Torn Shoulder Tendon

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So after many months of gradually increasing pain in my shoulder and finding sleeping, brushing my hair and doing up my bra extremely painful I've been for a scan and have completely torn a tendon in my shoulder. Lots of inflammation and fluid too. At the moment I have been recommended physiotherapy exercises and painkillers as and when needed. Possibility of surgery if the pain isn't any better within a few months, any suggestions from anyone who has been through this? Would rather avoid surgery if possible, but want my life back! Thanks 🙏

After a sleepless night just bumping in case anyone had any pearls of wisdom!

if it's rotator cuff then I found surgery the only solution. I found recovery much faster than the doom mongers on YouTube and have maintained full function ever since.

Edited to add: they also severed and knotted one of my biceps tendons which was badly torn and frayed, and the relief from that was instant. Also full function restored.

Hi! Replying because I think I have the same injury. It's been agony since the 9th October (or at least that's the date my painkiller intake doubled so I'm assuming it's when this started). A week or so ago I had the most awful day and night where I didn't sleep, could barely lift my arm etc so spoke to the drs surgery. They booked me a physio callback, which was Wednesday just gone. Unfortunately the arm/shoulder had been much better the previous day, and wasn't feeling as bad that morning. So I described everything, explained I could now get my arm halfway between holding it out at 90° and fully upright and it was feeling better so he decided it's probably just a muscle injury that is getting better. Text me an info leaflet on Rotacuff injuries with physio exercises to do. So did the first of the exercises on there - easy peasy.

That night, couldn't sleep. Woke in agony every 45-60 mins. Took every painkiller it was safe to take, etc. the Thursday was really bad. Basically it's been bad again since having the call so I think I need to call back and get seen.

If you haven't got the leaflet with the exercises, I'm (hopefully) attaching them on here for you as screenshots! Good luck and I'll be following this with interest as my previous Google searches had suggested I'd torn it based on the level of pain and where the pain was felt etc.

I’ve just seen a physio who diagnosed rotator cuff tendonitis and I’ve been referred for a steroid injection. He’s given me some exercises to do in the meantime.

It’s so painful. You have my sympathy OP. I’m trying to avoid much use of the arm, am sleeping on my back, and keeping up pain relief to ease inflammation. I first noticed a problem in August and it’s gradually got worse and worse. It doesn’t seem to be an injury that resolves itself. I hope you get some relief soon

@olderbutwiser thank you. How long did recovery take from surgery? I am going to do physio until Xmas and then they are going to review.

It sounds like you need surgery and you’re being fobbed off. A tendon is not going to heal by itself if it’s completely torn.

Your GP is negligent if they are saying that. Just look it up online.

surgery is rubbish and painful first 3 weeks but it corrects the problem.

it seems like as we age there’s less estrogen in our tendons and that makes them more likely to fail/inflame.

And how did you do it OP? Was it a fall?

@Tillow4ever thank you so much for the leaflet. The pain is horrible, I can't brush my hair any more. Have you had a scan, that is where they picked up that my tendon had completely come away from the bone.

Even the physio was surprised to see the results of the scan as he thought it was only a small tear. It was an ultrasound done through NHS. He said the tear is deep and thick and might not respond well to surgery due to the location of it.

@BrunchBarBandit sleeping is the worse thing ever!! I will be interested to see how the steroid injection goes for you.

@PlopSofa thank you. Yes I do suspect this is something that will not repair on its own. I have been referred to a specialist but goodness knows how long that will take!

I think it is a degenerative tear that has been getting worse over about six months, rather than a sudden tear. It's hard to process being in pain most of the time and unable to use a part of your body that you have taken for granted! This is a copy of the conclusions of my scan for anyone who is interested! Thank you to everyone for taking the time to reply. I think for anyone struggling it is worth pushing for an ultrasound.

Oh you have my sympathy OP.

Shoulder tendon stuff is so painful and hard and challenging.

