new to the thread and was looking up some threads on the subject but only found old ones. Any way I have a small tear in the subscapularis and a bone spur the pain started roughly 5 months ago. Been going to PT for a couple of months and have to say it’s improved the continuous pain portion but i still cannot do any ballistic KB work or benching and pullups. I also am developing pain in the bicep, pec and lat on the injured side my PT has me easing back into a light program he thinks the pain is from overcompensation…floor presses and the like on top of shoulder rehab stuff but i am totally bored and freaking out cuz it feels like this nightmare will never end. I am seeing a new ortho this week and will find out more about possible surgery. I just wanted to know the pro’s and cons of surgery anyone who’s been in my shoes I would really appreciate the insight
Anyone???
I thought I might have a rotator cuff tear, I was waiting a week for MRI results, while I was waiting I was looking for options other then surgery, and I was reading about Regenexx. Maybe look into that.
I had a full thickness tear off the bone of the supraspinatus. Surgical repair with five anchors was very successful. I’m 17 months out and benching full strength. Can squat, DL, and chin fine. OHPing is slow but still coming back. Not sure I’d go the surgery route if you only have a minor tear, but find a good sports orthopedist. One you can trust.
A timely topic. Just last week I completed surgery for a torn supraspinatus tendon, torn tendon in the long head of the bicep, and some labrum damage.
It all started a couple of years ago when bench pressing using a machine (never again!). My immediate response was to avoid the machines and the pain went away–for a while. But it kept returning on different pushing exercises. It gradually forced me to trim back the number and kind of exercises I could do. I finally got to a point where I couldn’t even do a darn push-up; couldn’t ride a mountain bike without a sudden bump causing searing pain.
I tried PT. But relief there was only temporary.
I finally bit the bullet when it was explained to me that: 1) Torn tendons rarely heal on their own and, 2) I was quite likely only going to cause further damage to my cuff if I kept going. This is the overcompensation issue you mentioned, OP.
Obviously OP, if you can get relief from PT alone, that’s best. As my own PT put it, you can try to strengthen some of the adjacent tissues. But be on guard for further injury like you’re noticing.
If you do go for surgery, look for a doctor who does hundreds of these per year. That’s what you want–the kind of guy who focuses on shoulders and does them all week long.