I have 2 torn rotator cuff tendons in my right shoulder and will require surgery. I am meeting with the surgeon this afternoon and will hopefully find out if it can be done arthroscopically or if open shoulder surgery will be required. When I asked my sports med doc when I might be able to start running again, he said an average would be 6-8 weeks, but every surgeon will have their own post-op protocol. Naturally, I will be following the surgeon's recovery protocol, but am wondering how long it has taken others to recover enough from their surgery to begin running again?
A friend had rotator cuff surgery, but I don't know the exact issue. She was very uncomfortable at first, but not too long till walking. She stayed walking for a long time, her fear (and maybe the doc's fear) was falling and hurting the shoulder in the fall somehow...
Marathons are habit-forming...
"I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."
Philippians 4:13, NLT
Refurbished Hip
Eric, I have no experience with this, but I just wanted to tell you not to worry too much! I'd stick to the roads for a while (for fear for falling), but you'll be back before you know it!And I love your avatar!
Running is dumb.
I have had rotator cuff work done on both shoulders. You probably should count on the 6 - 8 weeks as being pretty accurate. If you beat that estimate then consider yourself lucky and enjoy it. Shoulder surgery can be one of the most painful surgeries to recover from. A lot depends on your surgeon and how much you need to have repaired, and they really won't know until they get in there.
I recommend PT during your recovery. It will help speed it up.
I probably could have started light running starting week five after my second surgery. It just depends on you and what you had done.
Good luck with it. Any idea when it will be scheduled? I'm so glad you finally know what is wrong. It seems like you have been suffering with that shoulder forever.
Are we there, yet?
My shoulder surgery was for a torn labrum, not rotator cuff, but I was on IR for the Miles Game for 5 weeks and my first week back after that I ran less than 5 miles. I expect with two torn tendons it could be longer, especially since my surgeon was quite surprised, though pleased, at how fast I was recovering so I wouldn't consider it the norm.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Karen - Thanks for the reply. Once the doc tells me I can run, I will run.
Mandy - Thanks! I planned on sticking to the roads, mostly, for the first couple of months I'm back running, then on to the trails. The good news, the RD for the 50K I was registered for in February, is holding a spot for me in any race of his that I want to run. BTW, the avatar pic is probably my favorite race pic.
Coastal - Thanks for the first hand experience! I have a full thickness tear of the supraspinatus and a partial tear of the subscapularis. I'm counting on the 6-8 week recovery time. One of my friends from the running club is a PT in the same clinic I'll be having my surgery performed. He'll make sure I do the physical therapy.
SR - Thanks! It has hindered my running for over a year now. The surgery is scheduled for December 11th.
George - Thanks! My surgeon did say probably 8 weeks, maybe 12.