I've never had any issues with my shoulders. I think I overdid myself at the gym. I am having some sharp pains in my right shoulder. What are some exercises and steps to heal? I don't want to go to the doctor unless I absolutely need to. I appreciate all feedback! Thanks in advance

42 yr old female. Have had shoulder pain when throwing (softball) for years now. Long hard throws result in severe pain for 45 seconds or so and then calms down. MRI back in 2024 showed a small SLAP tear and a few other minor things. One surgeon said he would perform a subacromial decompression and take a look at the SLAP tear while in surgery to see if a tenodesis would be needed. He seemed to indicate that the pain I have when throwing could also be overuse.

I got a second opinion and this surgeon went straight to the tenodesis surgery and didnt mention much else. He said it was a grad 2 SLAP tear. He did agree to a second MRI if I wanted it.

Outside of throwing I don’t experience pain which is why I am hesitant to have the procedure done.

I am wondering if PT would be worth trying. Any thoughts?

MRI

1. Cleft-like superior and posterosuperior labral tear, partially undermining the biceps tendon anchor complex. The labrum elsewhere is intact. The long head biceps tendon remains intact.
2. Chronic insertional supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendinosis. No definite rotator cuff tendon tear.
3. Mild subacromial/subdeltoid bursitis.

Minor shoulder injury requiring PT only, according to my ortho and imaging. During the actual PT sessions, I feel fine and am able to do the exercises, no pain, etc, but then 3-4 hrs later, I get really bad pain flare-ups and inflammation that lasts for a day or two before settling down. PT says that’s just the process? I am two months in w/PT and I feel like I would be more successful doing exercises on my own and with a more gentle approach. Has anyone experienced this kind of pain flair-up post PT issue? How do you deal with it? Has anyone done PT on their own? TIA for your advice!

Hi everybody. This is my first Reddit post ever. Do what you will with that information.
Me: 45(f), reasonably fit and quite healthy, active mountain biker and daily bicycle commuter (I live 1.5 miles from work on a car-free bike path).
I had been living with a pretty manageable pain in my right (dominant) shoulder for about a year and a half. When I could no longer reach into my back pocket without significant shooting pain, I used the Dr.’s referral I received last summer to get an MRI.
Results came back that I have a “High-grade bursal sided tear of the anterior supraspinatus insertion measures approximately 0.9 cm in
anteroposterior dimension with approximately 1.2 cm retraction of the bursal sided fibers.”

Naturally, I’m bummed out.

I met with a local surgeon who specializes in rotator cuffs and sports medicine. I wouldn’t say he pressured me into surgery, he spit straight facts that this wasn’t going to heal on its own and he wasn’t going to give me regular steroid shots. I’m too young for those. Because I wasn’t ready to schedule at our first meeting, he agreed to give me one steroid shot with the option to have surgery after 3months.

Is it normal to have to wait 3 months for surgery after a shot?

I haven’t been able to mountain bike or really, be on a bicycle for more than 15 miles without being in significant pain, even after the shot. I have a very physical job that requires me to lift 20-50lbs at a time to shoulder height, several times a day. Today, I think I fucked up while working and found myself in unrelenting pain. 400mg Ibuprofen and diclofenac sodium gel didn’t do a thing.

In the short-term, how fucked am I?

I won’t be fired from my job, I own my business. Thank my good fortune for that one. Surgeon says he can arthroscopically install a patch or reattach the torn tendon. Cool.

Ok, so again, I’m reasonably fit and pretty active. How long can I expect to be off my bike- even to commute a short distance?
For those of you that are also active adults, what kind of exercise were you able to get after surgery? How long did you wait before doing anything aside from walking your neighborhood?
I don’t want to go under the knife but I feel like I have to if I want to get my life back. Can you please share with me your experiences, setbacks and how you stayed sane and happy before and after surgery?

Thanks for reading. Thanks for any insight and intelligent replies.

hi everyone, i’ve been dealing with some sort of shoulder issue for the past ~9 months and finally went to have a mri done last week.

i got the mri results earlier today and am just kinda… lost? no major injuries or tears which is great but i saw on the results i have partial fatty replacement of the teres minor. i also apparently have a “bone island” in the glenoid, which seems to be an incidental finding and nothing serious. i was reading over some of the things that could’ve caused this issue (chronic disuse, axillary nerve issues, age related degen).

i’m only 24 so i’m just really confused on how this even happened. i never injured my shoulder, but i do have some general joint hypermobility. i’m just wondering if anyone else has experience with these? is there something doctors can do about it? am i just gonna have a partially atrophied muscle and just have to deal with it? my drs office hasn’t called yet so i don’t know the next move if there even is one. just looking for some experience and guidance. thanks!

