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Rotator Cuff Surgery & Riding

Mick

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Location
Weatherford, Texas
Had rotator cuff surgery 1 1/2 weeks ago. Full thickness tear (NOT due to accident). If anyone has had this surgery, how long was it before you were able to ride and how long was it before you were able do long distance, multi day rides with no problem?

BTW, I have an '00 VFR and ST1100, both with helibars if that's important.
 
:popcorn:
getting an MRI and cort injection on mine next week
 
I had detached cartilage (about 70%) in my shoulder several years ago. Not the same injury as rotator cuff (which is muscle). I was about 3 or 4 months into my physical therapy before I even ventured on my bike.
 
It may depend on the type of riding you want to do. I'd think that weight forward on a set of clip-ons could be tough, while riding in a more relaxed position could come a bit quicker. Had my hip replaced, and though I was back to work in 13 days, it took a long time, before I could manage riding anything resembling a sport bike.

I think it will be the soreness from the surgical wound that will keep you off the bike rather than the repaired bits initially. Then it will be a matter of range of motion.

Rotator cuff, hip joint; definitely different parts, but I would expect similar challenges with respect to dealing with "tightness" after the docs have cut through the muscle, even if it is arthroscopic.
 
My dad went through this about 2 years ago, he bought his V-strom about 3 days after the surgery while his arm was still in a sling, it sat at the dealer for another 3 or 4 weeks and then he rode it home, but then it sat again for another few weeks. I would not even THINK about getting back on a bike after surgery until I felt like I was at least back to 90% strength. One wrong move where some cager decides that he wants your lane more than you need it and you are done for, a hard jerk like that required to make a hard avoidance maneuver could be the end of your rotator cuff for good!
 
I have worked with a lot of folks after surgery like this, some of them were riders.
I would expect 12 weeks minimum, with a good physical program for strength and flexibility.
This could be longer if there are any setbacks or strains along the way so be careful with it.

All the best with the recovery, be safe.
Mack
 
Thanks everybody for your input. As it looks now, I think it will probably be late spring or early summer before I can ride again :argh: and maybe that's pushing it. We'll see.

All this has me wondering whether or not I should sell the two bikes I've got and just get one light weight one (under 500#) that sits more upright than the two I have (and thus be easier on my shoulders). Not sure what bike that would be but I may be investigating it soon. I wouldn't mind having something like a DL650a but I'm a shorty at 5' 8 1/2" and I know for a fact I can't flat foot it. We'll see.
 
I had mine repaired 3 weeks ago.Only a partial tear with a split labrum.I should be released to go back to work in early January,so I'll start riding again then.
 
I wouldn't mind having something like a DL650a but I'm a shorty at 5' 8 1/2" and I know for a fact I can't flat foot it. We'll see.


I put lowering links on the DL650 when we had one. It was too short for me but just right the wife.
This means you will not make the BBQ RTE next month?
 
I put lowering links on the DL650 when we had one. It was too short for me but just right the wife.
This means you will not make the BBQ RTE next month?

Yeah, won't be able to make it Dave. I was looking forward to it too. Maybe next year.
 
I had a major tear from a slip and fall. My surgery was a 2-3 inch incision. My tear was very big and for an old guy no promises were made. But it went well. 2 months of pt and home rehab.

I ride/race offroad, had surgery mid Jan and raced my first race in early May! Probably started riding in April. I asked my therapist in March if I could ride easy that w/e, she said not no but **** NO! But of course they probably don't want you on a bike anyway!

Word of caution, a lot of people rush this and have a 2nd surgery, do not push it as it is easy to tear again!

As far as long distance that might take longer as it takes a year to fully recover imo.

Good luck!

Pops
 
As far as long distance that might take longer as it takes a year to fully recover imo.

I'm hearing roughly this same thing elsewhere. As much I hate to, looks like I may have to sell my long distance machine (ST1100). No sense in having a bike that just sits there for a year or more.
 
