Recovering from Rotator Cuff & Biceps Tenodesis Surgery -- Maybe Change my Form or??

[ross]

Recovering from Rotator Cuff & Biceps Tenodesis Surgery -- Maybe Change my Form or??

Last April I had surgery for a slightly torn rotator cuff and biceps tenodesis (whether form disc golf or not before I had the surgery I couldn't put a t-shirt on without a lot of pain).

Over the past year I have been pretty faithfully followed my physical therapist's advice and have regained my strength and have more flexibility than before. However I'm still not able to throw discs backhand without soreness (or pain -- never quite sure how to tell the 2 apart) which is the main reason I had the surgery in the 1st place!

I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience and had any advice for modifying my throw or anything else I could do to. I tried searching the forums but was having a hard time filtering the results and finding anything useful.

Any advice, pointers to articles, etc would be most, most welcome. Not ready to give up on this sport yet...

Ross

 

[sidewinder22]

Have you video recorded your throw? You could ask the DG Dr:
https://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130674

 

[DavidSauls]

Man, that's a long time. I think I'd get a follow-up with a surgeon.

I had shoulder surgery for a torn labrum in 2004, and I remember that for a couple of years, I would occasionally have discomfort in it; when I did, I would immediately quit playing, even tournaments, out of extreme caution. But it had been consistent, I'd have been checking the warranty on it because, like you, I only endured the surgery to play disc golf.

 

[Monocacy]

I probably tore my rotator cuff years ago. Went through a stretch of time where it hurt to throw backhand.

Reworked my throw to pull later and the problem went away. Strong-arming was rough on my shoulder. Don't know if that is the case with you but might be worth trying.

Good luck!

 

[Nubes]

I feel for you. I raced bicycles on and off for half my life and stacked up a lot of injuries over the years. I had my left shoulder completely redone from breaking my collar bone a couple from bike wrecks and every time I broke it it was destroying my rotator cuff. Im right handed but still deal with pain. There are times it feels like my entire shoulder could unravel just from being in the wrong position and then again there times I don't even notice it. I have a fake right knee and played 24 holes on Saturday and that is literally the 2-3 round I have played in about 10 years. My knee held up well but my back and throwing arm ached but what surprised me the most was my rebuilt left non throwing shoulder hurt worse from me lifting and setting down my bag that round than throwing a disc all day? I used to play a lot and grew up playing disc golf so I was hoping most of my pain was from using muscles that aren't used to that movement from years of not playing? Fitness wont be an issue because I started riding again about 2 months ago and have been getting in at least 4 days a week and just pounding hills mostly at the moment. But yeah, I understand your pain but that seems like a long time. I recovered fairly fast and was surprised it wasnt as bad as I thought it would be? We're all different and heal different. Rehab is HUGE and scar tissue is your biggest enemy. you may want to have a follow with another doctor? The right workout could help too. the stronger the muscles are in that area could help support your shoulder even that much more. Dr Kremchek did my shoulder and hes supposed to be one of the best around. He does a lot of pro athletes, especially pitchers. I was at rehab with Matt Latos more than once when they did some type of experimental stem cell surgery on his throwing arm. Hes a pretty cool dude actually! lol but anyways, good luck and get that thing looked at again!

 

[Three Putt]

I tore my rotator cuff last March. I'm at that age where they don't fix things, they just give you exercises and tell you to take Ibuprofen and cope. I couldn't comb my hair right-handed for a couple of months. I had to have somebody help me put on a shirt. The soreness threw off my whole upper body; my neck ached constantly. I was like that through July. I got to where I could kinda-sorta throw RHBH again in October, but the pain/soreness would shut me down for a few days after throwing. At this point I'm used to it enough to throw on back-to-back days most of the time. The pain/soreness is just the new normal.

Hopefully since you had surgery you will have a better outcome than that. I'd get back to the Dr. since you would think that pain shouldn't still be there.

 

[Dthunderchicken]

Sadly my best advice is to back off and just enjoy the game. With my injuries (torn cuff, fractured shoulder, herniated disc and the effing arthritis) I've accepted that my game will never be what it once was. It's been years but I still keep up with the rehab therapy. Mostly the stretching. If I don't my shoulder gets pretty stiff. To keep the pain down I've gone to lighter and slower discs. And I don't even try to throw far. (Although last week I parked a 370' downhill drive. That felt good.)

 

[Three Putt]

Sadly my best advice is to back off and just enjoy the game. With my injuries (torn cuff, fractured shoulder, herniated disc and the effing arthritis) I've accepted that my game will never be what it once was. It's been years but I still keep up with the rehab therapy. Mostly the stretching. If I don't my shoulder gets pretty stiff. To keep the pain down I've gone to lighter and slower discs. And I don't even try to throw far. (Although last week I parked a 370' downhill drive. That felt good.)

A long time ago I had to decide if I liked playing disc golf enough to accept that my scores were just going to get higher. The herniated disc/old knee injuries combo meant I just wasn't going to get better, and as those conditions worsened so would my scores. The torn rotator cuff added a new layer to that, along with some foot problems that are new. Pain and high scores are the new normal.

