Rotator cuff rehab advice

[lalyle]

Been dealing with rotator cuff injury for over two weeks now. Stretches, ibuprofin, professional PT, and icing have had minimal effect. Really limiting all of my activities and I'm hoping to do some light paddling on vacation a week from now. Any suggestions?

[Lifejacket]

Good luck. I am having shoulder problems myself.

[okieboater]

Speaking from personal experience here.

Get your rehab process from a qualified sports injury doctor.

Do not return to what ever created the problem till advised to do so by a qualified sports injury doctor.

Going back into action too soon, may reinjure and make the recovery process a lot longer than it should be.

[Tim Eubanks]

First of all, get out of that 'yak and back in your canoe!

Rest!Rest!rest! You've got to give it several weeks of no activity. Hard to do for most of us. Drink beer with your good arm.

I have a full-thickness tear in my right cuff, been living with it for 9 years. Since they took me out of the starting pitching rotation I decided not to have it repaired. It actually hurts right now. Stay away from stuff that makes it hurt: gave up weekly basketball games and throwing just about anything overhand.

[Dr. Steve Yaney]

I know 1 doctor @ Ortho Arkansas that I suggest you avoid !!! PM me if you want more info!!!

[justin.payne]

Dont know how bad yours is, but I messed mine up paddling almost a year ago. After a couple months of rest, I started doing some rock climbing and it has really helped. It still hurts when I stretch it, and I cant throw anything overhanded very well anymore either. I dont know if rockclimbing is your thing, but it really stretches and tightens your shoulder muscles up.

I'm no doctor....but thats my 2 cents.

[cyberpapa]

I had very good success with exercises found online at familydoctor.org Just search rotator cuff. My schedule was crazy and couldn't get an appointment with a physical therapist (probably your best option) and wanted to try something since cortisone shots and a couple months at the chiropractor had very limited, if any, improvement. I could not do the exercises at first with even very small weights, so I went through the exercises with just the weight of my arms at first. The improvement was steady and really pretty dramatic. Good Luck with the shoulder. Cal

[Louiscov]

I had rotator problems a few years ago. My doc said avoiding sleeping on my side on that shoulder would definitely speed up recovery and it seemed to work, plus had me do light weights/band stretching for longterm relief, plus a cortisone shot.

For your light paddling on your vacation in a week you might try adjusting to a lower angle style of paddling keeping your hands and elbows below your shoulders. That really keeps you shoulders from having to lift your arms and paddle thousands of times. Strokes are less aggressive ad not as strong, but keeps you on the water.

Good luck.

[Lifejacket]

I have yet to go to doctor, but have noticed not sleeping on it or having it stretched under pillow really helps.

[Crane]

Do the stretching exercises... they work and will keep it from freezing up. Two weeks is no time for healing a shoulder injury... it may take several months... The suggestion on turning to a canoe may be a good one, I could paddle a canoe even when my shoulder was really hurting in a kayak... different movements. Good luck! cane

[wally]

first off...go to a doctor and get an mri. if the cuff is torn, no amount of therapy will fix it and use will only make it worse. a small tear becomes a large tear and then becomes an unrepairable tear. surgery in the early stage has a good chance of complete recovery in a couple months. surgery on a large tear means only partial recovery after many months.
wally

[druse]

Might try exercises suggested by the US Canoe / Kayak team for this, on their website. The exercises will definitely strengthen your shoulders.

http://www.usawildwater.com/training/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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