Time for The Scope

Scott Kustes · 05-17-2007, 10:54 AM

As in arthroscopic surgery. I dislocated my left shoulder on Sept 14th, 2005 and had returned it to about 98% of pre-injury health. Last night, I was playing in my volleyball league and dove for a ball. Landed funny and out it came. So I spent my night in the ER getting my shoulder put back in socket. And now I'm ready to have surgery so I don't have to worry about this damn thing anymore. Anybody had shoulder surgery? What's the recovery time like? This really puts a damper on my training...back squats are out, pullups are out, pressing is out, pushups are out. Looks like lots of bodyweight squats, 1-leg squats, and sprinting (when I can swing my arm that hard). Any other exercises I missed?

On the other hand, Percosets are fun.

Dave Van Skike · 05-17-2007, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Kustes

As in arthroscopic surgery. I dislocated my left shoulder on Sept 14th, 2005 and had returned it to about 98% of pre-injury health. Last night, I was playing in my volleyball league and dove for a ball. Landed funny and out it came. So I spent my night in the ER getting my shoulder put back in socket. And now I'm ready to have surgery so I don't have to worry about this damn thing anymore. Anybody had shoulder surgery? What's the recovery time like? This really puts a damper on my training...back squats are out, pullups are out, pressing is out, pushups are out. Looks like lots of bodyweight squats, 1-leg squats, and sprinting (when I can swing my arm that hard). Any other exercises I missed?

On the other hand, Percosets are fun.

No words of wisdom on the scope. Have a close friend who had terrible luck with his but he doesn't take the rehab seriously enough, it randomly pops out while mountain biking, motorcyling and swimming. Pretty gross.

Percocet on the other hand, I have great expertise.

Try this. I call it the Irish Budda.

Guinness, Percocet and a shot of Jameson's....

.....sit back and be one with everything.....

Garrett Smith · 05-17-2007, 01:37 PM

I'd look into Prolotherapy (aka Regenerative Injection Therapy) before the scope, and maybe still after the scope.

Cold laser therapy will help minimize scar tissue and recovery time.

Let me know if you need help finding any of the folks who do this stuff...

Allen Yeh · 05-18-2007, 04:56 AM

Scott,

I have never had surgery but a friend that did (warming up with 135 on BS's with his arm draped over the bar, bar started to go back...etc) He didn't take his rehab seriously enough like Dave's friend and it still pops out when just doing random things.

While it's not helpful right now I've been following Mike Robertson's/Bill Hartman's/Eric Cressey's stuff on rotator problems and how they can stem from a dysfunctional scapula and not necessarily just a rotator problem.
When you are in your "rehab" phase, I'd seriously look into that and their articles/work.
If you want links to their articles let me know and I'll link them all up here.

List of exercises:
-bodyweight squats
-1-leg squats
-1-leg straight leg deadlifts
-step ups/lunge variations
-Possibly bounding/jumping stuff? i.e. lateral bounds, squat jumps...etc
-scapular strenghthening exercises
-glute activation exercises
-front squats (if you utilize the arms crossed method)
-lumberjack squats (iffy?)
-sprints on a road bike or stationary? (unsure how hard that would be on your shoulder but just a guess that a stationary bike would be easier).

Hope these help, and let me know if you want me to dig up those articles.

Garrett Smith · 05-18-2007, 05:31 AM

Allen's suggestion on the scapular work is a great one, try to find that article on T-Nation...

Allen Yeh · 05-18-2007, 06:16 AM

Excellent article:

Push-Ups, Face Pulls, and Shrugs
...for Strong and Healthy Shoulders!
by Bill Hartman and Mike Robertson

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1426252

Robb Wolf · 05-20-2007, 12:03 PM

Scott-
If you do end up having surgery find the BEST person you can for the job. Not a generalist...this person should do nothing but shoulders morning, noon and night.

Avoid surgery if you can.

Valium scratches my itch better than percoset...but, hey! Each to thier own.

Rick Deckart · 05-20-2007, 12:16 PM

In my humble opinion surgery should always be plan B, after plan A failed. Plan A is conservative therapy, strength exercises, stretching, stuff like that. The better docs will ask before surgery how long plan A was followed, a month, two month, half a year or even a year? Remember after plan B you will still need to follow plan A, so I would seriously ask myself: Did I really play low with exercises which aggravate the problem for at least half a year, doing rehab exercises religiously and did I see no improvement... In other words, was there a serious no nonsense plan A you followed or was it just so so (no offense here...)

Scott Kustes · 05-21-2007, 07:24 AM

Robb, the Dr. I'm seeing is the head of orthopedic surgery for the largest hospital group in the region. From the PTs I'm working with, he's pretty awesome, so I feel in good hands there. And I've never had Valium, so I can't comment. Only had 1 Percoset in my life and that was last Thursday. Too bad I didn't do this a month or so ago...we could've had a "one-arm showdown"...a Royal Rumble of geezers with 1 bad stick.

Garrett, I found a couple website on prolotherapy but couldn't find anyone closer than Indianapolis. Any help? I'm in Louisville, KY by the way.

Peter, I also view surgery as a last resort. After the first dislocation in Sept 2005, I did serious rehab work. Until last Wednesday, around 6:45pm, I considered my shoulder to be nearly 100%. I could do all exercises without any pain....clapping pushups/pullups, bench press, overhead press, C&J, overhead squat, back squat, etc. I've been putting in some hardcore PT since last Wed and the pain is nearly gone and my ROM in the front and to the side is 95-100%. Pain/pressure only occurs when I'm behind my back as it forces the ball of the humerus forward (so like a smart guy, I avoid that position). I've had problems with this shoulder since sophomore year of high school (1995) when I took a helmet under the shoulder pads...over the years it's been pinched nerves and strained muscles and who knows what else. I know when I saw my family doctor after the first dislo, he said something to the effect of (while flipping through my file) "left shoulder, left shoulder, left shoulder...you're never sick, but I've seen you for this left shoulder about 5 times over the last 10 years." Since the pain is going away so quickly (perhaps because everything was so torn up the first time, there was less to tear this time) and ROM and strength are returning, I may see if we can make this a "if it happens one more time" thing. We shall see what the good doctor says.

I'm apparently one of those marvel patients who heal quickly. I think there are several contributing factors, including top-notch diet and loads of fish oil, less tissue to tear the second time, and more prompt, better medical care this time (as opposed to Acapulco, Mexico).

Garrett Smith · 05-21-2007, 06:19 PM

Scott,
Here's a good start. A review on prolotherapy (aka Regenerative Injection Therapy) that has some sort of link to the University of Louisville. I'd try that route first.

Here are some other things to search under:
Prolotherapy
Proliferative Injection Therapy
Regenerative Injection Therapy
RIT

That may help. Some anesthesiologists are getting into it, however, I don't believe they truly understand the mechanisms, compound formulations, or intention behind this modality. Basically, if the doctor thinks of this modality as only being for pain relief (and not for repairing tissues), then find someone else--they don't understand what it is meant to do...