[battery]

In response to a post in NNFN someone suggested I start a thread dedicated to my moaning...

13 April at about 20:20 just coming towards the end of my session in the wall - cool looking slab problem, left hand rotated outwards, straight arm pressing to rock over a high right foot. As I initiated the move my bottom foot slipped, as my hips were in to the slab all the weight went through my left arm and I was screaming before I hit the mat.

Had a slight out of body experience as I was laid on the mat thinking 'I'm shouting quite loudly, oh, I can't stop shouting'. Think I freaked a few novices out! My arm was stuck out to the side, I couldn't bring it in.

Ambulance called, paramedics gave me gas and air and morphine then a bit of creativity with a bandage to hang my arm which was off the edge of the trolley from the roof of the ambulance. Col still got screamed at every time we went round a roundabout and Amy laughed at my abusing him quite a lot.

x-ray then Penthrox to put it back in but they could apparently hear me screaming two corridors away. So through to a room with all the monitors so they could sedate me - Propofol and fentanyl and the next thing I knew I was sat up (for the first time) with my arm in a sling.

Got home at 02:30 the following morning, incredibly sore and sick and tired but incredibly grateful for the amazing staff who looked after me, especially a porter called David who stuck with me throughout the whole thing - I've never been able to track him down.

Fracture clinic one week later - shoulder specialist didn't really seem very concerned - sent me for an MRI and an urgent referral to physio which would likely be 6 weeks. I came out feeling quite dismissed and very upset.

MRI two weeks later revealed Hill-Sachs and Bony Bankhart Lesions and an incomplete fracture to the neck of the humerus . Consultant was only concerned with the fact that there was no rotator cuff damage so no surgery was required, go away and do the physio, see you in three months. I pointed out that I hadn't even heard from the physio department.

In the mean time I had contacted a private physio and had a few sessions, gently trying to get it moving. This physio had mentioned to a consultant friend my case and with my permission he looked at my file. He was convinced that it needed surgery to repair the Bankhart lesion and stabilise the shoulder. I went back to the NHS consultant and again came out feeling dismissed and upset - no to surgery, see you in 3 months. I paid for a face to face with the private consultant after which I put in a request to the NHS hospital to change consultants.

In the meantime - 2 different NHS physios saw me, one of whom was also telling me that it needed surgery.

Got to see another consultant in under a week and was very impressed. Another x-ray, over an hour having everything explained to me, discussing options and recommendations. He then brought another consultant in to give a second opinion and they agreed. My shoulder is SO stiff right now that any surgery at this point would do more harm than good. The bony Bankhurt Lesion is healing pretty much in place and whilst recurrent dislocation is a possibility it is impossible to predict at this point and they don't want to do unnecessary surgery.

The outcome of the 3 hours at the hospital was feeling like I properly understood what is going on for the first time; a steroid injection and a physio session with instructions to forget all the strength stuff and focus on mobility.

[battery]

Saw the physio again last week that I like and trust and although I had not really made any progress since the steroid inject he said now was the time to throw the book at it. Push. Push to discomfort but not to the point where it is going to be so sore that I won't want to do it again later. He called it a Traumatic Frozen Shoulder, so basically I have to persuade my body to stop guarding the shoulder - which is hard! Exercises take a lot of concentration and time not helped by the fact that every time my children get wind of me being laid on the floor they think it's rough and tumble time!

Progress so far - can get into press up position, can’t get into plank, bum is almost on heals in child's pose, can weight bare one handed in tabletop. over the head movement feels like it is slowly improving but is painful in the shoulder.
External rotation is hard, soreness in the tricep stops it. Working hard to relax but also keep good form is tricky – I’m not sure how to get and maintain a ‘neutral’ position and even if that is the right thing to do.

Feels like it has improved lots this week. I can now get my hand to pockets on both side at the back which is huge. When I say lots, it’s small, but it is across the board improvement including in the amount of pain I am in.