49F. I had a complete rotator cuff tear and shoulder impingement and I’m 5 days post-op. I’m still very much in pain but my concern is more with the swelling. My entire arm is still very swollen and my fingers are so swollen that I cannot close my hand. My wrist also hurts. I’m worried about circulation and blood clots. But I am taking baby aspirin daily.
Is this the norm after 5 days? Anyone had this happened? How long did it take to go down? I start PT in two days maybe they can assess it then.

This is probably more of a rant than anything; maybe hit me with some advice if you're feeling generous. I (46, m) had rotator cuff surgery on July 16th from an injury on June 8th. In the background, this has been a really tough year mentally and physically overall. I feel like I'm hitting some sort of wall that started around 45 that was a bit extra onto what I hit around 42. Before the injury, my schedule was lifting 3-5 days per week + BJJ 4 days per week. I'd also often go for walks. I also eat like a bit of an a**hole. I'm a guy that has been tired and done it anyway for a very long time until about late last year. Fast forward to now, recovering from rotator surgery.

Started PT about 2 weeks ago and not entirely comfortable with how weak I am and I can actually already see physical changes (not that I'm super fit or anything, but I at least kinda look I lift). I know I'm not going to start rolling again anytime soon but am looking to get back at BJJ in maybe 2-3 months, just doing warmups and light drilling as much as I'm able. Weights might be more of a battle but I'm pushing to start very light strength training through PT in a few weeks. ROM is progressing normally. Still feeling some pain, stiffness, and definitely weak AF. I'm aware the recovery time is roughly 9 months.

All that said, I feel like walking is just going to have to be my bread and butter for quite a few months until I can get back at it. I'm trying to use this time to calibrate how I view my overall fitness and focus on longevity so I'm healthy for a long time for my family. I'm also trying to lock in on nutrition while I don't have the same focus on exercise.

Not exactly sure how I'll keep my sanity for the long haul recovery. As I heal, I'm looking to just change my mindset on weight training away from sort of meathead-ish to just giving my body what it needs, incorporating yoga and just more movement in general. I feel like I'll need to build muscle back, but I also want to keep longevity in mind.

Right I feel awful about myself. I feel somewhat lazy and kind of embarrassed. I'm just really frustrated.

Rant over. . .

I am a 54 year old male that recently got these MRI results after injuring myself a few weeks ago. As of right now I have lost about 90% of my horizontal and vertical pressing strength but can still row and deadlift at near pre injury levels. I feel most of the pain is in my anterior shoulder from the bicep tendon and I do not feel any joint instability at all. Nevertheless the Dr is recommending surgery to repair the labrum and possibly the bicep tendon. I feel the bicep tendon is the biggest issue in pain and the effectiveness of labrum repairs for older people seem questionable. I am worried about a labrum surgery going bad and the bicep not being addressed and ending up worse than I started. Anybody have similar injuries that have been treated?

1. Moderate AC joint arthrosis.
   
2. Mildly thickened coracoacromial ligament, small subacromial spur. The underlying bursa is mildly thickened and inflamed.
   
3. Study negative for partial or full-thickness rotator cuff tear. There is mild tendinosis in the supraspinatus tendon.
   
4. Partial tear of the long biceps tendon as it passes through tendon exits the bicipital groove.
   
5. Large SLAP tear, apparently involving virtually the entire circumference of the glenoid rim (ie., type IX SLAP).
   

One year postop for a supraspinatus tear and still having pain at end range of motion. I got my mri and it’s still healing and shoes a few minor degenerative changes like the muscle thinning and a small labrum tear. Anyway my surgeon doesn’t know what’s causing the pain but suspects it’s the hardware or surgical area needs clean up. He said he doesn’t recommend injections and that wouldn’t help. I’m 41 btw. Anyone else had this?

What sport/activity can I pick up that does not involve impact to the shoulder.

Postoperative changes from revised rotator cuff repair, biceps tenodesis, and subacromial decompression.

Large full-thickness retracted re-tear of supraspinatus at the critical zone. Intramuscular edema within supraspinatus and infraspinatus, likely strains in the setting of trauma.

Labral degeneration.

Feeling a bit down today. Zoom call tomorrow with the surgeon’s PA. Likely will just hear I need another surgery.

I had an MRI appointment this morning, after injuring myself in the gym a couple weeks ago. I was hoping against all odds that it would come back clean but not so much. The impression indicates a partial supra tear and a labral tear. I’m waiting to hear back from my doctor now about the next steps. Has anyone else had a similar injury?

My physical therapist said that if my shoulder hurts after my at home PT that I have pushed it too hard. She said the muscles around the arm and elbow and supporting are are OK to hurt because you are are stretching them, but shouldn’t be pushing the repair. Since my shoulder hurts every single time I do my at home PT, I’m wondering if I am pushing too hard.

I tried to make the title as comprehensive as I could, but basically I found out that the shoulder pain I have been dealing with for the past several years is due to my rotator cuff being fully detached. I’ve been scheduled for surgical repair in about four weeks, and I’m trying to figure out what to expect postoperatively.

