FE/FC injury recovery

[nep2012]

Need some help. I recently got open rotator cuff surgery. Had a bad spill and did major damage. I am 6 weeks post surgery and worried. I have heard that some things might have to be given up after this surgery. I don't want to stop riding. does anybody have any experience with this type of injury?

 

[Dirtdame]

I tore a rotator cuff, but never had surgery on it. It took about five years for it to heal so that it was pain free, but I was much younger then.

 

[87husky500xc]

Doctors always say that. Never give up on things you love. First priority is proper healing. After that feel it out and take it easy for a while. Just my opinion though.

 

[Teeszy]

I've never had the surgery but I do have extremely loose rotator cuffs which dislocate easily. Sorry I can't give concrete evidence to support this but I think you'll be alright hope so at least. Get some rest and brap on brother!

 

[nep2012]

Thanks everybody for replying

 

[Cruiser]

I had a torn RC, lower edge had to be removed, about 3-5 mm width and most of the lower part. After 6 months of PT I was working again. a year later I went back to my original job as an auto tech. Overhead stuff hurt but I really should have had more PT. I was back on a bike with no issues in another year without even thinking about it. Damage was not on a bike, but from work, and I would have been back riding quicker but was between bikes at the time so I just didn't push buying a new one. Range of motion was the biggest thing!! get a rope and a cheap pulley. Attach the pulley to the top of the wall, rope through and hold one end in each hand, arms staring, pull one hand down till other arm goes up to limit, gentle, no pain but slight stretch, hold 10-15 seconds, reverse direction, do this several times a day and thats how I got my range of motion back. and the rubber strap exercises.. Do the work and you will recover.. slack and you will be feeling it the rest of your life. Good luck!!

 

[Cruiser]

and check with your PT about what I said. Thats who set me up with what I did.

 

[Valhalla]

I broke my collarbone, ribs and some bones in my right side/shoulder and it took 6 months for things
to be anywhere close to normal. To this day the whole shoulder is stiff and sometimes sore, especially,
during cold weather........took that digger around 7 years ago. The key is to start some sort of physical therapy
after the healing is well underway, to continually improve mobility and range of motion. You may eventually
plateau at a given recovery level, which can be compensated with strengthening something else, like forearm
or arm /chest strength, to take some of the demand off the weakened area. IE......20 minutes a day with 50 lbs
on a curling bar can really help too, is cheaper than a fork mod/steering stabilizer, and can provide "noticeable" improvement
as to how your bike handles. Get those fork mods and a good stabilizer, and keep up some actual physical conditioning
and you should be just fine.

 

[McKay]

Distal bicep rupture here that required surgery and threading my tendon through a hole in my forearm they drilled. Not 100% but was riding at 6 months and taking it easy. One thing that helped me was reminding myself, if I cant do it slow, I cant do it fast.

 

[Teambowles]

Had similar torn rc and surgery. Recovery was a bitch takes a while for it to heal plus lots of pt to get strength back in shoulder lots of moving parts. Mines never been the same took about 8 months before I had range of motion back. Even after about 20 years later after a hard ride it still acts up. Hope you have better luck plus I'm sure the surgery has improved since mine

 

[Huskynoobee]

My left shoulder is pretty much toast. TBH neither one is very good. The right was dislocated and relocated in a second after a bad get off at 15. Then I did it again snowboarding. The left one was ruined about a year later snowboarding again. I was only 18 so I did PT and got it useable, but it's just not good. It only gets worse with age. The only upside is that I'm so good at putting it back in that my down time has gone from hours to minutes.

I had a collision on the slopes in Utah year before last and it came out bad. I relaxed and got it back in, had a beer or maybe two at the lodge and rode the rest of the day and the next. It did the in n out at a hare scramble last year in a first lap pile up and it took about a half lap to decide if I was going to finish. The riding actually made it feel better and I charged back for a 3rd.

I know for a fact that I'm going to pay dearly later in life. I'm helping my father in law right now after a complete replacement surgery three days ago on the left shoulder and inwardly cringe each time I see his pain during recovery.

In the mean time...BRAAAAAAPPP ding dading ding ding!

 

[ridgerunner1061]

Mine is different but I hope it helps. My left hand was crushed in a motorcycle accident in 2012. I Had surgery on it 3 times the first year reconnecting tendons, cleaning out calcium and bone fragments. I had to go to PT 3 times a week where we worked until I could not take it anymore and was soaked in sweat. I had to relearn how to pick up tinker toys, button a shirt, or even how to cut a steak while holding a knife in my left hand. 6 weeks after my third surgery my son brought his bike over and every night I would sit on it without the engine running and just try to squeeze the clutch and for the longest time he would have to help me. Eventually I got to where I could work the clutch on my own still without the engine running. One year to the day of the crash my son and I rode our bikes to the crash site for no other reason than to think where I was that night and how far I had come on that journey. I am now up to 5 surgeries on that hand but I have also logged over 6000 miles on both street and dirt riding. Look at your recovery as a journey and focus more on how far you have come and not what lies ahead. You will get there.