I had a pretty serious rotator cuff tear repaired on July 16. They had to clean out some arthritis casued by breaking my shoulder over 20 years ago, smooth up the cartilage on the bottom of the joint and reattach the muscles that had torn away. Bicep muscles were not damaged. My Dr. specializes in sports medicine and he said it was a really bad tear. I have been riding my bikes for about a month now, but no long distance rides and I am being very, very cautious. I ride a Kaw Concours with Heli Bars, so I don't have a lot of weight on my shoulders.

I have been going to therapy three times a week since August 1, and it still hurts really bad to put my arm above my head. From shoulder level down, no problem, not very strong yet, but it does not hurt down low. Bicep atrophy is pretty bad, muscle is virtually non existant. I am doing bicep curls to try to get that back.

You best prepare yourself for the therapy. The first two weeks hurt so bad it would make me sick to the point I had to lie down to keep from passing out. It still hurts so bad when the therapist stretches me that it brings tears to my eyes, and that's 4 months later!!

I am 63 years old, so that does not help, AND, this damage was done in 1988 when I fell on some ice and broke my shoulder. I should have had it repaired then and I never even went to the doctor. Did not know that I had broken it until the MRI in July.

Good luck!

Wayne
 
I had a pretty serious rotator cuff tear repaired on July 16. <snip> I have been riding my bikes for about a month now,

That fits with what I've been hearing as to a time frame for getting back on the road.

Bicep atrophy is pretty bad, muscle is virtually non existant.

This is not something that my doc had mentioned but I've already experienced it to some degree. I was able to take my sling off the other day (9 days after the operation) just to do exercises and when I tried to lift my forearm from a vertical position it felt like it weighed 50 lbs! Weird sensation.

You best prepare yourself for the therapy. The first two weeks hurt so bad it would make me sick to the point I had to lie down to keep from passing out.

I'm a long way yet from being ready to do PT but have been doing simple range of motion exercises at home since Thursday. Even such simple exercises are more painful than I would have thought. Guess my shoulder didn't like being hacked on.


I am 63 years old, so that does not help,

Yeah, I'm 62. At our age, I suspect our bodies don't heal quite as fast as they would have 20 years ago.

Good luck with your PT!
 
No rotator cuff here but some abdominal surgery. I could have been back on the bike but the little voice in the back of my head told me to rethink it. Some light riding would have been nice but having to stop quick and catch the weight of the bike hard on one leg or the other or heaven forbid I had to pick up the bike would have set me back even further. Patience is such a pain when the other voice is saying, "awww come on, just a trip to the store and back....what could go wrong??"
 
Word of caution, a lot of people rush this and have a 2nd surgery, do not push it as it is easy to tear again!

As far as long distance that might take longer as it takes a year to fully recover imo.

Neither of these make for a pleasant thought.
 
I had surgery on my shoulder for a SLAP (Superior Labrum from Anterior to Posterior) tear. I ride a cruiser so I was back riding 5 weeks after my first shoulder surgery (had two!). To be honest, I couldn’t imagine doing so if I rode a bike with a forward-lean riding position. My therapist thought I was nuts for riding but did admit that riding would accelerate my healing…as long as I didn’t crash.

kevin...

btw, I am a VERY poor patient and would recommend that you follow your doctor's advice.
 
