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Jan 27 2021

Experiencing a Catastrophic Shoulder Injury from a Physical Therapist’s Perspective, Part 5 — Pre-op Exercise Program

I’ve had my pre-op physical and got my COVID test, which was negative. I spoke to the nurse about pre-op instructions and to the all-important finance department! So I’m ready to go for surgery! While I’m waiting for surgery this coming Monday, I’ve been doing some things to keep myself moving within the limits that the damage to my shoulder will allow. There’s almost always something you can do, even when you are limited! Here are some of the things I’ve been working on:

1. Upper trapezius stretch- My neck gets tight from being in the sling and muscle guarding, which is when muscles near an injured area tighten protectively. This upper trap stretch helps.

2. Levator scapulae stretch- Same idea as the upper trap stretch but for the levator scapulae, which is more towards the back of the neck.

3. Backward shoulder rolls- Rolling the shoulders in backward circles helps with keeping the chest open, the scapulas (shoulder blades) mobile and the muscles around them working.

4. Shoulder isometrics- These can help prevent atrophy of the muscles from disuse. I’m also hoping this might help my axillary nerve, which was damaged by the dislocation, start to recover its communication with my deltoid muscle.

5. Shoulder passive range of motion- I’m using my left hand to support the right arm and gently raise it to about 90 degrees which is a relatively painfree, safe range of motion for me right now.

6. Supine alternating leg extension- I’m trying to keep my core strong using my legs for some dead bug exercises with the sling on to support my shoulder.

7. Pilates Arc stretch and roll up/roll down- This is my Pilates Arc, which I love. Sometimes I just lie back on it like this to stretch out my back, sometimes I do roll-ups from the position for some for core work.

8. Wrist and forearm range of motion- I’m moving my wrist and hand around in all directions so that it doesn’t get too stiff or atrophy from being in the sling.

9. Elbow range of motion/nerve glide- I’ve been doing this to try to keep my elbow from getting too stiff from being in the sling all the time.

10. Scapular retraction- I’m leaning forward letting my arm hang and pulling my scapula back and then relaxing it to let it go back to the starto try to keep my scapular stabilizing muscles from atrophying.

11. Pendulums- This is an exercise to gently move the shoulder joint in a painfree and passive way.

12. Stepper- I got this mini-stepper to try out before this injury happened and I’m so glad I did! It actually works really well for cardio and you can get a good burn going in your quads and glutes as well. I’ve been using this for short bouts a few times a day to try to keep up my cardio and leg strength.

Jan 25 2021

Experiencing a Catastrophic Shoulder Injury from a Physical Therapist’s Perspective, Part 4 — Surgery Scheduled

I saw the orthopedic today and based on the MRI he and I agreed that without surgery this shoulder is all but guaranteed to dislocate again so we are going ahead with surgery. He said the joint capsule (the usually dense, fibrous connective tissue that forms a sleeve around the joint and encloses the joint space) is so stretched out “it looks like you could drive a truck through it.” He said he would normally schedule it for this Wednesday but due to the pandemic I have to have a negative COVID test five days prior to surgery. So I’ll have a COVID test tomorrow and surgery on Monday, Feb 1. I also have to have a history and physical from my primary care physician.

The surgery entails a Bankart repair – suturing or anchoring the labrum back to the glenoid (socket) where it belongs, capsulorrhaphy – tightening the joint capsule with sutures, and remplissage – anchoring the infraspinatus muscle and posterior joint capsule into the Hill-Sachs lesion (compression fracture dent in the head of my humerus) to fill it in. It’s a lot of work to do but it will all be done via arthroscopy or “scope.” He actually said he can see the joint better from all sides using this way than he could with an open procedure. I’m relieved by this because it means less muscle damage and less scarring.

Remplissage- anchoring the infraspinatus and posterior capsule to fill in the Hill-Sachs lesion.

