Thoughts on flying with a bad shoulder

[phil c]

Thank you all for your suggestions for doctors -- I will keep that in mind.

However, I have some other health concerns that I need to address before the shoulder.  Once I get my guts straightened out* then -- assuming something else doesn't go awry with my body -- I'll be addressing the shoulder.

So comments about my scheme to get flying in the mean time would be appreciated!!

* Not literally -- I don't know if there are many operating theaters with a 30 foot long sterile hallway attached, and getting things put back in must be worse than re-packing a model airplane kit.

In our household I have the gut problems and my wife has the joint problems.
If you had some kind of fall/injury and it immediately started hurting you tore something.  My wife tried to move a suitcase in the trunk of her car, may be 6 in., and tore her left rotator cuff.  This time she was smart and got in as quick as they could fit her in.  She was in a sling for two weeks until they operated.  After the operation, another six weeks in the sling.  Now they are going to start rehab.  The torn tendon will never get better on it's own.  They put a couple of dissolving screws through the tendon to hold it where it belonged so it would heal.

With that brace thingy in the picture(on tapatalk) you should be able to do most of the pattern just flying from your elbow.  If not a full pattern, you can do a lot of flying just from the elbow.  Might have to switch to a slow combat plane though that will hang out on the lines better than a stunter.

[Phil Spillman]

Hi Tim, I was an avid ice hockey player in College and for 21 years later, sometimes getting as many as 11 hours ice time per week. Prior to my hockey career I played 12 years of competitive Soccer including 3 years at the college level. I finally retire from the ice in 1991 at season's end. I mentally wanted to play on but my 51 year old body screamed ENOUGH! In the intervening years I've had both knees replaced completely and my right should completely replaced two times! The first mechanic botched the first job and as a result I had to search through Four (4) SUBSEQUENT SURGEONS TO finally find one to do the job over!

I am now re-couperating from just having had my right foot completely rebuilt as a consequence of having played to m any years as an active defense man on the ice! I'll be fine in another 8 to 12 weeks! By all means pull your courage together and get your shoulder repaired or replaced as need be! It will be one of the most painful events ever but it will be worth it 100 times over!

Never give up and don't be afraid to talk to a sound orthopaedic surgeon preferably one who specializes in shoulders. The more shoulder operations the person does the more likely your success will be!

Take it from one who's been there!  GOOD Luck! You'll never be this young again!

Phil Spillman

[phil c]

For anyone contemplating shoulder surgery- ask about a 2 piece implant.  It has the ball mounted on a plate in the shoulder and the socket on the end of the arm implant.  My wife's surgeon(10 yrs. now) suggested it at the time because it gives a real possibility of getting a full vertical range of motion.  Within two years she could effectively use her hand up to 75-80 degrees.  With a conventional replacement you are limited to not much more than horizontal.

This may be a standard procedure now.  The lady who did it was hoping to test it on someone "younger" than 70 at the time.  As a bonus, the internal wear surfaces are replaceable with much less invasive surgery than replacing the conventional ball end implant.

Anyone interested email me an I'll see if I can get more details or the most up to date recommendation.  This lady is a world class shoulder surgeon, but takes a very few "interesting" new cases.  Mostly does research and teaching.

[Tim Wescott]

In case anyone's wondering -- I wound up my business, which was slowly dying, and got a job with Really Good health insurance -- so I'm now getting physical therapy for the shoulder.  Diagnosis from the doctor is "impingement syndrome", which basically means there wasn't enough room between the top of my arm bone and the collar of bone that goes over that for muscles & tendons & stuff.  Diagnosis from the physical therapist is that I've been carrying the shoulder wrong (probably forever), and need to develop some muscles to locate it right, while she tugs & pushes & generally does mildly painful things to convince the wimpy muscles that I do have in there to stay relaxed.

Progress is being made.  I can now lift my right arm above the centerline of my shoulders, and I can almost sleep on my right side again.  I'm not flying yet, but I hope to be by next contest season.

[Preston Briggs]

Glad you're getting therapy and it's helping.
I've had various problems with "frozen shoulder" over the past 10 years.
Physical therapy has always helped.

Preston

[john e. holliday]

Glad you are now getting help with out surgery.

[Howard Rush]

I've had various problems with "frozen shoulder" over the past 10 years.

Shocking news.  I hope Marya's not giving you the cold shoulder. 

[PaulGibeault]

I suppose it depends on EXACTLY what's wrong. Some years ago my flying shoulder'S MRI showed some tears. So I applied to a private sports clinic to have a $12,000.00 operation to fix the tears. The surgeon wouldn't operate until I had more mobility in the joint. So I underwent physical therapy to restore the lost mobility. Early on in PT treatment  ( & while awaiting the surgery) I took a break to take a 6 week training course in MOntreal. I was off work up til then. The Delta hotel I stayed at had a small swimming pool that I relaxed in for a bit of exercise after class & the hot tub too.. Before too long I developed enough mobility to be able to swim (front crawl) without much pain at all. In the last few weeks I was actually able to do quite a few lengths & I felt fine.
On arrival back home, my Physio Therapist again did a mobility check to see my expected regression due to no treatment for 6 weeks. Lo & Behold he could not believe I was the same patient he saw 6 weeks ago! He immediately cleared me for surgery. In the orthopedic surgeon's office the next week the surgeon pulled prodded & otherwise manhandled my shoulder. He then kicked me out of his office saying, " You don't need surgery, I only operate on patients that need it."  So back at my PT's office I asked him why didn't he recommend swimming to me earlier. " Oh I do he says, just a lot of people don't like swimming, don't like the chlorine in the water, etc." Well what do you know, I casually & accidentally swam my way out of a $12,000 shoulder surgery! Given time & PT (exercise), the body can indeed heal itself!

p.s A co-worker had the same surgery & it went badly, his body rejected the sutures, etc. Ended up with 3 surgeries to get it better, but still not right...

[Tim Wescott]

I suppose it depends on EXACTLY what's wrong.

Oh, yes.  The doctor that checked me out was obviously ruling out bone spurs or tears, both of which would have needed surgery.

My therapist is a godsend.  She accepts my chosen sport without blinking an eye, and she's an ex-gymnast, so she understands the whole thing about bringing a combination of (admittedly mild) athleticism and art to bear on the performance.

We're currently working on methods of training me to maintain posture while I fly.  I cannot even manage to dry-fly, slowly, without hunching over (which causes the impingement).  She thought to try having me hold a stick out and watch that instead of an imaginary airplane, and gave me some visualization tools ("long neck") to keep my posture.  Part of the general coolness of this woman is that she, too, has gone through the whole "hit a new level and train yourself out of an established bad habit" exercise.  So she's patient with me while being adamant that I git 'er done.

I'm glad to hear your experience went well.

[RknRusty]

Sounds like you got the right therapist, Tim. That's great luck. I guess most of them are athletes. My shoulder therapist was. And with me being a non candidate for any sort of surgery, she stuck with me for 8 years while I rehabbed one then the other shoulder. 99% of the therapy was done at home, in hotel rooms, at friends' houses... when you gotta do it, ya just do it, and if you're patient... It works. It worked.

Other than stretches, the PT is behind me. Now if I could just work my Damn Freakin' hips out of being worn out. I never expected that to be what put me out of the game. I wonder if a pattern can be flown while laying on one's back, Lol.
Good luck,
Rusty