Recommend Some Post Labrum Surgery Activities

[GoNiners!]

Hi Folks,

I am going in for rotator cuff surgery next Monday February 28th. Assuming everything goes according to plan, it will be outpatient surgery, with no showering for 3 days post op and 6 weeks in a sling. After the arm is out of the sling I can start going back to my normal routine acclimating myself to the range of motion doing super light weights.

I am a heavy duty weightlifter and am looking for ideas on what to do to stay active. I am not a runner and don't really fiddle around with cardio as it bores the hell out of me.

My gym does have a lap pool but I need to check to see how shallow it is. I was thinking of just walking laps in the lap pool if the water is shallow enough.

Worse comes to worse I can just walk on the treadmill at a slow pace but I was hoping to do something more interesting.

I appreciate any info you guys can toss my way. Also, for those who have gone through rotator cuff surgery, any tips or pointers you can share would also be appreciated.

Thanks,

Z

 

[eits]

you really should go in to see a physical therapist... don't do it on your own. you're gonna screw it up.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

you really should go in to see a physical therapist... don't do it on your own. you're gonna screw it up.

This is exactly what I came to do tell you.

Not only can a physical therapist give you highly aimed exercises, but he/she can address other issues you're likely to have. The PT you have should focus on scar alignment, maintaining capsular flexibility, maintaining muscular flexibility, fixing any biomechanical issues that caused your rotator cuff injury in the first place, etc. I've seen people try to do it on their own and they have limited ROM for the rest of their lives. Just go to PT - it'll take 4-8 weeks to do some great work. The earlier the PT can see you, the better chance you have of a normal rotator cuff post-surgery.

 

[rcpratt]

I don't think he's necessarily looking for DIY PT, but rather other things he can do to stay active that have little or nothing to do with the upper body.

 

[GoNiners!]

My apologies for not being clear. I will be going to see a physical therapist as part of rehab after surgery. I do not plan on rehabbing on my own.

I just wanted to know if there was anything else you guys would recommend for me to do to stay active. I have a pretty set rhythm in my daily routine. I wake up around 3:30 in the morning, stretch, take whatever supplements/vitamins, shower, hit the gym 60-90 minutes, shower again, and then go to work.

I was just wondering if there was anything else I could do for that 60-90 minute part of my day since I would no longer be lifting weights for a while.

 

[eits]

My apologies for not being clear. I will be going to see a physical therapist as part of rehab after surgery. I do not plan on rehabbing on my own.

I just wanted to know if there was anything else you guys would recommend for me to do to stay active. I have a pretty set rhythm in my daily routine. I wake up around 3:30 in the morning, stretch, take whatever supplements/vitamins, shower, hit the gym 60-90 minutes, shower again, and then go to work.

I was just wondering if there was anything else I could do for that 60-90 minute part of my day since I would no longer be lifting weights for a while.

if the pt want you to do anything at home, he'll tell you.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

You can do anything that doesn't require your arm - leg presses, one arm deadlift, lunges, ab-work, one-arm presses, pull-downs, etc. Doing stuff on your strong arm will actually allow you to maintain a certain level of strength in your other arm due to motor learning. You can keep your neural gains if you keep using your good arm.

 

[shortylickens]

Ask the surgeon who cut you up. In fact he should have given you a detailed recovery plan. This is serious shit and it should NOT be left up to the random thoughts of internet strangers.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Ask the surgeon who cut you up. In fact he should have given you a detailed recovery plan. This is serious shit and it should NOT be left up to the random thoughts of internet strangers.

Surgeons don't do recovery plans. Physical therapists do. They give PTs a list of surgery limitations, if any, and send the patient on their way.

<- PT student, not random thoughts.