After surgery I expect to be in quite a bit of pain for the first week or so. I will have to be in a sling for 4-6 weeks to protect all of these repairs and plan to take at least 2 weeks off seeing patients at all and then limit my schedule to those needing minimal or no manual therapy for at least 4 more weeks after that. It will be 3 months to get back to somewhat normal day-to-day function and then up to a year for full recovery. But my shoulder will be much more stable forever and very unlikely to ever dislocate again. So it will all be worth it.

Since the blog has mostly been academic so far with descriptions of the injury and anatomy, some folks have been asking how I’m feeling about all this. I’m mostly very sad about it. Sad about the damage and about being sidelined from seeing patients and all of the other things I love to do. And I’m anxious about the surgery because, while I’ve never had shoulder surgery before, I’ve treated many patients after shoulder surgery and I know how painful it is. But I’m also looking forward to having a much better shoulder that doesn’t feel unstable anymore. It’s just going to be a long road to get there.

I’m also having flashbacks about the actual incident–the trip, fall, and feeling of it dislocating. I can barely stand even to see other people running. And I’m never planning on running outside again! I didn’t like running to begin with!

And finally, I’m feeling frustrated and annoyed that this is all happening during the pandemic and the ways that complicates matters. It’s difficult to figure out how to accept badly needed help because we aren’t having anyone in our house outside of our little nuclear family. I should be getting my second dose of the Moderna vaccine on Feb 6, which will not be fun if I’m dealing with post-op pain AND get the side effects of muscle pain, fatigue, fever and chills that some people seem to have with their second dose. And I’m trying to figure out who I will see for PT after surgery. I want to find someone who is being as cautious about COVID as I am, which is a tall order.

Stay tuned for more!

Jan 23 2021

Experiencing a Catastrophic Shoulder Injury from a Physical Therapist’s Perspective, Part 3 — MRI Results

I was able to schedule the MRI for the very next day after the orthopedic appointment. The actual MRI experience wasn’t too bad. Mostly just lying down flat on my back with my arm in a neutral position. They did have me rotate it one way for a few images and then the other for a few, which doesn’t feel great.

The radiologist's report for my MRI, see my text for the English translation! — This is the radiologist’s report for my MRI, see my text for the English translation!

I got the MRI results as read by the radiologist the next day. A significant part of my labrum tore off, taking the lining off the bone next to it with it and folding over on itself. There’s the Hill-Sachs lesion (dent in the head of my humerus previously described) which is described as “prominent.” The joint capsule is stretched out with an “area of synovial thickening or blood clot noted.” My rotator cuff and biceps tendon are intact, thankfully. But one of the tendons of one of the rotator cuff muscles has a “moderate-grade contusion/strain.”types of Bankart lesioms

Types of Labral tears — Types of labral tears. The type the radiologist saw on my MRI is circled in red.

I have treated many, many shoulders in my 14 years as a physical therapist and I’ve never seen anyone with damage that severe to the labrum. This type of tear normal occurs in patients who have dislocated multiple times. This is my first complete dislocation, though because of hypermobility I have had many subluxations and episodes of instability.

I’m following up with the orthopedic surgeon on Monday, January 25. I assume he’ll recommend surgery since with all of that damage, particularly the damage to the labrum, dislocating again is almost guaranteed if it is not surgically repaired. And again, I cannot emphasize enough that I NEVER want to experience that again.

Stay tuned for Part 4 for the follow-up with the orthopedic surgeon and the treatment plan!

Jan 23 2021

Experiencing a Catastrophic Shoulder Injury from a Physical Therapist’s Perspective, Part 2 –The First Orthopedic Visit

One of the great benefits of being a physical therapist is knowing who the best doctors are for any musculoskeletal issue you may encounter. The orthopedic surgeon that I’m seeing is someone who I refer patients to when I feel they need a consultation. Although I have never met him in-person I feel like I have because I’ve seen so many patients from him and sent so many to him over the years. I always say, “If it was my shoulder I would see Dr Favorito.” So now it’s time to put my money where my mouth is! I got an appointment for Tuesday, January 19.

