Broken Shoulder

[Venod]

Anybody have experience of a broken shoulder ?

I was knocked of on 4th December and had pins fitted on the 8th, recovery is not going well, I have had an infection of the incision and been on anti biotics for 2 weeks although the GP say its clearing up, whats more worrying is I have no strength in my shoulder and cannot support the weight of my arm or litf it, I have been discharged by the surgeon and the Physio is in charge, he says if there is no improvement by next week he will have to refer me back to the surgeon,

I am doing isometric exercises to try and gain strength as recommended by th Physio but progress is slow to non existant (very slight improvement)

Am I expecting too much?

 

[mcshroom]

Try not to get frustrated. Easy for me to say I know.

My injury was to the humerus rather than the shoulder (though the surgery involved damaging the rotator cuff so they could hammer the IM nail in), but it was a good few weeks before I could even support my arm unaided.

Hopefully slow progress is progress. If you are worried though it's always worth talking to your physio/doctors.

Good luck

 

[fossyant]

Takes time. I've had a shoulder decompression, which is fairly minor key hole, but you are back to square 1 after the op. I was able to ride after a month. My op was as a result of an accident, but not until 2 years later, so there was no soft tissue damage.

You'll have a load of soft tissue damage, and that's why you can't do much. At present, my 4 broken ribs and 2 fractured vertebrae aren't causing me issues, it's all my tendons, ligaments and muscles in my back that are stopping me sitting.

The bones will be fuly healed by the end of February, but it's going to be months before the soft tissue repairs.

Once you are fit enough, they will get you some physio on the shoulder via the NHS.

If the accident was caused by a third party, get an assessment and a case manager instructed to look after you. I'm awaiting the third party to appoint a physio/case manager to start my treatment.

Don't get dis-heartened - these things take time.

Anyway, its a big op.

 

[fossyant]

Apparently iodine spray is good on wounds for infection control. I wish I'd discovered it some years ago.

 

[Andrew_P]

Anybody have experience of a broken shoulder ?

I was knocked of on 4th December an had pins fitted on the 8th, recovery is not going well, I have had an infection of the incision and been on anti biotics for 2 weeks although the GP say its clearing up, whats more worrying is I have no strength in my shoulder and cannot support the weight of my arm or litf it, I have been discharged by the surgeon and the Physio is in charge, he says if there is no improvement by next week he will have to refer me back to the surgeon,

I am doing isometric exercises to try and gain strength as recommended by th Physio but progress is slow to non existant (very slight improvement)

Am I expecting too much?

I came off on October 2013 and it was I high impact dislocation which fractured the ball joint and took a bit off my socket as it flew out lol, I didn't have an operation. 7 days after the accident at the first visit back after A&E I was told it was a 4-5 week waiting list to see a physio. I decided to go private and spent a fortune with a Physio and really good Chiropractor going 3-4 time a week at first.

The latter was way more productive he spent most of his time relocating all the muscles, mine was a bit weird in that my shoulders are fairly muscular and I had a cavalier consultant in A&E who kept trying to relocate my shoulder with me on just gas and air with rather obviously all my muscle in spasm, he eventually got it stuck at 90 degrees and I had to wait to get back in to resuss to be knocked and have it put back in. All the time this consultant was trying I kept telling him (well screaming) that it felt like he was tearing my bicep & shoulder muscles.

I was in agony during the sessions with the Chiropractor much more aggressive than the physio was! The physio kept remarking how quick I was recovering... I never told him I was seeing someone else as well.

The Chiropractor gave me lots of You Tube links on the exercises he wanted me to do. If nothing else get yourself in to a physio and get some exercise that you are allowed to do. The first 2 weeks I was in despair couldn't weight bare, had to sleep on my back, pain killers but gradually got better and then in leaps and bounds and was back cycling late November early December it was painful still but bearable

Not sure on your financial position but might be worth seeing a Chiropractor.

 

[Venod]

Don't get dis-heartened - these things take time

Yes I think the frustration is setting in, no where near as serious as your injury, you positive attitude is very inspiring.

The accident was caused by a third party, I am having NHS physio, does having a case manager get you private treatment ? what are the advantages? I have a claim through CTC, Slater & Gordon are on the case.

The driver has admitted liability and the Police are charging him with driving without due care and attention.

 

[fossyant]

PS be careful with pain killers, they can mask problems. I've avoided them since I left hospital, as I know I'll do something stupid if the pain isn't signalling me to slow down.

 

[fossyant]

Yes I think the frustration is setting in, no where near as serious as your injury, you positive attitude is very inspiring.

The accident was caused by a third party, I am having NHS physio, does having a case manager get you private treatent ? what are the advantages? I have a claim through CTC, Slater & Gordon are on the case.

The driver has admitted liability and the Police are charging him with driving without due care and attention.