 

[eits]

Ask the surgeon who cut you up. In fact he should have given you a detailed recovery plan. This is serious shit and it should NOT be left up to the random thoughts of internet strangers.

lol orthos don't do recovery plans. they give you names of physical therapists they'd recommend in order for them to make a recovery plan.

also, i'd avoid doing stuff at the gym with your legs, etc. almost any exercise will require a fair amount of active motion, whether it's bracing yourself, swinging your arms, holding onto something, etc... how are you going to add plates to whatever you're going to do for your legs? anything you do will aggravate the area. i would advise giving it about two weeks before you do anything at the gym.

 

[eits]

Surgeons don't do recovery plans. Physical therapists do. They give PTs a list of surgery limitations, if any, and send the patient on their way.

<- PT student, not random thoughts.

yup

 

[SociallyChallenged]

lol orthos don't do recovery plans. they give you names of physical therapists they'd recommend in order for them to make a recovery plan.

also, i'd avoid doing stuff at the gym with your legs, etc. almost any exercise will require a fair amount of active motion, whether it's bracing yourself, swinging your arms, holding onto something, etc... how are you going to add plates to whatever you're going to do for your legs? anything you do will aggravate the area. i would advise giving it about two weeks before you do anything at the gym.

There are a fair amount of machines with the stacked weights, requiring only for you to insert a pin. I agree that moving a whole lot of weight to add to a machine is not going to be optimal, but if there are leg machines requiring only for you to pin the weight you want, there shouldn't really be a downside (if you're sure not to brace).

 

[eits]

There are a fair amount of machines with the stacked weights, requiring only for you to insert a pin. I agree that moving a whole lot of weight to add to a machine is not going to be optimal, but if there are leg machines requiring only for you to pin the weight you want, there shouldn't really be a downside (if you're sure not to brace).

what leg machine could he use that doesn't require him to hold handles (activating various muscles in his arm, including his shoulder) to brace himself while he does the exercise?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

what leg machine could he use that doesn't require him to hold handles (activating various muscles in his arm, including his shoulder) to brace himself while he does the exercise?

I don't ever hold on for leg press - it's unnecessary. Also, if you can go lighter on weights for leg extensions, you can stabilize with your core alone - same for leg curls. Adductor, abductor exercises will be fine as well. Even if he doesn't want to use machines, he can do plyometric exercises or sprinting to attempt to maintain strength and agility. I've seen people do one-armed back squats, but I'm not about to suggest that. The risk isn't worth it.

 

[eits]

i always stabilize when doing leg exercises in order to isolate leg muscles and decrease strain on my knees.

plyo = use of arms
any agility = use of arms

i'm sorry man, i just respectfully disagree. i think healing should happen in his shoulder before exercising. passive rom in the shoulder is ok, but active is not, and he will be doing active rom in practically anything he does at the gym. it's just my opinion that he should probably stay clear of exercising at the gym for 2 weeks. he can still go for walks...

 

[SociallyChallenged]

i always stabilize when doing leg exercises in order to isolate leg muscles and decrease strain on my knees.

plyo = use of arms
any agility = use of arms

i'm sorry man, i just respectfully disagree. i think healing should happen in his shoulder before exercising. passive rom in the shoulder is ok, but active is not, and he will be doing active rom in practically anything he does at the gym. it's just my opinion that he should probably stay clear of exercising at the gym for 2 weeks. he can still go for walks...

There's no increase knee strain if it's a weight that's controllable for the user. Rotator cuff injuries don't restrict ALL movement. They restrict weightbearing and certain ROM's. The OP isn't going to be putting weight through the joint and plyometrics can be done without any arm involvement at all, although that's not necessary. The OP CAN use his arms, he just can't go through excessive flexion or rotation, I'll bet. Some flexion and extension won't be any problem and will likely be self-limiting because of pain.

Activity, to a certain degree, will help elicit proper healing - think of the Tension Theory. On top of that, using the ROM he has now may contribute to easier gains in ROM later down the line. Surely the blood flow will aid healing, if he doesn't overdo it. All of this AND he'll be able to maintain his current fitness as best he can. I've seen rotator cuff patients do amazing things right out of surgery - sprint faster than I could (as a damn sprinter), squat 300+lbs for 5 reps. The PT could clarify his limitations better, but in my experience, if the OP can do it with little pain and no inflammation, it'll be fine to do.