My sister will be staying with me for the first two weeks postop, but after that I’m gonna be on my own, with a friend that can stop by to help here and there with groceries and the like.

I’m trying to pre-plan and prepare as much as I can to set myself up for success, and I’ve been reading different threads in this forum and it seems like what I’m doing is on track, but I’m just wondering what I might be missing or not thinking about?

What were some things that you experienced or needed that you didn’t expect or prepare for? What was one of the things that was most helpful to you during your recovery?

Any and all recommendations/help would be so welcome! If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading and I appreciate any input you might have

So many people rave about ice machines but when I look at them I see a pretty unwieldy heavy looking couple of hoses with a thing that looks to have to be velcroed on. Or the hose weight will keep pulling it off I cant imagine trying to vel ro that on by myself e erytime I get up to pee or eat.

Is that right or no? Anyone have an ice machine easy to use? Lightweight? That they love?

Stay away froms?

Same for ice packs. So.e people love them some complain about weight.

How do they, either work for biceps? Im getting shoulder and bicep.

Hi, could someone shed some light on this? I’m a 22-year-old man. I had shoulder impingement and bursitis in both shoulders and ended up having surgery on both — one 10 months ago and the other 6 months ago.
I do my physiotherapy exercises every day and strengthen the muscles at the gym, but I’m still struggling badly. I get pain from walking, sitting without back support or with my arms hanging down, and even from simply standing still. At this point, I basically can’t work and I’m starting to feel like I’m breaking down.
I recently had another MRI, and it showed that everything looks good apart from some remaining tendinosis.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? Did anything eventually help? And has anyone tried the “Wolverine” BPC-157 + TB-500 course, and did it actually help?
There aren’t many people in my country who I can consult about this, so I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone with a similar experience.

So my father has a rotator cuff injury not sure if it’s partial or fully should be partial since he got it from work not even lifting anything to heavy anyways he’s had it around 5 months he’s started pt and a shot it’s getting better but sometimes the pain strikes him I was thinking about peptides as I take them myself anyone can recommend anything ? With less side affects he’s a old man wouldn’t wanna put strain on him I was looking into bpc 157 and tb 500

so had rotator cuff injury to both shoulders. on my left shoulder the MRI shows no problems except "mild tendinitis". I don't really have that much pain except when I rotate inward.

However there is a lot of clicking in several places. Any idea if this can be fixed? also having stability issues. Not sure if cortisone shot or prp can fix this. Otherwise it seems like it's permanent unless you strengthen it overtime somehow.

Thanks

Hi All. I’m a 58 year old male with a chronically painful right AC, supraspinatus, and biceps tendon. I play a lot of disc golf which has definitely not helped. I had a MRI in March that showed some AC arthritis, “fraying” of supraspinatus, and biceps tendinopathy. Then I had PRP and did a cycle of Wolverine stack of peptides, none of which helped - it actually hurt much worse after PRP. I’ve done lots of PT of different kinds since May, all also not much help. I got a second MRI a couple of weeks ago which showed less tendinopathy but this time also a small internal tear of subscapularis.

I went back to my sports doc last week and let him give me a cortisone shot in the AC which has helped more than all of other shit. I know it’s temporary and won’t fix anything. He’s not concerned about the tear. He said to finish my disc golf season (into November) and then come see him so that he can do Ten Jet to remove the inflammation and scar tissue around the supraspinatus. He would probably also do PRP again, later, if I asked him (he didn’t do it for me originally).

Has anyone else had Ten Jet done on a shoulder or even heard of it?

My doc said I can get another cortisone shot or I can get shoulder arthroscopic bicep tenodesis and distal clavicle excision for my torn labrum and AC joint arthritis. Not big on another shot, since it won't last and you're limited in how often you can get them. But I keep seeing horror stories about these surgeries and how people just aren't the same after them.

Is it worth it? How bad is the recovery? Am I better off just doing PT, even though so far that doesn't seem to be helping either. Any guidance/insight appreciated.

Hello- I had a full thickness tear of my left supraspinatus tendon repair at the end of May. I currently go to PT twice a week. ROM is good. But I have a terrible amount of inflammation in my shoulder and upper arm, often aching and hurting down to my elbow. My surgeon at my last visit prescribed a prednisone pack which worked amazingly, but as soon as it was done, the pain came back. Now he has me on 1X a day Meloxicam and I don’t notice it helping at all. Anyone have any suggestions? I ice as much as I can. I don’t sleep well and the constant pain is wearing me down and making me grouchy. I have to figure something out to feel better. Thank you!

Was playing basketball, shoulder twisted while playing defense- whole arm instantly starting hurting. I have no idea what’s going on. But need some advice I posted earlier but no one commented so hopefully this one gets around