I have been a bit slack with the exercises this week mainly though being ridiculously busy with other stuff and now wondering if the pain settling is due to this. It’s hard to find motivation to do the exercises when they hurt so much, are hard to do and improvement is so so slow, if at all. But do them I must, I know.

I also have A LOT of exercises to do. I’ve had four different physios, two of whom told me largely the same thing, one of whom spent the whole time telling me I needed surgery, and one of whom said forget everything you’ve been told by the others and concentrate on mobility.

I maybe need to compile a spreadsheet and laminate it with days of the week. I can tick them off with a whiteboard marker when I do them. I’ve never been very good at being systematic with my training without outside intervention.

[battery]

A few YYFY along the way - being able to drive (although this can be limited depending on how sore my shoulder is), being able to pull my leggings up, being able to put my hair in a bobble.

My first major YYFY came yesterday when I found the confidence to get on a bike for the first time. Rode with the family on pretty flat tracks and after an hour my shoulder was beginning to protest but it felt good to be able to do it. Pushing seems fine, pulling is an issue so as long as I stay on flat-ish stuff that doesn't require me to pull up on the handlebars I should be ok.

I can get both arms up to the finger board but can't even begin to weight my left arm. I tried to pull the car boot lid down and screamed in pain. 

Other parts of by back are protesting today. Not sure if that is due to muscles waking up or if it's other muscles overcompensating for the shoulder - maybe a bit of both. 

[Moo]

Good to hear you’ve got some solid progress there.

Shoulder injuries are a right bastard to recover from don’t rush it !!

[duncan]

In response to a post in NNFN someone suggested I start a thread dedicated to my moaning...

13 April at about 20:20 just coming towards the end of my session in the wall - cool looking slab problem, left hand rotated outwards, straight arm pressing to rock over a high right foot. As I initiated the move my bottom foot slipped, as my hips were in to the slab all the weight went through my left arm and I was screaming before I hit the mat.

Had a slight out of body experience as I was laid on the mat thinking 'I'm shouting quite loudly, oh, I can't stop shouting'. Think I freaked a few novices out! My arm was stuck out to the side, I couldn't bring it in.

Ambulance called, paramedics gave me gas and air and morphine then a bit of creativity with a bandage to hang my arm which was off the edge of the trolley from the roof of the ambulance. Col still got screamed at every time we went round a roundabout and Amy laughed at my abusing him quite a lot.

x-ray then Penthrox to put it back in but they could apparently hear me screaming two corridors away. So through to a room with all the monitors so they could sedate me - Propofol and fentanyl and the next thing I knew I was sat up (for the first time) with my arm in a sling.

Got home at 02:30 the following morning, incredibly sore and sick and tired but incredibly grateful for the amazing staff who looked after me, especially a porter called David who stuck with me throughout the whole thing - I've never been able to track him down.

Fracture clinic one week later - shoulder specialist didn't really seem very concerned - sent me for an MRI and an urgent referral to physio which would likely be 6 weeks. I came out feeling quite dismissed and very upset.

MRI two weeks later revealed Hill-Sachs and Bony Bankhart Lesions and an incomplete fracture to the neck of the humerus . Consultant was only concerned with the fact that there was no rotator cuff damage so no surgery was required, go away and do the physio, see you in three months. I pointed out that I hadn't even heard from the physio department.

Ouch.

Painfully familiar. I had a similar set of injuries without the humeral fracture (ouch ouch) but including axillary nerve damage that paralysed my deltoid muscle (you don't want this). Fortunately only temporary. 

I also had a post-traumatic 'frozen' shoulder: couldn't lift my arm above 90 degrees (using the good arm because of the deltoid paralysis).

Because I was old, inflexible and male, a repeat dislocation was considered fairly unlikely so there was no serious debate about surgical repair. I'm also a physiotherapist by background so very positively predisposed to attempting rehabilitation first. Assuming you're younger, more flexible, and less male the decision is a bit less clear-cut and you've been on the receiving end of some unhelpfully conflicting communication by the sound of it. I'd always suggest trying non-surgical treatment first unless you're given clear and consistent recommendations otherwise.