Mick, I wore a sling for 6 weeks. Started Therapy three times a week at the beginning of the third week. They start you out very slowly, (which hurt so badly it made me very sick) and work up. After almost 4 months of 3 X wk, it still hurts like h$ll but no longer makes me sick. There is no other way to get the range of motion back. You just have to grit your teeth and try not to pass out. (My son works for the surgeon that fixed my shoulder and his recommendation was to get a therapist that is about 6'5" tall, about 280with hair 3 inches long on the back of his knuckles. At least then you will have a reason to be crying like a baby. So what did I draw: a 96 lb. pregnant girl, and she still has me writhing in pain using only a couple of fingers.)
I still cannot sleep lying flat in a bed. I sleep in a recliner. I could sleep lying down as long as I had the sling, but not since. The only way I can sleep lying down is to take two vicodin and they will knock me out for several hours, but most of the time I just sleep setting up in a recliner and forget the pain pills. Of all the other folks I have talked to that had this surgery, most had the same problem for several months.
I am probably the best patient they have every had. I do what I am told no matter how badly it hurts. I shoot competitive archery but WILL NOT draw a bow until they say so. It has been 5 months since I had my bow strung up.
As long as my arms are below chest level, everything feels fine, weak, but no pain. Anything over my head is difficult.

Good luck, not trying to scare you, just relating my experience and trying to prepare you. My doc said a minimum of 9 months, possibly 12 to get completely healed but mine was very badly torn.

Wayne
 
Good luck, not trying to scare you, just relating my experience and trying to prepare you. My doc said a minimum of 9 months, possibly 12 to get completely healed but mine was very badly torn.


Thanks for relating your experience Wayne. What you're telling me fit's with what I'm hearing elsewhere. Bottom line from everything that I've read is that recovery is not going to be fun and will take a year before I'm back to 100%.
 
I had an Anterior Reconstruction 6 weeks with an immoblizer then physical therapy started and 6weeks with a regular sling, 1year before I was back on a bicycle or MC. I'm sure you have heard this enough times already, but "Do what the physical therapist tells you".
 
Is there a doctor in the house? I have a question concerning motorcycle riding and it’s effect on shoulder health… read on.

Today marked my 6th month since rotator cuff repair surgery and I just had a checkup today with the surgeon. The doc said that the shoulder was healed and that I could return to doing normal activities (I will however continue therapy for a while to keep stretching and loosening things back up). When he told me this I immediately said, does this mean I’m OK enough to ride motorcycles? The reaction on his face was immediate. He went on a tear about how he didn’t like motorcycles and mumbled something about how I’d be right back in his office with the same problems I had before the surgery, especially if I "fall off". I questioned him as to whether there was something inherent in riding a motorcycle that caused rotator cuff problems. He sputtered and mumbled for a few seconds. Then as if grabbing something out of the air he said "the vibration".

I knew from speaking with the physical therapists that he was against motorcycles so I wasn’t too surprised but I was a bit surprised at the strength of his reaction. It’s also because of the strength of his reaction and his seeming grasping for words that I’m a bit skeptical about what he said.

If you’re a doc reading this, is there really something about riding motorcycles that is bad enough on the shoulders that it could cause rotator cuff problems?

If you’ve had this surgery, what did your doc say when you popped the question to him, "Can I return to riding motorcycles again"?

I look forward to your replies as this is really bothering me. I can’t say it never occurred to me that my riding over the last 11 years may have had something to do with my shoulder problems. I did after all make the decision to finally have the operation while returning from a 6000 mile, two week trip last summer. It was on that trip that both my shoulders bothered me for the first time while riding.

My shoulders had been bothering me for several years but when it started affecting my riding, I figured it was time to go under the knife. Now I’m unsure what to do after what the doc said. Riding is my only real passion in life but I absolutely do not want to have to go back through another one of these operations needlessly. The recovery from rotator cuff repair surgery is LONG, painful and eats up every single spare minute of you life. It is not fun.
 
If you’ve had this surgery, what did your doc say when you popped the question to him, "Can I return to riding motorcycles again"?

I remember that question, except I was asking about dirt bikes and surfing. Oh, and I was 19 when I had my anterior reconstruction on my right shoulder. My doctor went on a similar tirad about not want me to destroy his hard work and ended with "as long as you don't fall off, avoid jumps, or anything that would jar your body then you will be fine and don't tell my wife (the head nurse in his office)"

He and my now deceased Orthodontist (Dr. Harris) both had it in their heads that dirt bikes were dangerous and that 4wheeler were much safer.
 
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