 

[Valhalla]

My left shoulder is pretty much toast. TBH neither one is very good. The right was dislocated and relocated in a second after a bad get off at 15. Then I did it again snowboarding. The left one was ruined about a year later snowboarding again. I was only 18 so I did PT and got it useable, but it's just not good. It only gets worse with age. The only upside is that I'm so good at putting it back in that my down time has gone from hours to minutes.

I had a collision on the slopes in Utah year before last and it came out bad. I relaxed and got it back in, had a beer or maybe two at the lodge and rode the rest of the day and the next. It did the in n out at a hare scramble last year in a first lap pile up and it took about a half lap to decide if I was going to finish. The riding actually made it feel better and I charged back for a 3rd.

I know for a fact that I'm going to pay dearly later in life. I'm helping my father in law right now after a complete replacement surgery three days ago on the left shoulder and inwardly cringe each time I see his pain during recovery.

In the mean time...BRAAAAAAPPP ding dading ding ding!

I had 2 lower lumbar back surgeries from years of MX pounding, and my neuro surgeon told me........."you remember all that stupid stuff
you did through your young life?......well, your body is like a tape recorder, it records it and starts playing back to you after you turn 40 or so. Boy, he was not kidding!

 

[268fords]

Last October I had my right wrist operated on. I tore ligaments and had to have tendons removed to replace the damaged ligaments. My surgeon said that it would be 1 1/2 -2 years before I was able to ride again. I was casted up for two months and began PT right after getting my cast off. I did 2 pt sessions a week and really worked on bringing back my range of motion on my own time. My surgeon was so damn surprised with my progress, that he gave me clearance to ride at 6 months. I know it's not the same, but determination to get better should be the highest priority on your list. I had to learn how to do everything left handed and slowly began to be able to use my right hand again. I'm still doing PT once a week, but now it's strengthing vs. range of motion. They told me I might only get about 80% of my movement back at first and I told them hell no, I'm getting 100% back. I've only been riding twice so far, but there was no pain. Just remember, determination will beat what the doctors say. Good luck with the recovery.

 

[racemx904]

Dislocated knee, blown popliteal artery, fasciotomy, and 3 weeks in the hospital .... Doc said 18 months out of work and probably 6 months without walking.... I was walking in 3 weeks, putting the moto around after 3 months, and a little more serious but still not full on riding after 9 months....

My buddy who is a serious rider/racer just did a serious rotator cuff surgery.... off work 3 months.... still months away from riding...


I think a lot is knowing your body and what you can do.... to me I will always ride, it may be slow and I may suck now, but I will be buried with my husky....

 

[nep2012]

Thanks everybody really made me feel good. Yeh I'm working hard at PT. Do it at the PT office and 2-3 times a day at home. It hurts but I figure the more it hurts the sooner I will ride again. Meanwhile I'll keep everything everybody said in mind and strive for the goal, to ride again.

 

[nep2012]

Dislocated knee, blown popliteal artery, fasciotomy, and 3 weeks in the hospital .... Doc said 18 months out of work and probably 6 months without walking.... I was walking in 3 weeks, putting the moto around after 3 months, and a little more serious but still not full on riding after 9 months....

My buddy who is a serious rider/racer just did a serious rotator cuff surgery.... off work 3 months.... still months away from riding...


I think a lot is knowing your body and what you can do.... to me I will always ride, it may be slow and I may suck now, but I will be buried with my husky....

Beautifully said I may not be as fast when I get back in the saddle but I will ride. Ran into a guy on a 449 about a year ago he was 73 and still going. That means I have at least 13 years left.

 

[KXcam22]

You will get riding again. I am on my 3rd hip replacement - 30 yr old MX injury came back to haunt me. I get about a year and they come loose. Talk about putting a damper on your riding. Sold my bike but have my eye on a 2017. Haven't ridden for 4 seasons trying to get through this. I never think of giving up riding. My only decision is TE300 for extreme or pick the 501S for more relaxed riding. I am 56. Never say die. Cam.

 

[ridgerunner1061]

You will get riding again. I am on my 3rd hip replacement - 30 yr old MX injury came back to haunt me. I get about a year and they come loose. Talk about putting a damper on your riding. Sold my bike but have my eye on a 2017. Haven't ridden for 4 seasons trying to get through this. I never think of giving up riding. My only decision is TE300 for extreme or pick the 501S for more relaxed riding. I am 56. Never say die. Cam.

Hey Cam: I just picked up my 2016 501s after trading in my TE630. My 501s will be perfect as soon as I put a tuner on it (California doesn't want bikes to run well). With the 501 I have more power than I know what to do with and more fun than I could ever imagine. It was worth the price. Oh and I am 59.

 

[nep2012]

You will get riding again. I am on my 3rd hip replacement - 30 yr old MX injury came back to haunt me. I get about a year and they come loose. Talk about putting a damper on your riding. Sold my bike but have my eye on a 2017. Haven't ridden for 4 seasons trying to get through this. I never think of giving up riding. My only decision is TE300 for extreme or pick the 501S for more relaxed riding. I am 56. Never say die. Cam.

Keep riding you give me faith. I have the same mindset never say it's over. I was thinking about going back to 2 stroke myself not only for weight reasons but how 2 strokes ride.