Any tips to accelerate healing?

Any tips to accelerate healing?

Author
Discussion

T40ORA

Original Poster:

5,177 posts

226 months

Wednesday 20th January 2010
quotequote all
As the title says; just had keyhole rotator cuff surgery; trim some bone and staple a torn tendon back to the bone.

Other than doing what the physio says and eating a generally good diet, any tips for speeding up the recovery? High protein levels, chondritine etc?

CHIEF

2,270 posts

289 months

Wednesday 20th January 2010
quotequote all
I'm no doctor but i'd say a high protein diet would help. After dislocating my knee quite badly a few years back i'd say the biggest help was doing what i was told off the physio's.

They know there stuff, when you go into physio just do exactly as they say.

They give me excercises to take home and after completely ignoring them one week sitting on my fat arse eating chocolates they knew i done bugger all.

ShadownINja

77,458 posts

289 months

Wednesday 20th January 2010
quotequote all
Rest!

T40ORA

Original Poster:

5,177 posts

226 months

Thursday 21st January 2010
quotequote all
After less than one day at home, I recognise that rest is going to be the most frustrating thing! Which ties in to a certain extent with the physio's instructions......

Keep thinking about washing and polishing the car, and all those little chores that could be cleared off the to-do list over the next six weeks...........

However, I will do as I'm told; and missing bloody skiing in March is going to be a pi. Mind you, can't work so no cash coming in anyway.

Grump.

K87

2,111 posts

194 months

Thursday 21st January 2010
quotequote all
Feel for you mate, had surgery last year and had to rest for 3 weeks. The nurse who lives next door gave me a right bolloking when she saw me sanding the paintwork on my car 5 days after surgery! oops

Just get yourself some good book, dvd boxsets and milk it for all you can while you have the opportunity!

996 sps

6,165 posts

223 months

Friday 22nd January 2010
quotequote all
Have they restricted external rotation of the shoulder? Is it tightening of subscap muscle? You should be sustaining mobility in the shoulder even if that means passively (not using the muscle) so by using a stick and pushing with the good arm. As always if your physio has told you otherwise ignore me! Just make sure you ask questions. Also get yourself in the pool no swimming but use the properties of water for mobility, type in mobility exercises for shoulder in hydro in a search engine. Got 6 shoulder patients at the mo and I ensure shoulders dont go past 90 degrees of flexion and control them at all times. If i m doing cardio with them there bad arm is on a float so supported and use legs and 1 arm to swim. Most of them have had SLAP repairs.

T40ORA

Original Poster:

5,177 posts

226 months

Saturday 23rd January 2010
quotequote all
I don't know the technical terms ~(consultant spoke to me early the morning after the op when things were still a bit whoozy - anaesthetic still around I guess) but he had to pin some torn tendon back to the bone and trim some bone from inside the socket to ensure it doesn't impinge upon the tendon.

The instructions I were given were to completely rest the shoulder for 3 weeks, not raising it up or out at all. The next 3 weeks will see passive exercise as you describe, then subsequent to that theraband exercise.

I have my first appointment with my physio next Wednesday who will have been in touch with the hospital by then.

My main aim/concern is to ensure that it heals properly and that I don't damage the site of the op. SO accelerated healing is not because I'm getting impatient (although dammit I AM!)but because I want to make sure that within the given period everything heals at the proper or better rate.

Any food stuffs/supplements suggested as good for this sort of healing?

996 sps

6,165 posts

223 months

Saturday 23rd January 2010
quotequote all
T40ORA said:
I don't know the technical terms ~(consultant spoke to me early the morning after the op when things were still a bit whoozy - anaesthetic still around I guess) but he had to pin some torn tendon back to the bone and trim some bone from inside the socket to ensure it doesn't impinge upon the tendon.

The instructions I were given were to completely rest the shoulder for 3 weeks, not raising it up or out at all. The next 3 weeks will see passive exercise as you describe, then subsequent to that theraband exercise.

I have my first appointment with my physio next Wednesday who will have been in touch with the hospital by then.

My main aim/concern is to ensure that it heals properly and that I don't damage the site of the op. SO accelerated healing is not because I'm getting impatient (although dammit I AM!)but because I want to make sure that within the given period everything heals at the proper or better rate.

Any food stuffs/supplements suggested as good for this sort of healing?
Find out what he/she has done, normally they limit ext rotation so as to prevent dislocation's but need all the jargon off of the surgeon who should pass it to the physio anyhow. Common ops are Bankarts and SLAP repairs.

As for food/supplements eat healthy, calcium with Vit D. If you can use an exercise bike with no discomfort then thats where i'd be. Good luck with the physio.