I might consider going back to the GP and asking if it can be seen more urgently as it is a full tear.

@PlopSofa thank you again. I have had some friends and relatives who have been diagnosed with fairly serious illnesses lately so I feel a bit fraudulent moaning about my shoulder because I can't brush my hair or do Pilates! But it hurts 😭

I’ve found something called Tendoforte which is a collagen specifically for tendons.

I’ve had rotator cuff pain for 10 years. Had an MRI. That’s what you need really to see the full picture.

But the collagen may not work if the tendon is not connected up. but it may help healing once you’ve had an op. Maybe start it a few weeks before. Or even now!

It is very hard to process being in pain all the time. That’s where I am now. I do my exercises every day as prescribed by my NHS physio but basically they can’t get me better and they don’t know why I’m still in pain. Bodies 😤 they are a mystery!!

My constultant told me I have unstable shoulder muscle patterning and they don’t know which ones are overactive and which ones are under active and basically they can’t help me. They say it’s the most complex joint in the body… sigh!

I should add I’ve not tried it yet but only com across it very recently. I’m going to try it as I’m desperate!

Im sorry also you’ve had sad news in recent months. My shoulder went very downhill when my mum got ill and I notice it’s worse in the winter. Our bodies keep the score.

Your bursa is inflamed also so you could try a cool pack on there a few times a day. You don’t want to overdo it but I’ve used cool pack for years. Then in the evening before bed I’ll get a hot beanie and that helps bring the blood flow a bit. Apparently tendons have very poor blood flow.

Thanks for the recommendation @PlopSofa, I've started taking high dose Tumeric but deep down I know that whatever I take and however much physio I do it's not going to reattach the tendon. Your shoulder sounds very complicated, you have been in pain for a very very long time and have my sympathies too. Sorry about your mum.

Will definitely try cool pack and beanie!

I’ve only had a phone call so far. But it’s so painful - trying to lift my arm above my head is horrendous. Luckily it’s my left shoulder - if it were my dominant arm it would definitely be worse.

I have private healthcare with work and am considering giving them a call.

I'm with you. Surgery is the quickest way to recover from this.

I’ve been going to the physio regularly with a moderate rotator cuff tear.Massage, electronic treatment (can’t remember what it’s called) and acupuncture have helped a lot and now have about 75% pain free movement in my dominant arm. It’s taken 5 months though. No private insurance so has cost but can’t afford a private op and the nhs can’t even provide physio at the moment.

Just to mention long term tumeric supplementation will prevent iron up take from diet. Take it away from good sources of meat/eggs etc because your ferritin will suffer.

but short term it’s a good anti inflammatory for sure.

I hit 46 and everything fell off a cliff body-wise. I had a well person check up you can get on the nhs and they tested everything. I came up as low ferritin with is how I found out.

im taking iron again now to boost my levels. I follow a very anti inflammatory diet but all the polyphenols block iron absorption which is frustrating!

good luck with the recovery and getting seen sooner rather than later!

I had a shoulder injury in my early 50s. An MRI showed full thickness supraspinatus and partial thickness other tendon tears. no chance the former would reattach.

i was strength training at the time including pull ups and have carried on, without surgery. I’m now stronger than I’ve ever been and never feel my shoulder. I worked really hard at the physio and rebuilt slowly. My physio said that the other muscles in the area can compensate to some extent, and that if I keep strength training I may well never need surgery. I’m 58 now.

I did hesitate because surgery becomes less likely to be successful as you get older but I was already old enough for it not to be a great option.

a labral injury would have meant surgery but plenty of people rehab RC tears with physio, and plenty of strong fit people have them without knowing. I’m equally strong on both sides now and have slightly greater mobility in my injured side.

@MsMartini I've heard good things about acupuncture. I've been so luck, scan and physio on NHS all within a few short weeks.

Sorry that last post was meant for @angstridden2