 

[eits]

There's no increase knee strain if it's a weight that's controllable for the user. Rotator cuff injuries don't restrict ALL movement. They restrict weightbearing and certain ROM's. The OP isn't going to be putting weight through the joint and plyometrics can be done without any arm involvement at all, although that's not necessary. The OP CAN use his arms, he just can't go through excessive flexion or rotation, I'll bet. Some flexion and extension won't be any problem and will likely be self-limiting because of pain.

Activity, to a certain degree, will help elicit proper healing - think of the Tension Theory. On top of that, using the ROM he has now may contribute to easier gains in ROM later down the line. Surely the blood flow will aid healing, if he doesn't overdo it. All of this AND he'll be able to maintain his current fitness as best he can. I've seen rotator cuff patients do amazing things right out of surgery - sprint faster than I could (as a damn sprinter), squat 300+lbs for 5 reps. The PT could clarify his limitations better, but in my experience, if the OP can do it with little pain and no inflammation, it'll be fine to do.

i disagree because it encourages recruitment and alters proper biomechanics. i've see a bunch of patients for shoulder adjustments and rehab because their pt didn't discourage excessive motion and muscle contraction outside of rehab sessions until things started healing better. i have to adjust and retrain tons of rotator cuffs just because of it. imo, if the pt kept the patient doing only specific exercises at the facility and discouraged doing more than was necessary outside the clinic, i don't think i'd see as many messed up necks and shoulders of post-surgical, post-pt patients.

i do agree that activity, to a certain degree will help promote healing. that's why i think that pt activity should be the only activity for a little while. too much is a bad thing.

 

[GoNiners!]

Thanks for the lively discussion folks. I keep a pretty simple routine when it comes to my workouts. Since my injury I have pretty much stuck to this routine:

Leg Day - Free Weight Power Rack Squats and I usually top out at either 495 or 515 lbs on my last set depending on how I feel. I actually stopped at 245lbs today as I was feeling really worn out from work stress.

Back Day - Cable Rows, Wide Grip Pull Downs, Rack Pulls, bent over dumbell rows. I stopped doing deadlifts as I felt my injury was hurting my technique.

Chest Day - Incline Press, Bench Press, Dumbell Flies. I don't do heavy weights on the chest workouts as I have too much instability in my shoulder.

I never really bothered doing machines, abs, arm or isolation exercizes. After surgery I wont be able to do any of the above. I have been lifting for 10 years now and I have worked my butt off making the strength gains that I have. I don't care about losing mass as I can toss on muscle without problems given a decent diet.

More than anything I want to avoid spiraling into a black depression due to no physical activity. I am sure you guys know where I am coming from. I don't lift wieghts to look like an underwear model or impress people at the gym. I lift because I love it with a passion and dedication that I could go on about ad naseum. I want to keep being active and have a good sweat going and feel my heart pumping even after I am strapped up and not able to lift anything anymore.

I checked the lap pool in my gym and it is shallow. What do you guys think about walking laps in the lap pool? Seems like the resistance would be good for the legs and a bit more interested than just limping along on a treadmill.

 

[eits]

Thanks for the lively discussion folks. I keep a pretty simple routine when it comes to my workouts. Since my injury I have pretty much stuck to this routine:

Leg Day - Free Weight Power Rack Squats and I usually top out at either 495 or 515 lbs on my last set depending on how I feel. I actually stopped at 245lbs today as I was feeling really worn out from work stress.

Back Day - Cable Rows, Wide Grip Pull Downs, Rack Pulls, bent over dumbell rows. I stopped doing deadlifts as I felt my injury was hurting my technique.

Chest Day - Incline Press, Bench Press, Dumbell Flies. I don't do heavy weights on the chest workouts as I have too much instability in my shoulder.

