Personal stories about having rotator cuff surgery

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Personal stories about having rotator cuff surgery

These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.

Patty, age 27: I recently started swimming, and I think the overhead movements have aggravated my shoulder and caused some tendinitis. I have a lot of pain at night, especially if I roll onto my side. I've talked to a couple of people who have had shoulder surgery, and I really hope that I don't need to. My doctor recommended that I try to rehabilitate the shoulder over the next few weeks. I'm resting it quite a bit, taking anti-inflammatory medications, and using ice and heat to ease the pain. It seems to be working. Soon, I'll start some exercises my doctor showed me to strengthen my shoulders so that swimming doesn't hurt them.

Jennifer, age 47: My shoulder has been bothering me for over a year now. The pain sometimes wakes me up at night, especially if I roll onto that side. It's also hard for me to lift things with that arm, even dishes or groceries. I've had some tests that showed a tear in one of my rotator cuff tendons. My shoulder moves better after physical therapy, but it is still weak. My doctor is reasonably sure I will have more range of movement and less pain with arthroscopic surgery, as long as I am committed to doing all I can to prevent more problems and to following through with physical therapy. I think I can manage a long-term rehabilitation program.

Dan, age 67: I've had shoulder pain for quite a while now, but it got worse a few weeks ago. After resting it for a few days, I saw my doctor. He said that I had a chronic tear of my rotator cuff, judging from the symptoms I had and the ultrasound examination. He suggested that the best first step would be a good, aggressive physical therapy program, which will also help us understand better just what the problem is. At my age, surgery takes a bit more out of me than when I was younger, so it seems worth a try to see if I can avoid it.

Kwame, age 49: Every time I move my shoulder a certain way, it is really painful. My range of motion has gotten better with physical therapy, but it still hurts a lot when I move it overhead. My doctor believes that the tendons are getting pinched in one area and that surgery may help relieve the pinching and pain. I know I'm going to be doing physical therapy for a long time still, but we agree that the surgery is reasonable to help that specific problem.

Credits

Last updated:	February 10, 2006
Author:	Lila Havens
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Kathie Hummel-Berry, PT, PhD - Physical Therapy
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Michele Cronen