T40ORA

Original Poster:

5,177 posts

226 months

Saturday 23rd January 2010
quotequote all
Cheers. I aim to try the exercise bike next week.

Vron

2,538 posts

216 months

Sunday 24th January 2010
quotequote all
Sounds like straightforward rotator cuff repair.

Shortening of subscap not v. common op.

Bankart / Slap repair is repair of the socket cartilage.

RC repair is fixation of RC tendon back onto the top of the humeral head using an anchor of some description.

sal 965

586 posts

218 months

Sunday 24th January 2010
quotequote all
I'm having a slap repair and calcification build up removed on 4th Feb so i'd be quite interest in the OP's progress over the next few weeks as i'm keen to know if the recovery times are as bad as the consultant leads me to believe. Been told around 8 to 12 weeks with the sling and then progressive physio for the next six weeks or so.

Same position no driving = no work = no income. No skiing is probably the worst bit though...

T40ORA

Original Poster:

5,177 posts

226 months

Monday 25th January 2010
quotequote all
Yeah, I'll post up progress as I go on. BTW I was told 3 weeks in a sling, then the next 3 weeks "use the sling as my friend" in the period od passive exercise, before the more progressive stuff. And although I will confirm (a) with my physio on Wednesday, who should have by then obtained detailed notes from the hospital, and (b) the consultant on the 12th Feb. But looks like I had the RC and trim.....

Observations so far though.... The weirdest thing was the nerve block injection which turned my arm into a dead and nerveless lump for about 18 hours. The purpose is two-fold - to keep the arm still immediately post op and as a pain killer. They gave mine late, because in the recovery room the pain kicked in BIG time until they pumped a load of morphine based stuff in...

Other than that, the pain has beeb pretty minor/manageable. I've taken their advice to keep pumped full of paracetemol and ibruprofen to keep on top of the pain. They gave me some supplementary opiate based tablets and suggested that I take them for the first 3 days or so. However, they made my head really bloody weird! So I've really just taken those when going to bed if the discomfort looked likely to disturb my sleep. But honestly, no major issies with pain.

The consultant managed to do the whole op through the keyhole, as it were. So I only have three small waterproof dressings on and a big bonus is that I can shower! Only one handed mind, but it's better than feeling stinky for a couple of weeks.

The no money and no skiing thing is a total bummer. In the pub last night talking to wealthy non-injured guys planning a trip to the 3 Valleys in March and I was just getting more and more morose!

Good luck on the 4th Sal.

swiftpete

1,894 posts

200 months

Sunday 31st January 2010
quotequote all
Glutamine helps with recovery after surgery/weight training. It's good stuff and doesn't cost much either.

T40ORA

Original Poster:

5,177 posts

226 months

Sunday 31st January 2010
quotequote all
Glutamine; shall be on the shopping list....

Scraggles

7,619 posts

231 months

Monday 1st February 2010
quotequote all
bulb of raw garlic every day, mix in with onions and chillis, lightly cooked garlic is best, takes the heat away

lavender and tea tree oil to massage the woound

Jumpy Guy

444 posts

226 months

Monday 1st February 2010
quotequote all
On a slight deviation - what are the differences between Glucosamine and Glutamine?


T40ORA

Original Poster:

5,177 posts

226 months

Monday 1st February 2010
quotequote all
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucosamine

Looks like one is predominantly for protein/muscle repair and the other for cartilage.

T40ORA

Original Poster:

5,177 posts

226 months

Thursday 11th February 2010
quotequote all
Hey Sal; a quick update on my healing. I hope your op went well.

OK, three weeks on and it seems to be progressing nicely. he limiting factor for me is fear, as I don't want to undo the work. But I spend a lot of time not using the sling, and movement is naturally coming back to the shoulder. I have to make a conscious effort to NOT use it as much as it feels that I could.

Not much pain now - some aching at times, but I think that might be partly caused by using the sling.

I'm off to see the consultant tomorrow and my physio again on Monday (2nd visit) so I'll post an update again soon. But it feels like it won't be too much longer before I'm driving again.

King Herald

23,501 posts

223 months

Friday 12th February 2010
quotequote all
CHIEF said:
They know there stuff, when you go into physio just do exactly as they say.

They give me excercises to take home and after completely ignoring them one week sitting on my fat arse eating chocolates they knew i done bugger all.
I had a carpal tunnel operation a year ago, private hospital, and the physio told me to exercise my hand and use it as soon as I possibly could. I did, was in the workshop within a few days, and it is perfect now.

My friend, on the other hand (literally) had the same op at a different (NHS) hospital, and was told to leave it bandaged up and not strain it or use it for a week. He did so, and his hand is now worse than it was before he had the op.

I'm guessing that not all physios know exactly what they are on about.