Like you, regaining the lost movement was hard and painful. I also found it worrying, forcing it to move felt wrong. It took three months of graft, multiple times a day, to get close to full range. I had John Allen's experience in my mind to encourage me to work hard: he'd had a surgical repair for recurrent dislocation in the early 80s, his US surgeon wasn't keen on physios. for some reason and he never regained full range of movement. (Didn't stop him climbing pretty handily on his return to the UK). I left the last ~5 degrees of elevation to return of it's own accord as I didn't want to over-mobilise the joint. I spent less time on retraining strength as I knew this would return even after many months. Your set of problems may require different emphasis.

I was able to climb not long after regaining full range, took me about three and a half months. Five years later I've had no long term problems and no recurrences. I was nervous about climbing away from developed world standard hospitals and mountain rescue for the first three years and the pandemic and long covid seems to have put a stop to anything too adventurous in the last two. I've not got back on Supersonic.

I've been assiduous about doing my strength and conditioning, see power clubs ad nauseam. This has made me less prone to tweaks. In the long term, having the dislocation may have been mildly positive for my climbing!

Being able to get back on your bike is brilliant at this stage: that's a good improvement.

Stick at it.

 

 

[battery]

That's all really useful, thanks Duncan. You've inspired me to shift my arse off the sofa and do my exercises now.

[Fiend]

This thread is already infinitely cooler than "Wellsy's knee moaning recovery thread" 

Also can you please change your avatar to a battery...

[battery]

As you asked so nicely

[Fiend]

Hopefully that image will be prophetic for eventual shoulder recovery.

[Wellsy]

This thread is already infinitely cooler than "Wellsy's knee moaning recovery thread" 

Also can you please change your avatar to a battery...

I regret nothing :D

The injury sounds awful battery but I'm really glad you've made improvements and are now getting better support from health services

[tommytwotone]

I was going to Google "Bankhurt Lesion" but I think I don't want to...

Good luck Battery - sounds like a shit accident. I don't know why but wall injuries aways seem to sting a bit more mentally than crocking yourself doing "proper" climbing don't they?

I had a simpler humerus injury years ago, clean broke mine on day 1 of a Font trip in 2004. For better or worse I got plated and screwed off the bat (it was pretty much halfway down so I assume a less complex injury) but the recover from even that was LONG. 9 months, tedious physio, no weights or climbing, even a dalliance with bloody spin classes for a while.

Good luck with it, and as everyone here has said, take it stead but definitely use this thread to vent!

[steveri]

I know it's not helpful, but the Primoz Roglic approach to a dislocated shoulder amused me:
“I couldn’t put it back in on the road so I needed to sit on the chair of spectator and put it back in.”
https://www.velonews.com/events/tour-de-france/tour-de-france-primoz-roglic-confirmed-to-start-stage-6-after-dislocating-his-shoulder-on-the-cobbles/?itm_source=parsely-api

West Nab will be waiting for you on rehab!

[battery]

Slow progress this week but progress at least.

Exercises have been stripped back and more focussed by the physio with some strength stuff to stabilise and some stretches. Interestingly my body seems to respond best to resistance then stretch. External rotation and above my head are improving but it's still slow and painful. Still absolutely no chance of climbing any time soon.

Getting a sharp pain in the front of my shoulder at the extremes of my movement which the physio said could be impingement but back in clinic yesterday they said it is probably the shoulder head moving too far forwards in the socket - if pressure is applied whilst I'm doing exercises it isn't so bad. Problem with that is that my limited movement means I can't do any rotator cuff exercises to help stability because my shoulder is so stuff!! Worrying but I'm trying not to worry.

Lovely moment at the weekend, when the whole family went for a play on the paddle board. I can't paddle properly or for long, swimming isn't easy and climbing back onto the board was definitely not easy but being able to play in the sea with the family was amazing.

