Shoulder separation recovery

[co-exprs]

Looking for input, or maybe just a support group. Not sure which, or maybe both. I used to be one of those guys who really did dry fire practice, draws and reloads 3-4 nights a week on my long, hard won journey to being a mediocre pistol shooter. Eventually I developed the requisite tendonitis in my elbows and had to stop with the dry fire practice for about a year. Of course that quickness of draw gradually degraded and my reloads also gradually degraded. 2012 was my take a break from serious pistol shooting year. I hit it hard this spring and summer, intending to work back up to my peak performance of 2011. Just as I was starting to get back into the swing of things, I fell while mountain biking and dislocated my strong side shoulder. I gingerly shot the Rocky Mountain 3gun in Aug with a very tender right side and a heavy rifle, but the injury forced me to slow down a bit which, oddly enough, helped me be more consistent and I still shot well at the match. My shoulder is healing and feels much better, but I still have some lingering pain, especially if I sleep on it wrong or when making sudden movements with my right arm. Probably the biggest impact to my shooting has come from pistol draws. that is probably the one place where my shoulder is forced to move quickly with wide angles and with the load of a 3lb pistol in my hand. Once the pistol is out and blazing, I feel good. I've never been a speed demon so consistent 1sec draws on a 10" target at 10yds is about as good as I've ever been. Now after 12 weeks since the injury, I am back to a consistent 1.5ish sec draw. I can go a little faster but it hurts. Doc says I really can't re-injure my shoulder by drawing, but also falls back on the old "if it hurts then don't do it". I'm a rough and tumble sort and have fallen down lots. My first shoulder separation though and it seems like a longer recovery than it should be. Admittedly I am at that middle age where injuries start to come more easily and recovery takes longer, but this still seems like a bit longer than it should. Or maybe I'm just impatient... I don't know. I mean, Riggs can pop his shoulder back in and then go kick Jet Lee's tail right away. Any of you fellow competitors out there had to deal with this? Were there any exercises you did to help you get back on the shooting wagon? It's the end of the season, so I guess I have all winter to get it all worked out, but if I get to May of next year and still can't draw for poop, I will be seriously disgruntled.

[Butterpuc]

Sorry friend. I hate to say this but... Shoulder injuries never go away. I dislocated my right (dominate) shoulder during a football game back in high school 20 years ago. I had to stop playing every sport that required lifting my arm above my shoulder, which includes no throwing motions! I lost my collegiate tennis scholarship also. During college, I finally had enough, I couldn't even play intramural sports! I had dislocated it at least a dozen times after the original injury. I had it repaired with orthoscopic surgery, come to find out ligaments and rotator cuffs don't repair themselves! Huh, who would have thought?

After the surgery, the therapy is very painful for the first 2-4 months. They normally place your arm in an "immobilizer" for 6 weeks. Think of a sling that straps your arm to your stomach, it's really not uncomfortable just hot. Zero movement allowed, you will have to sleep in a recliner for a while. The physical therapy is painful, but they are stretching ligaments that don't want to be stretched, which is part of re-gaining your "Range Of Motion". Once your range of motion is doing well, you can start weight training, and yes I'm talking about 0.5-1.0 pound weights! And they HURT!

I had a very successful surgery and recovery for sports. After the surgery, and a couple more years in college I joined the Army National Guard. During a training exercise at Fort Knox the rear hatch of a M3 Bradley slammed down on my left arm, while I was trying to hold it up... Guess what? Dislocated it! Dang it!

The short story is, it was my choice to continue my service with the Army NG after shoulder surgery on my weak arm or receive an honorary discharge. I chose to not have left shoulder operated on didn't want to go through that again. Had it been my right shoulder I would have had it repaired again.

[GreenDragon64]

I might can get my hands on some protocols since I interned with Dr. Andrews in Birmingham. Pm me.

[coordinator]

I can sympathize with your situation. I've had a back fusion with all the hardware and then I received a complete knee replacement this past February. It requires patience to come back from the repairs. It probably won't be like it was before the injury. However, it sure beats the alternative. We are competitive by nature or we wouldn't be playing this sport. It will get better, but you're going to have to be patient and give it time. Arnica, available at the health food store, has been a great help for me. It's a healthy alternative to the pain killers. Good luck with your recovery.

[toothguy]

I tore my support side shoulder just before the Bianchi cup in 2012. My left shoulder was so weak I could barely lift it, and when I did the deltoid muscles would tremor. I started physical therapy because I still had good range of motion, but talk to your Dr. and see what your options are. The shoulder exercises and stretches are pretty standard and any good physical therapist can help you. I also worked with my D.O. and he gave me cortisone injections every 2-3 months. Even with the cortisone you will need a good anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen) after therapy, so you won't hurt to bad the next day. The weights are very light and you need to warm the area with Icy Hot before you start. My shoulder is much better but still not 100%, it may never be. Once you injure your shoulder and cause a tear the healing process causes scar tissue to form so the repair is not as strong as it was. You need to keep doing the exercises to strengthen the joint muscles and protect from future injury. Stop bench presses and push ups you will only further damage the joint. You will need to do something like a pec deck for chest exercises. Hope this helps, Butterpuc is right "shoulder injuries never go away".

Edited October 16, 2013 by toothguy

[Andreas]

I partially separated my left shoulder in a mountain biking accident when I was in my mid 30s, about five years ago. It took a couple of weeks until I was able to load it with any kind of weight, but it still clicks & pops and does weird stuff to this day.

My therapy consisted of ice and laying off any chest exercises for a few weeks. It took a couple months before I was able to load up serious weight on bench press.

I suspect that recovery potential depends on age. I had far worse accidents earlier in life and they don't trouble me nearly as much.

[co-exprs]

That popping in my shoulder never goes away? I did therapy for a few weeks. Doc looked at it when I was done and said "I'd tell you to take it easy but that would be wasted breath". "When you separate it again, you go under the knife". Not being able to perform the way I want to, just makes me perturbed. Well sounds like the long recovery is normal. Damn.

[Ken_Bird]

Yep, full torn rotator also from a fall. I will tell you that is the worse pain I have ever been through. I had the sling just like you all talk about, no arm movement for 6 weeks. Slept in the recliner four four months. Rehab, so yes that was a real pleasure. My shooting went to shi? it's now almost 10 months later, and I am back shooting. I will say the first day shooting the shotgun was such a treat. When my range of motion got better then my shooting did. Notice I said better not back to how it was. My scores went from the upper 10% of scores at my club to the bottom. I am just now a few better then the bottom and as long as that 90 year old grandmother stay in there shooting then I am getting better. This has been a real bitch. I also, note that my shooting buddies loose patience with me not being able to help set up and tear down. I am doing good to hold up my shotgun. Oh well another day another dollar. Hope all you guys get well and back to shooting.

[johnsons1480]

I tore some cartilage my sophomore year of high school in football. Had my first shoulder surgery. Then I took Cortisone shots every other week to make it through junior and senior year. Then I got diagnosed with avascular necrosis. So right after graduation, I had surgery #2. Then my sophomore year of college, I had #3. The prior two were arthroscopic, this one was a large cut straight across the front. They put in some donor cartilage, some flesh from my leg, smoothed out my ball joint (where the necrosis was), covered that and the anterior caplet back up, and sewed me up. It was an experimental procedure, I saw the doctor a few years later and he said he wrote about it in a text book because it went so well. Six weeks in an imobilizer, 9 months of therapy, and a year and a half later the doctor cleared me for full activity.

All that to say, it still hurts when the weather changes (like today), and the popping and grinding has never gone away. I feel your pain! Hope you can get back to shooting sooner rather than later.