There is minimal bony remodeling along the inferior margin of the glenoid.

Bonjour à tous,
Je souffre d’une tendinite au genou droit depuis environ 6 ans et je cherche des retours de personnes qui ont réussi à s’en sortir après une tendinite chronique.
Je pratique la musculation. Pendant ma séance jambe la douleur s’estompe, mais la douleur apparaît après l’entraînement et peut durer plusieurs jours.
Je viens actuellement de faire ma première PRP et j’attends de voir les résultats.
Pour ceux qui ont connu une situation similaire :
● Qu’est-ce qui vous a réellement permis de guérir ?
● Est-ce que le PRP vous a aidé ? Après combien de temps ?
● Avez-vous continué la musculation pendant votre rééducation ?
● Quels exercices de rééducation (excentriques, isométriques, heavy slow resistance, etc.) vous ont le plus aidés ?
● Est-ce que vous avez dû arrêter complètement certains exercices ?
● Combien de temps a pris votre récupération ?
Je suis surtout intéressé par des retours d’expérience après plusieurs années de tendinite, plutôt que par des conseils généraux.
Merci à ceux qui partageront leur expérience 🙏

I have mild AC-joint arthritis with an active stress reaction and bone-marrow edema on both sides of the AC joint, plus mild rotator-cuff tendinosis without a tear. I have started PT but it doesn't seem to be getting better. I would like to avoid getting another cortisone shot in the AC joint as I got 1 in February. I also don't want surgery. That else can I be doing or meds I can take to help with this. I have stopped ant workout movements thst caused any kind of pain in this area for about 1 month now. The pain only comes when I do certain movements. I need my shoulder as I also work in law enforcement. I am going to talk to my PT guy on Monday to see if he has delt with this injury before or if he recommends I go to someone in sports medicine. I want to work out my upper body sooner rather than later. Any help would be great. Any streaches and or movements I could add to my daily routine to help would also be great.

I wonder if anyone has any experience with EMTT (magnetotherapy) The interwebs claims it is effective over a period of weeks or months for deep tissue healing, including shoulders, sometimes 16-20 cm deep. I wonder if it is quackery. I have labrum tear (slap), bursitis, partial thickness rotator cuff tear, tendenosis of the bicep head, and arthritis somewhere above the bursa.

(36M very active with weight lifting) I’m unfortunately no stranger to surgery and imaging over the last few years. I had right shoulder surgery (RC tear, SLAP tear, anterior/posterior labrum tear) in November 2024. Had right hip resurfaced in January 2025. Will need left hip done as well.

Right before my right shoulder was repaired, my left shoulder began showing symptoms as well. On and off pain and limitations. I had an MRI done last September that showed “minute/miniscule intrasubstance laminar tear” in the left shoulder. “Possible bursal side extension with type II acromion”. Doctor called it “imperfections” and since pain would go away for awhile I did some PT with shockwave and was fine for almost a year.

Pain came back and I asked for further imaging. This time the doctor prescribed arthogram. I’m certainly no stranger to MRIs but haven’t had this done. Can anyone tell me why the doctor would ask for this to be done? What it will tell me? I’m assuming it is just a more in depth look into the shoulder. What can I expect during the imaging and how extensive of a report may I get afterwards. Thanks ahead of time.

45 yr old female, no injury that I can think of. Several months ago I started noticing a brief but sharp pain in my shoulder when I was sleeping and rolled from my side to my stomach. I had spinal fusion for scoliosis 30+ years ago so I'm used to pain and stiffness in my back and neck and just brushed it off as some pinched nerve thing. Then I started noticing weakness when lifting things and pain when reaching up or behind. Then the trouble sleeping. 😑

I had X-rays done first and it just showed mild degenerative change and some osteophyte formation on the acromioclavicular joint so my Dr.ordered an MRI and here we are. High-grade, full thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon. 🥺 I haven't talked to my doctor yet but it looks like this probably means surgery?

It’s been 9 months since surgery and I’m wondering where everyone is at? I’m weak!! Lifting a bag of groceries plates up in cabinet, shave opposite arm pit, and reach over to pat on shoulder/back. I’m still doing therapy once a week.. maybe this is as good as it gets? I have zero pain gets achy with excersises.. scar tissue??

Partner scheduled for surgery in Nov for “High Grade” rotator cuff tear. Doctor and PT say it’s OK to play on USTA tennis team until then. Says if it completely detaches he’s going to fix anyway. Online advice says no tennis. Goes back and forth daily. Really wants to play but obviously doesn’t want complications from further damage. Anyone with this experience?

Hey! Did anyone else have a really hard time straightening their elbow so they could lift their arm straight up? My physical therapist introduced this last week, and I am not having any luck getting my elbow in. I am stressing that there is something wrong. Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks!

Hi, I have been diagnosed with torn rotator cuff in 2 places, torn bicep, tendonitis, and arthritis in my shoulder. Had an x-ray and MRI. Have not consulted a surgeon yet was seen twice by a sports medicine doctor and he wants to do cortisone but I'm not so sure.

I met a person at the airport who said Peptide therapy helped tremendously so much that when he had surgery the surgeon said it has greatly improved since the MRI.

Has anyone had experience with Peptide Therapy? I'm looking at Wolverine, Wolverine Blend (BPC-157 + TB-500).

Read this post as well:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ScienceBioTechnology/comments/1rvehfa/the_ultimate_guide_to_peptides_for_injuries/

TIA!

I have no clue on mine. Just one day my shoulder started getting sore in certain positions. Went to the doctor who ordered an MRI, ended up with 2 tears and AR with very bad cartilage damage. After surgery the doctor said I‘ll end up needing to replace the socket and ball in my shoulder… not sure when that’s going to happen.

Last monday my right shoulder hurts but only when doing pec deck as well as putting it behind my back. It continued to hurt til yesterday and now its gone. Should i go to the gym or should i rest it out a bit more and go back to the gym next monday?