Hiking with a Rotator Cuff tear

imported
#1

The MRI indicates a single 3cm tear. I injured it a year ago and it seemed to be getting better except for overhead activity like painting. I completed an AT thruhike in 05 and recall a lot of pulling myself up by grabbing whatever I could reach in the whites. Anyone ever hike the AT with this injury? I am thinking about a section hike of the PCT starting at Kennedy Meadows going north for a few weeks. Could I do it with this injury? Getting it fixed takes 6-9 months so the doc says. Any advice? Thanks in advance.

Steady On

#2

I tore my rotator cuff when I fell (twice in the same day) while hiking the AT in 06. I kept hiking for a while, but it finally knocked me off the trail because I just couldn’t sleep due to the pain. I did not have surgery on it, just physical therapy. It got better. No problems with it now.
Good luck

HeartFire

#3

I thru-hiked the AT last year with a self-diagnosed rotator cuff. I didn’t know that was the problem til I got home 7 months later, but I did find I could not use a pole continuously on that side as the activity caused shoulder ache. And a lack of pole on that side caused more falls than otherwise because I couldn’t stop myself. After I got home, physical therapy stopped the pain. My internet research taught me that it is possible to eliminate the pain of torn rotator cuff without surgery. I’m not one to go under the knife if it can be avoided. Good deep tissue massage and strengthening exercises and I’m pain free - actually better than before I left. Good luck.

Bag Lady

#4

5 weeks ago i had my 5 cm. tear repaired. sorry for the one-handed typing. had an old smaller tear for years but fell in nh. kept going, climbing backwards to use my good arm when necessary. i did not make the connection that 40 lbs., well 20 lbs. per shoulder, was bad for the tear. after 4 or 5 days hand numb and discolored. not too smart. be careful.

pete

#5

Steady On,
You need to look into prolotherapy. Google it. I swear by it, and curse chiropractors.

“Prolotherapy is a simple, natural technique that stimulates the body to repair the painful area when the natural healing process needs a little assistance.”

“The basic mechanism of Prolotherapy is simple. A substance is injected into the affected ligaments or tendons, which leads to local inflammation. The localized inflammation triggers a wound healing cascade, resulting in the deposition of new collagen, the material that ligaments and tendons are made of. New collagen shrinks as it matures. The shrinking collagen tightens the ligament that was injected and makes it stronger. Prolotherapy has the potential of being 100 percent effective at eliminating and chronic pain due to ligament and tendon weakness, but depends upon the technique of the individual Prolotherapist. The most important aspect is injecting enough of the solution into the injured and weakened area. If this is done, the likelihood of success is excellent.”

The key is to find a good prolotherapist. I saw Dr. Hauser in Chicago and he is one of the best in the country.

Anyways, this is Dr. Hauser’s Rotator Cuff tear link:
http://www.prolotherapy.org/article.asp?prolotherapy=144

Good Luck!

The thru-hiker formerly known as Jeff

#6

Another Dr Hauser Link on rotator cuffs. I suspect some of you did not have tears , but Rotator Cuff Tendonitis and Impingement Syndrome. Just my uneducated guess.

Rotator Cuff Tendonitis and Impingement Syndrome link
http://www.prolotherapy.org/article.asp?prolotherapy=94

The thru hiker formarly known as Jeff