[SA Chris]

Sounds cautiously positive, worth playing with form when on SUP to see what works best for the shoulder; paddle should actually be as us upright as possible and your upper arm crossing your body, and you should actually generate the force for paddling from your core. Apologies if you know this already

[sheavi]

"Problem with that is that my limited movement means I can't do any rotator cuff exercises to help stability because my shoulder is so stuff!!"

You can certainly do isometric rotator cuff strengthening/stability if you have limited mobility.

https://ahc.aurorahealthcare.org/fywb/x08252.pdf

Slow and steady wins the race with this injury.  In time you'll be climbing again.

[duncan]

Getting a sharp pain in the front of my shoulder at the extremes of my movement which the physio said could be impingement but back in clinic yesterday they said it is probably the shoulder head moving too far forwards in the socket - if pressure is applied whilst I'm doing exercises it isn't so bad.

Probably two different ways of saying the same thing.

Problem with that is that my limited movement means I can't do any rotator cuff exercises to help stability because my shoulder is so stuff!!

As sheavi says there are many ways to strengthen the rotator cuff. The main function of the rotator cuff is stability not rotation. Rotating exercises, like the classic tennis backhand action against a theraband, can strengthen the rotator cuff but are not necessary to do so. Ask your physio. 

Good news that you see progress, albeit slow, and can do fun stuff with the family (I expect paddling will be working the rotator cuff!)

[battery]

I should have had faith - the physio was all over it and I came away from this week's session with rotator cuff exercises to add to the stretches and strength based work I'm already doing.

The physio was very encouraging and said I am making good progress. He also had absolute sympathy for me being frustrated and for how hard work mentally and physically the recovery is.

[Fultonius]

Sounds like you have a keeper there!  A good physio is such a godsend, keep up the hard (and painful) work.

[seankenny]

He also had absolute sympathy for me being frustrated and for how hard work mentally and physically the recovery is.

This is really great and I’m very pleased to read this.

The contrast between the support you are (rightfully) receiving and that which is given to severe long covid patients makes me tear up a little. Having someone on your side makes a massive difference. Hope it continues to be a productive relationship.

[battery]

He also had absolute sympathy for me being frustrated and for how hard work mentally and physically the recovery is.

This is really great and I’m very pleased to read this.

The contrast between the support you are (rightfully) receiving and that which is given to severe long covid patients makes me tear up a little. Having someone on your side makes a massive difference. Hope it continues to be a productive relationship.

As you can see from above it's been a bit of a battle to get the support which is so wrong. I'm a fairly confident and articulate person with a bit of resource behind me, it's awful to think of the alternative.

[battery]

Been quiet for a couple of weeks as nothing to report. People ask 'how's your shoulder?' to which the reply is 'boring'!

The physio continues to be brilliant offering solid advice and guidance as well as support - he was very sympathetic in my last session and reminded me of how far I have come.

Upwards and backwards movements are improving quite well, noticeably getting more movement back. The strength is coming back and I am feeling more confident in using it. Rotation is still really poor and I am trying to hammer it with the exercises but it's limited by how much I can withstand in a day!!

A couple of YYFY moments in the last few days - ran for nearly 4k with no ill effects which was good and I took my eldest and my dad out for a day on Kinder. My ability to drive is pretty unlimited these days but I was most chuffed with being able to carry a pack for the day, something I couldn't do just a week before.

[Fiend]

Good report! Slow progress is some progress, even if it is.....boring.

[mrjonathanr]

Been quiet for a couple of weeks as nothing to report. People ask 'how's your shoulder?' to which the reply is 'boring'!

Rehab is very boring, especially when it is time consuming and slow. Yours sounds excruciatingly dull.

But it’s less boring than being injured  sounds like you are getting there, step by step 👍

[battery]

YYFY - thumb to rib cage behind my back. Seems minor but feels like a huge milestone.

[Fiend]

One small stretch behind the back for woman....