There is a code of practice with re-hab between insurance companies. Leigh Day (British Cycling) pushed the case manager/physio issue with the third party. They have agreed and we are just awaiting the appointment of someone independent to look after me. I've had fark all off the NHS. My GP is crap, Occ Therapy have been useless and I still don't have any physio. I've had nothing from the NHS since leaving hospital. It's been mentioned, but no-one is bothered, hence why my solicitors are on the private route.

This will be no cost to you, so get onto Slater and Gordon. Leigh Day got agreement immediately from the insurers, despite them not agreeing liability yet - hard ball, but they are making a significant interim payment, so they must think there is liability.

 

[Venod]

but no-one is bothered

After the op I waited for a follow up appointment never got one untill I phoned 4 weeks later, I wasn't even on the list, I had a X ray and was discharged into the Physio's care, the Physio was very surprised how soon they had discharged me.

 

[fossyant]

The NHS were supposed to get me shower handles etc. to ensure I was safe. That didn't happen so we got our own suction ones (I'm not drilling holes in my new tiles). That said I am a stubborn git, and have only been wearing my body brace when going for a walk. Around the house I've left it off due to the fact you can't use any core muscles with it on. I'm in a lot of pain, but I've been able to do jobs round the house. Put up some hooks in my son's ceiling last night (for a photography green screen), managed to get two 17" wheels off my car and back on, been hovering, and lifted a few things I probably shouldn't. I've been very careful though.

The plus side is, I reccon I may be back at work in April, rather than June as originally thought. Getting those muscles and tendons working again is important - especially with shoulders as a shoulder is an unstable joint, and is held 'together' by muscles and tendons - thats why you get so much trouble when injured.

 

[fossyant]

After the op I waited for a follow up appointment never got one untill I phoned 4 weeks later, I wasn't even on the list, I had a X ray and was discharged into the Physio's care, the Physio was very surprised how soon they had discharged me.

You should have a follow up with a surgeon after 3 months. After my bollock repair, I was able to see the surgeon when needed, and I developed a lot of pain, that I ended up in A&E - the surgeon heard about it and phoned me at home and arranged ultrasound ASAP. I'm still under him 2 years later as I am/was due two more surgeries, but I've cancelled them due to the back injury. Some surgeons are great - others less so.

I have a follow up with my spinal surgeon 6 weeks after hospital discharge. That said I didn't get surgery. The option was, we'll operate now and you can be out of hospital this week, or you an lie on your back for 6 weeks. The big issue was, spinal surgery risked paralysis, and I'd been lucky at that point and had just avoided being paralysed (big chunk of vertebrae had moved to the spinal canal), so we decided to take the conservative treatment. Down side, was muscle loss and 10kg of body weight gone.

 

[Andrew_P]

+1 for getting everything moving and strengthened again but only under some decent advice. Everything hurt when I started and I remember being in shock that I couldn't lift a can of beans in a front straight arm lift! I remember bending over and oscillating my arm, again the first circles where tiny but gradually it all started to come back, I got in to the routine of doing all the exercises I was given 4-8 times a day. By the time the NHS contacted me with the first appointment I had already taken my first tentative ride of 5 miles. Christ knows what state my shoulder would have been had I hung around waiting for them.

 

[PK99]

MrsPK had a minor shoulder break in a skiing accident a few years ago - tendon pulled off sliver of bone. It took the best part of a year of physio (thanks BUPA) before she was pain free with full movement. Her fractured pelvis was fine within a couple of months.

I never recovered full movement from my dislocation 30 years ago.

 

[fossyant]

After my shoulder op, the NHS physio just gave me a set of exercises. At the second appointment, he was pleased with the range of movement, so I asked about riding the bike. Me said, so long as I'm careful, and ride your mountain bike with the tyres soft, he said OK. So, I was ot doing a few hilly loops on the MTB on the road - absolutely no arm strength. After 4 weeks, I decided to go out towards Scout Moor as we can see he wind farm from home. It's 20 miles away. So I picked a 'flat-ish' route an off I went on my road bike. As I neared, I remembered where I was as I'd previously been to drop my son off on a Scout camp. Bugger, there was a big hill to climb. I did it.

Keep your chin up. Don't look at day to day, look back at a few weeks, and see your progress.

 

[vickster]

I'm having keyhole to repair torn labrum in March, fairly big as keyhole goes but not like a broken shoulder I imagine

I've been told minimum 2 weeks off work (see how that goes, desk job but it's my right dominant side). Shoulder mobilisation fairly soon but gentle, no reaching above head or behind back, no weight over 1 kg for 6 weeks. Sling on

No driving for 8 weeks, then proper Physio starts for a few months, I expect no road cycling for up to 6 months .

Definitely get S&G to sort private physio