Hastening the healing of rotator cuff injury
March 25, 2023 10:47 AM Subscribe
I hurt my rotator cuff and have pain from back of shoulder to my wrist. I must have mistaken it for fibro pain for a while but it got really bad. In a few days I’m going to a music festival that’s my ultimate happy place. My Dr gave a cortisone shot and I have oral meds and topical meds. What I want to know is what positions are best for sleeping and sitting (it’s my right arm) and what, if any, braces have helps. YANMD.
Meds: Aleve, robaxin
Topical: lidocaine , thc/cbd balm
Others: Ice, cold showers, trying not to use arm
Meds: Aleve, robaxin
Topical: lidocaine , thc/cbd balm
Others: Ice, cold showers, trying not to use arm
My rotator cuff injury was diagnosed over the phone (pandemic), and I never got any official treatment for it (pandemic), but it got completely better doing YouTube physical therapists Bob and Brad rotator cuff stretches. I find these decrease my pain, and I do them regularly if the pain returns. Obviously, be careful, don't do them more than a few times a day, and don't do anything that increases your pain. And go back to your doc for follow-up.
They also have several videos on how to sleep when you have shoulder pain, which you can easily search for. (My one gripe with them is their commitment to constantly putting up new videos means you have to go through several to find one that works and also that if you got help from one before, it can be hard to find it.)
(I know you didn't ask for stretches, and apologies if this isn't helpful to you, but they did help me with pain.)
posted by FencingGal at 1:15 PM on March 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
They also have several videos on how to sleep when you have shoulder pain, which you can easily search for. (My one gripe with them is their commitment to constantly putting up new videos means you have to go through several to find one that works and also that if you got help from one before, it can be hard to find it.)
(I know you didn't ask for stretches, and apologies if this isn't helpful to you, but they did help me with pain.)
posted by FencingGal at 1:15 PM on March 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Not going to do stretches till I know what's wrong, but thank you.
posted by mermaidcafe at 8:13 PM on March 25, 2023
posted by mermaidcafe at 8:13 PM on March 25, 2023
Best answer: Reclining chair if it’s really bad and you haven’t been able to find a comfortable position in a bed.
Appreciate where you’re at regarding stretches, however the one thing you want to avoid is frozen shoulder, which can happen with lack of mobility there and is quite painful and even more difficult to address.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/frozen-shoulder/symptoms-causes/syc-20372684
The bare minimum you should do to prevent this is swing your arm like it’s a pendulum, and do some finger walking up a wall to shoulder height (or Google “frozen shoulder prevention”)
posted by cotton dress sock at 8:31 PM on March 25, 2023
Appreciate where you’re at regarding stretches, however the one thing you want to avoid is frozen shoulder, which can happen with lack of mobility there and is quite painful and even more difficult to address.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/frozen-shoulder/symptoms-causes/syc-20372684
The bare minimum you should do to prevent this is swing your arm like it’s a pendulum, and do some finger walking up a wall to shoulder height (or Google “frozen shoulder prevention”)
posted by cotton dress sock at 8:31 PM on March 25, 2023
Hi, I have an old rotator cuff injury and miserable shoulder issues related to lifelong terrible posture. The cortisone shot should start kicking in soon, and that will probably help A LOT. In the meantime, keep taking ibuprofen - take it regularly, like, take 3 (yes, 3 or even 4) every 6 hours and don't skip a dose if you can help it. I'm a side sleeper and I have discovered that I can often sleep on the other side of the currently messed up shoulder if I sleep with a stuffed animal or firm pillow in my arms - you want to keep the top arm from falling downward. For sitting or driving, get a pillow that you can put in your lap and rest your bad arm on. It helps a lot - a sling may also help, give it a try with a scarf and see. Put the lidocaine patches on top of your shoulder. Yeah it hurts all the way down the arm but that's just referred pain. The issue is on top of the shoulder. Related, when you shower use an ice cup on the top of the shoulder. I say when you shower because it melts crazy fast and unless you are lying on towels with someone else icing your shoulder, it's a mess. Plan on icing your shoulder before you go to bed as well: crushed ice with a little water in 2 layers of ziplock bags then wrapped in a kitchen towel works well. Leave it on for 15 - 20 minutes. You want a lot of ice if possible, not just a little ice pack. Sitting in a desk chair, try hanging your arm down by your side and doing small circles both ways. That should relieve some pain. Good luck! I am back in physical therapy myself - most of the above suggestions come from my various physical therapists - and I would highly, highly recommend you get PT as soon as possible. I didn't have the opportunity after my initial injury and wow, has it compounded over the years.
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:21 PM on March 27, 2023
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:21 PM on March 27, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
When I tore-up my rotator cuff, the answer to that was “whatever position doesn’t hurt.” A lot of the time, I slept semi-propped-up with my affected arm sitting on a pillow along my side.
Everyone’s injury is going to be different. Before I tore the rotator, I tended to sleep most of the night on my right side, with my arm extended. That was a total nope after I injured it.
I hope your doc has ordered some imaging to be done. If the rotator is torn, it’s only going to get worse. I had to have surgery, and I’m so glad I did.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:58 PM on March 25, 2023 [4 favorites]