Kenneth Piar finally got a weekend off to finish some long awaited chores since the COVID pandemic began. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and Kenneth was lifting some heavy sand with bad body mechanics. Kenneth recalls hearing sounds of a rifle shot but realized quickly it was actually the sound of his bicep tendon being torn from the bone.
Your surgeon will likely give you an elbow brace that will prevent excessive elbow extension in order to protect the repair – straightening your elbow will put too much tension on the still healing repair. The brace will be adjustable, starting at limiting extension to 45 degrees in your second week and gradually increasing the amount of extension until you have full range in about the eighth week.
The first six weeks of recovery following a distal biceps tendon repair will focus on protecting elbow motion. Your active motion of your elbow will be restricted in order to keep tension off of the repair – in other words, you won’t be able to straighten your elbow all the way for a couple weeks.
The biceps brachii is a muscle with two distinct muscle bellies. The short head of the biceps brachii originates from the coracoid process, and the long head of the biceps originates from the superior glenoid labrum. Both heads insert into the same place on the radial tuberosity. Because the biceps brachii crosses both the shoulder joint and elbow joint,
Continuing your therapy at home is an essential part of the recovery process after a rotator cuff tear. You will work with your Physical Therapist to come up with an at-home program tailored to you based on the severity of your rotator cuff tear, your activity level, and your lifestyle. At home physical therapy includes a combination of rest,
Not everyone who has a rotator cuff tear requires surgery. Your doctor may prescribe physical therapy as a conservative measure in order to reduce your pain and strengthen the rotator cuff and surrounding muscles.
In this situation, physical therapy will usually last at least 4-6 weeks with visits 2-3x a week.
“I am 64 years old and haven’t learned anything,” according to Elite Shelbyville’s patient Frank Eichler after his Rotator Cuff Tear Repair. Last February, Frank was pruning about 110 pear trees on his farm using a chainsaw and a pole saw. Within a few weeks, Frank’s shoulder became very sore.
When thinking it was time to go see a doctor about his sore shoulder,
A Rotator Cuff Tear is a common cause of shoulder pain among adults. Your rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles that come together as tendons and attach to your humerus, or arm bone, and keep it secure against the socket of your scapula (shoulder blade). The rotator cuff muscles aid in rotating and lifting your arm.
Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery – Home Exercise Program (0 to 6 weeks post-op)
A home exercise program, or HEP, is a list of exercises your therapist will assign for you to do on your own at home. Think of your healing process as an interstate, and you’re driving a car from point A (the day of your initial evaluation) to point B (fully healed).
Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery – in clinic modalities (0 to 6 weeks post-op)
After shoulder replacement surgery, it is very important to let your shoulder heal in the first six weeks. Most protocols call for passive motion only, meaning your shoulder muscles are not supposed to be used to move your arm.