I never really bothered doing machines, abs, arm or isolation exercizes. After surgery I wont be able to do any of the above. I have been lifting for 10 years now and I have worked my butt off making the strength gains that I have. I don't care about losing mass as I can toss on muscle without problems given a decent diet.

More than anything I want to avoid spiraling into a black depression due to no physical activity. I am sure you guys know where I am coming from. I don't lift wieghts to look like an underwear model or impress people at the gym. I lift because I love it with a passion and dedication that I could go on about ad naseum. I want to keep being active and have a good sweat going and feel my heart pumping even after I am strapped up and not able to lift anything anymore.

I checked the lap pool in my gym and it is shallow. What do you guys think about walking laps in the lap pool? Seems like the resistance would be good for the legs and a bit more interested than just limping along on a treadmill.

again, i would avoid doing it. i guess if you HAD to do something, i'd say do incline leg press. just don't hold anything or put your plates on... have a spotter do it. back extensions (sans weight) might not bother you. maybe some side squats, lunges, and squats under your own body weight. as long as you aren't using your arms whatsoever in anything you're doing or weighing down your arm at all, i guess you'll be ok. the last thing you want is to have a loss of range of strength symmetrically on some exercises because your body has learned a different way of achieving the same goal by improperly using certain muscle groups (for example, using your traps in order to raise or abduct your arm or subconsciously leaning to the side in order to raise your arm).

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Moving around in the pool will be more than acceptable. Ask your PT about specifics. He/She should be able to tell you what you can and cannot do. If you want to know exactly, just throw out a given movement and get the PT's approval or disapproval. It's not too hard They'll be straight with you.

 

[eits]

Moving around in the pool will be more than acceptable. Ask your PT about specifics. He/She should be able to tell you what you can and cannot do. If you want to know exactly, just throw out a given movement and get the PT's approval or disapproval. It's not too hard They'll be straight with you.

he's talking about running in the pool, not just moving around in it.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

he's talking about running in the pool, not just moving around in it.

You can't run fast enough in the pool to elicit a natural reaction to flex the shoulder more than 50 degrees nor extend more than 20 degrees. Those are perfectly fine. You can't sprint - you can jog. I highly doubt it will be violent or affect his rehab, especially if he's aware of it or experiences any pain. Pain will likely be his limiting factor by default - it's not like he'll get anywhere close to tearing his rotator cuff without knowing way, way beforehand.

 

[eits]

You can't run fast enough in the pool to elicit a natural reaction to flex the shoulder more than 50 degrees nor extend more than 20 degrees. Those are perfectly fine. You can't sprint - you can jog. I highly doubt it will be violent or affect his rehab, especially if he's aware of it or experiences any pain. Pain will likely be his limiting factor by default - it's not like he'll get anywhere close to tearing his rotator cuff without knowing way, way beforehand.

it's not the tearing i'm worried about, it's the recruiting.

/give up

do what you want, man. go with God.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

it's not the tearing i'm worried about, it's the recruiting.

/give up

do what you want, man. go with God.

There's no problem with recruiting the muscle group - the problem comes when you generate too much force. People with ACL repairs who have a patellar tendon graft don't have contractile restrictions. People with ACL repairs that utilize a semitendinosis/gracilis graft don't have contractile restrictions. Pain is always the limiting factor. I feel like you're with the thought group of "Rest it," but most people benefit from using, moving, etc ASAP.

 

[eits]

There's no problem with recruiting the muscle group - the problem comes when you generate too much force. People with ACL repairs who have a patellar tendon graft don't have contractile restrictions. People with ACL repairs that utilize a semitendinosis/gracilis graft don't have contractile restrictions. Pain is always the limiting factor. I feel like you're with the thought group of "Rest it," but most people benefit from using, moving, etc ASAP.

i disagree. i think the problem is recruiting. that's why many shoulder pt patients end up in offices like mine.

i'm not saying rest it, per se. i'm saying rehab it daily, but don't do more.