At the orthopedic office, I started by getting several more X-rays–different views than the hospital took. Dr. Favorito is very thorough and is sure to view the joint from every possible angle. When he entered the exam room he said, “Well, I didn’t think THIS is how we’d be meeting!” And of course I agree! He took a thorough history and did an exam, gently checking sensation, muscle strength, and function in the injured shoulder.Axi

The sensation to light touch on my shoulder is very diminished and my deltoid muscle is very weak. This indicates damage to the axillary nerve, which wraps around the humerus and would have been overstretched with the dislocation. This should improve over time but it will be a very slow process as nerves are the slowest healing tissue in the body. On average, peripheral nerves like this one regenerate at a rate of one inch per month.Hill

The X-rays showed a Hill-Sachs lesion on the head of the humerus. This is a compression fracture on the back side of the humeral head (the “ball” part of this “ball and socket” joint) from where it impacted into the front of the glenoid (the “socket”) when it dislocated. Basically, it’s a dent in the humerus. This is a problem not just for the obvious reasons but also because it is more common to have a Bankart lesion when a Hill-Sachs lesion is present.

A Bankart lesion is the name for a tear that happens in the lower rim of the labrum, which is the ring of cartilage around the glenoid. It is 11 times more common in patients with a Hill-Sachs lesion. Once the labrum is torn, it’s much easier for the humerus to slip out of its socket. And that is something I NEVER want to experience again!

Dr Favorito sent me out with a much better sling and an order for an MRI, which is what we need to be able to see the labrum.

Read part 3 to see how the MRI turned out!

Jan 23 2021

Experiencing a Catastrophic Shoulder Injury from a Physical Therapist’s Perspective, Part 1 — The Injury and ER

Early in the morning on Thursday, January 14 I headed out for a run with plans to do intervals to try to get my steps in before work. I was coming around a bend about a quarter mile out when I caught my toe on a crack in the sidewalk and fell forward. I put my hands out to catch myself and fell mostly to the right. My hand stayed on the ground out in front of me as my body rolled to the right and I felt my right shoulder dislocate. Since I am hypermobile and my shoulders have never been very stable, I initially thought maybe it was just subluxated and maybe it would reduce by itself but as soon as I tried to move to stand up it was searing excruciating pain like I have never felt before.

My dislocated shoulder — The X-ray from the hospital showing my shoulder dislocated anteroinferiorly.

After walking the quarter mile home in agony my husband drove me to the closest hospital Emergency Room. I was given an intramuscular injection of morphine in a (failing) effort to make getting X-rays tolerable. The X-rays showed, to no one’s great surprise, that the shoulder was dislocated anteroinferiorly and pretty spectacularly far from where it is supposed to be. They also showed that there were no fractures so it would be safe to reduce it without surgery. It was decided they would reduce it under conscious sedation and I was given Ketamine. That was I think the strangest experience of my life–a bit of an out-of-body experience and so, so trippy. They were able to reduce it without difficulty, gave me possibly the world’s worst shoulder sling and sent me on my way with instructions to follow up with an orthopedic.

Pain is tolerable as long as my shoulder is in the sling. It feels extremely fragile when it’s not in the sling and there’s searing pain through it if I move it outside the sling in a bad direction. I’m using cold packs and electrical stimulation, which of course I am lucky to have easy access to as a PT, on it for pain control and to reduce inflammation

Unfortunately, being a physical therapist, I know all of the potential damage that could have occurred. I’m thankful that there were no fractures, but beyond that there can be rotator cuff tears, labral tears, compression fractures to the head of the humerus, problems with the biceps tendon, overstretching of the joint capsule and nerve damage.

Read Part 2 to learn about how the orthopedic visit went as I start to figure out exactly how much damage I’ve done!