Post-Op Shoulder Surgery, does this sound normal?

[Stryfe]

A year ago I got in a motorcycle accident where I landed on my arm and tore my posterior labrum in my right shoulder. On September 26th of last year I got arthroscopic surgery on my right shoulder. I was in a sling for one month and did physical therapy for 2 months, at which point my doctor said I could take what I learned and just do it at home, and at 4 months I can lift normal again if I felt no pain. At 4 months I felt no pain so I began to lift normal again. My shoulder mobility is amazing compared to what it was pre-op but it is still nowhere near my left(good) arm.

I am now 6 months post-op, I still have "clicking" in my shoulder, and I can kind of make it grind in there by moving my shoulder in weird positions which I can't do with my left(good) arm. I went and had a follow-up today with the same doctor and he said I just have to "live with it," and that's the nature of shoulder injuries/surgeries.

My shoulder hasn't dislocated since my surgery, and the doctor tried to make me feel pain today and was unsuccessful, which IS a good thing, but I do feel more discomfort in my surgery arm than my non surgery arm when he is moving my arm in those ways. He said at 6 months it's pretty much as good as its going to get, but I've read online that it takes like a year....

Opinions?

 

[nicksox15]

I had a slap tear surgery to repair my shoulder. Was a huge tear and I now have four anchors. I definitely didn't feel 100% at 6 months but I was able to lift. It's been over a year now for me and besides the occasional click I feel good as new. It's definitely a slow road

 

[kjscatch]

My shoulder has never been the same as before when I had surgery 2 years ago but I can lift pain free and that's all that matters to me. Don't stop PT on it is my only recommendation. Mine tightens up when I don't continue to do my exercises a few times a week.

 

[Stryfe]

I had a slap tear surgery to repair my shoulder. Was a huge tear and I now have four anchors. I definitely didn't feel 100% at 6 months but I was able to lift. It's been over a year now for me and besides the occasional click I feel good as new. It's definitely a slow road

My shoulder has never been the same as before when I had surgery 2 years ago but I can lift pain free and that's all that matters to me. Don't stop PT on it is my only recommendation. Mine tightens up when I don't continue to do my exercises a few times a week.

Thanks to you both, repped both of ya.

I was thinking that 6 months wasnt that long. I really hope that when i get to one year I am up to where you are at, Nick. My good arm has the occasional click which I think is normal. I can throw that thing around like a wild animal and it never has any pain whatsoever.

KJ, that makes me worried that I'll never be 100% like I used to be. I have some slight shoulder discomfort in my surgery shoulder on chest days and what not. I hope it subsides with time. I am very focused on proper form, shoulder packing, etc, to prevent shoulder injury. It's crazy how conscious/aware of your form an injury will make you be.

All I know is that if I threw my right arm back really hard, as if I was doing some kind of spinning backfist, I know for a fact my arm would pop and clank and be hurting like hell afterwards. (I havent tried LOL, I can just tell it would hurt by the way it behaves on the daily.)

 

[kjscatch]

When I mean as before, it's because I tore it throwing a dang dodgeball and haven't thrown vigorously since. Scare to haha. I think once I did it would stretch/tear some more of that scar tissue. I love baseball and haven't played it since surgery. I want to play this summer but need to get on a throwing program.

 

[nicksox15]

For me I'm pretty timid too, I have really long arms and haven't had full ROM on bench since its happened, I just can't get to my chest on any significant weights. Can get close

 

[iceman99uc]

I had a slap tear repaired around 6 years ago. It was a minor slap tear that required no anchors. I had roughly same rehab schedule as OP. Sling for 1 months, 2 months PT. I wasn't really comfortable w everything till roughly a year or so later.

There is still some discomfort from time to time. But for me, I had spent 7 years w a torn ligament so I don't really remember the pre-injury feeling. I feel like the area that was repaired will get more sore than my other shoulder if overworked, but I don't have any other issues

 

[napalm]

I've had 5 shoulder surgeries. Detached supra and infra on both sides, and slap tears on both sides. 12 bone anchors total.

The key to getting back where you were prior to surgery is patience. Don't try to rush rehab and dive right back into weight training. Know beforehand where you should be 4 weeks, 8 weeks 12 weeks etc post op, make a plan w your PT and stick to it. Your doc won't turn you loose until 16 weeks so work your balls off in PT.

It took 3 1/2 years, but my bench is stronger now than it was pre my last repair which was in 2011.

Good luck...

 

[napalm]

And the clicking sound you hear means nothing in and of itself.

Get used to it...

 

[Swolbraham]

never had shoulder issues but have had Tommy John reconstructive surgery on my right elbow and two broken femurs for my right leg with surgery 3x. While I feel much better and definitely am better, there are days it'll act up and ache. It'll happen my man, unfortunately. But it's better than being miserable and not being able to train at all.

My advice would be to take it slow, and definitely keep strengthening the smaller stabilizing muscle (rotator cuff, labrum, teres minor, infraspinatus) using the PT work they gave you. Not only will it help you stay healthy, but can help with certain lifts with better stability

 

[zlightning]

I am a little late posting but yes clicking is normal. I still have it in my left shoulder because of scar tissue. Take your recovery easy you don't want to be in that sling again. Slowly go up in weight and continue to do your rehab exercises. Almost two years later and I'm still doing the rehab exercises to ensure the shoulder stays strong. My shoulder feels great now too. I actually have surgery set for this Friday to repair my right shoulder.

 

[xtoob]

New to the forum, and I notice that this is an old thread. I've had a total shoulder replacement. Shoulders take a long time to heal and can be painful. I agree with keeping up with your PT, and more important than weight is range of motion. Every time I have pain I go back to ROM and ice until I have full range w/o pain before going back to strength exercise. Keep inflammation in check with diet and supplements. Inflammation involves immune response and in individuals like myself with a family history of OA immune response often leads to joint destruction.

 

[LionelRichie]

My shoulder has never been the same as before when I had surgery 2 years ago but I can lift pain free and that's all that matters to me. Don't stop PT on it is my only recommendation. Mine tightens up when I don't continue to do my exercises a few times a week.

how old were you when you had the surgery? my arthrogram showed a SLAP tear and I've heard horror stories about the recovery. I can't do any chest exercises right now but can kind of do just about everything else. I'm trying to figure out if the surgery and recovery is worth the effort (i.e. will i ever be able to do bench/incline/military) or if i should just go the PT / rehab route and live with the SLAP lesion.

i've also read about bicep tenodesis instead of the SLAP repair surgery for someone my age (40).

any input is appreciated.

 

[YouBet33]

I've have had labrum surgery on both shoulders. My right shoulder has a six inch scar due to the fact that they couldn't fix it with just a scope, I had a similar clicking in my left shoulder post surgery after a few games of college football, we went in and my shoulder doc cleaned it out, i had a little bit of cartilage floating in my shoulder joint, no tear but the clicking went away. I am now done with college football and my shoulder joints have never felt better haha, they click during my major upper body lifts like bench and barbell shoulder press but I have built up those muscles surrounding the shoulder so much that pain is not a problem. If clicking hurts I would see a different doctor. Everyone's gonna have a different opinion about it!