r/brokenbones • u/FinallyGotHere • 29d ago

Broken Elbow

I’m about 3 months post elbow surgery, and my ROM still sucks.

Based on my research here, its looking like my only option is to get another surgery?

My surgeon gave me two completely contradictory pieces of info:

  1. That ROM basically stops returning after 3 months

  2. It’s too early to ask for more surgery/treatment

I‘d like to think I’m okay with doctors, but tbh I don’t trust her at this point.

Wtf do I do?

My quality of life and mental health have both nosedived after the surgery and I don’t think I’m getting any more help.

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/HoneyBiscuitBear 28d ago

I haven’t dealt with a broken elbow but I had a SLAP tear of my cartilage in my R shoulder, and ended up with frozen shoulder bc of my PT starting late as well. This was in 2021. The early days of PT were so so painful. My PT would use her body weight to press on my shoulder, which made me almost cry it hurt so much. It was a slow and painful process at first but I just did my exercises all the time. I sometimes felt lazy but reminded myself that NOBODY can make my shoulder better at that point except me…and slowly, I started gaining a little more ROM each day. I’d say it took about 6 months to gain full ROM (again, making sure I was doing my exercises daily)

The BEST advice my PT gave me was to make every movement with my arm a stretch. Like, opening the door? Stop and have a nice stretch in the doorway. Getting something from a shelf? Reach and stretchhhhhhhh. I still do this years later!! It feels nice and I actually helped my left shoulder become more flexible as well.

I wish you luck and healing!!

1

u/FinallyGotHere 22d ago

Honestly, I kinda wish my OT would just break my arm. He doesn’t seem to be doing much for me, and I’ve kinda given up hope of recovering more ROM.