What are you going to do, stay home on the couch? I just don't keep score anymore. I'll do something in a round like hit chains on a tricky long upshot and it feels good. I don't really care that it didn't stick anymore. I'm just throwing for the fun of it. You can't put a number on fun.

A lot of people on this forum will be faced with that decision someday. It's just life. We get old. At some point the doctor is going to stop trying to fix things, give you 1/2 hour of stretching exercises and that's just what you do to get through the day. That and a bunch of Ibuprofen.

 

[ross]

Thanks everyone -- super helpful. Right now the pain seems to be at the end of my backhand throw when my arm is extended. So I'm thinking I *may* need to shorten up my throw -- i.e. not extend all the way?

 

[slowplastic]

Thanks everyone -- super helpful. Right now the pain seems to be at the end of my backhand throw when my arm is extended. So I'm thinking I *may* need to shorten up my throw -- i.e. not extend all the way?

Take video of your throw. When my balance wasn't as good I would finish with my chest facing the target and my arm would swing around fully behind my body....my right pec and shoulder would be so tired from the follow throughs for the next day. With better balance I end up with my left shoulder facing my line and my arm away from it...so my arm ended up parallel to my shoulders instead of behind my back. The answer in my case wasn't "follow through less" or shorter, it was "follow through correctly". And I got there by being in better balance during X-step and into my throw. Follow through is a result of everything else.

Again I do not want to tell you anything that will cause you issues, but if you are throwing anyways take video if you want help.

 

[Three Putt]

Thanks everyone -- super helpful. Right now the pain seems to be at the end of my backhand throw when my arm is extended. So I'm thinking I *may* need to shorten up my throw -- i.e. not extend all the way?

Yeah, I'd still check with the Dr. That "not being able to extend" is what surgery should have fixed I would think. I mean I know exactly what you mean, I'm suffering through the same thing. You have to extend your arm, though. You can't short-arm it and get very good results. At least I can't.

 

[Dthunderchicken]

Thanks everyone -- super helpful. Right now the pain seems to be at the end of my backhand throw when my arm is extended. So I'm thinking I *may* need to shorten up my throw -- i.e. not extend all the way?

Do you do stick stretches? One of the rehab stretches I still do involves taking a stick in my non injured hand. I then place my injured arm out to my side, shoulder height, elbow bent 90 degrees pointing up. I then engage the palm with the stick. I then I push back till the shoulder is slightly tight and hold. If I don't do this regularly I have pain at the end of my backhand.

 

[Dthunderchicken]

That and a bunch of Ibuprofen.

Next time you see a doc, maybe ask about Meloxicam. One tablet in the morning and I'm good till night. I've tried and I can't get through a day without it. It's not an over the counter deal but it's cheaper than ibuprofen.

https://www.medicinenet.com/ibuprof...loxicam_mobic_quick_comparison_of_differences

 

[2naphish]

i went through this whole scenario minus the surgery from a motorcycle accident in the 80's. couldn't raise my right hand above chest level for a couple of years. the pain and soreness was almost intolerable. then i witnessed Scott Stokely drive forehand. tried it and i have been throwing that way for at least 15 years. i still throw backhand upshots and putt backhand ( under 150 ft max).

it took me a few years to get it figured out but i now score consistently better and enjoy the game as much or more as i ever did. for me it was "adapt and overcome" or walk away. good luck with your recovery.

 

[Disc Golf Doctor]

Take video of your throw. When my balance wasn't as good I would finish with my chest facing the target and my arm would swing around fully behind my body....my right pec and shoulder would be so tired from the follow throughs for the next day. With better balance I end up with my left shoulder facing my line and my arm away from it...so my arm ended up parallel to my shoulders instead of behind my back. The answer in my case wasn't "follow through less" or shorter, it was "follow through correctly". And I got there by being in better balance during X-step and into my throw. Follow through is a result of everything else.

Again I do not want to tell you anything that will cause you issues, but if you are throwing anyways take video if you want help.

Yeah, like a lot of people have said:
1. It depends on your form and your specific limitations
2. Do not try to shorten your follow through, that would just throw something else off. Work on follow through correctly.

Also:
3. What exercises have you been doing? Sometimes people are missing something that is critical. Though it is hard to be certain without examining your shoulder.
4. When you started back up, how did you begin? full round? long course? high speed drivers? Total shot in the dark, but you may need to slowly build up over time.

 

[ChiCubs]

So I went through the exact same surgery back in December of 2014. Rotator cuff, bicep tendon, and labrum. Rehab was brutal but by July of 2015 I was able to hit he course again and throw. I am happy to say still to this day since surgery I have zero pain. I did put emphasis on my follow through. Following through is key if you want to avoid tearing or ripping anything again. I throw at about 85-90% power just to be on the safe side. As far as exercises, I continue to use the rubber bands for strengthening the shoulders and do push ups as well as curls for biceps and triceps. All is tight and pain free. Good luck my man!