Do you may have a surgical procedure looming on your torn rotator cuff? You might be questioning whether or not you’re correctly geared up for the restoration course of; you’ll want greater than a sling to rehabilitate your shoulder. So preserve studying for my suggestions as a bodily therapist on train tools for rotator cuff surgical procedure.
Rotator Cuff Surgical procedure Overview
A critical tear in your rotator cuff might require surgical procedure, particularly if non-surgical remedy hasn’t helped. Rotator cuff surgical procedure is a same-day process that may restore the torn tendon and reattach it to bone. Though the surgical procedure itself is fast, your restoration might stretch out over a number of months. You’ll doubtless must put on a sling for about 6 weeks after surgical procedure, and through that point you gained’t be capable of increase your arm above your head or behind your again with out help. You might not regain full use of your shoulder till 9–12 months after your surgical procedure.
So what are you able to do? Bodily remedy, in fact! To facilitate the rehab course of, you’ll doubtless undergo 6–8 weeks of bodily remedy, designed that can assist you handle ache, restore energy, and acquire stability in your surgical shoulder. You possibly can double your PT efforts by maintaining a routine at dwelling, utilizing the next train tools for rotator cuff surgical procedure.
Early on after your rotator cuff surgical procedure, your priorities shall be to handle ache, cut back stiffness, and steadily widen your vary of movement. The tools under can assist you determine good habits at dwelling and proceed the momentum you obtain within the PT clinic.
1. Ice Pack
What: Try the wearable Magic Gel Ice Pack, accessible for $22 on Amazon (purchase a couple of!). An alternative choice is that this easy-on shoulder wrap, which features a freezable insert. For steady chilly remedy, take into account the Polar Lively Ice 3.0 ice machine on Amazon and choose the shoulder wrap attachment.
Why: After surgical procedure, an ice pack shall be your finest good friend. You’ll spend a whole lot of time collectively—to the tune of 20 minutes each hour—to handle ache and swelling in your shoulder. By constricting your blood vessels, chilly temperatures cut back swelling and numb your ache receptors, serving to your muscle groups chill out and heal sooner.
How: The shoulder isn’t a simple joint to use ice to, so I like to recommend sporting a shoulder ice pack or a shoulder wrap with an ice pack insert. Or you’ll be able to go for an ice machine with a shoulder pad attachment. The upside to an ice machine is that it’s going to preserve the pack constantly chilly, with out thawing, all through your remedy, and also you gained’t must allocate area in your freezer on your restoration interval. The draw back is the fee.
2. Overhead Pulley
What: This overhead pulley from Amazon is lower than 20 bucks, however it has all of the options of the pulley you’ll use within the clinic: snug foam handles, light-weight development, and two attachment choices—bracket or strap—for securing over the door.
Why: Moreover ache, whenever you come dwelling from the hospital you’ll be coping with a whole lot of stiffness. Utilizing a tool like an overhead pulley can assist you safely introduce motion in your surgical shoulder by offloading the load of your arm from the shoulder joint.
How: An overhead pulley is remarkably easy to make use of. Place a chair in entrance of a door, ideally a closet, that gained’t get opened when you’re utilizing it. Grasp the pulley over the door and shut it shut, then sit together with your again to the door, holding the ends of the pulley in every hand. From right here, use your good arm to tug down on the pulley and thereby increase your dangerous arm overhead, out to the aspect, or at a 45º angle, relying on what your PT has okayed. Observe these actions for a couple of minutes at a time, engaged on a gradual improve in your pain-free vary of movement.
3. Dowel or Rod
What: You might have already got a PT-ready dowel or rod in your home disguised as a broomstick or golf membership. If not, a $5 dowel rod (3/4″ diameter, 36-48″ lengthy) from Dwelling Depot will work nice!
Why: Early on in your restoration, your PT gives you workout routines to do within the clinic and at dwelling to assist mobilize your stiff shoulder joint and improve its vary of movement. A dowel or rod, when held with each arms, can assist you employ your good arm to leverage your surgical arm into therapeutic train with much less ache and pressure.
How: There are a number of PT workout routines that decision for a dowel or rod, so examine together with your PT. They could instruct you to lie in your again and maintain the rod in each arms, together with your arms shoulder-width aside. From right here, you’d use the rod to help your surgical arm into flexion (up-and-down), abduction (out to the aspect) and exterior rotation (turning out like a door on its hinge, with elbow bent). You may also carry out press-ups with a rod: think about you’re doing a bench press, however with the dowel as an alternative of a barbell. Bear in mind, all the time examine together with your PT earlier than making an attempt any of those workout routines.
Train Tools for Rotator Cuff: Weeks 8+
After the primary 8 weeks or so of your bodily remedy, your focus will shift in the direction of constructing energy in your repaired shoulder. By now, you need to be feeling much less ache, having fun with a wider vary of movement with out that sling, and performing tougher workout routines within the clinic. The next instruments will enable you to higher replicate these exercises and incorporate extra resistance in your at-home train.
4. Light-weight Dumbbells
What: A water bottle or can of soup may go in a pinch, however you’re higher off with a set of sunshine hand weights, reminiscent of these from Amazon, which value lower than $12 a pair. Search for 1-, 2-, or 3-pound choices.
Why: Very gentle dumbbells—not more than 3 kilos—can problem your shoulder muscle groups beneath rehabilitation. It could look foolish to you, however even a 1-pound weight can remodel how tough a motion feels after rotator cuff surgical procedure. With the approval of your PT and regular endurance, gentle weights can enable you to transition into extra reasonable exercises when your shoulder is prepared.
How: A technique to make use of a lightweight dumbbell is to “distract” your shoulder joint and weigh your arm down whenever you carry out Pendulum Swings, demonstrated under. Such gentle weights may also present slightly additional resistance to workout routines reminiscent of Sidelying Exterior Rotation. To carry out this transfer, lie on the aspect of your good arm and tuck a towel beneath the elbow of your surgical arm. Maintain a weight in that hand and, retaining your elbow bent at 90º, rotate the load up in the direction of the ceiling with out shifting your arm off the towel. Repeat for 10 reps just a few occasions a day.
5. Resistance Bands
What: Resistance bands are a go-to piece of train tools for rotator cuff surgical procedure—in addition to for a lot of different surgical procedures and situations. A high-quality model of bands, like these from Bob and Brad, will stand up to tons of of exercises. A full set can replicate the big selection of weights you’d get pleasure from at a health heart.
Why: Moreover being compact and light-weight, resistance bands present one thing dumbbells can’t: progressive resistance. This merely implies that, because the band turns into extra taut, it turns into tougher to stretch, incorporating a dynamic ingredient to your weight-lifting exercises. Plus, after surgical procedure, you’ll recognize having the ability to simply modify every shoulder train by merely slackening or choking up on the band.
How: Resistance bands will enable you to add progressive resistance to a number of rotator cuff workout routines, together with exterior rotation, inner rotation, shoulder flexion, and abduction. You need to use the band by itself or anchor it to a sturdy submit or inside a closed door to create extra train choices. Verify together with your PT for precise directions and parameters.
6. Theraband Ball
What: This eye-catching piece of train tools is only a squishy rubber ball about 9 inches in diameter. Within the clinic we frequently use a Theraband ball to carry out isometric workout routines, however it’s also possible to use a rolled up towel as an alternative, as I do within the demonstrations under.
Why: The plush give of a theraband ball is ideal for isometric train. Translating to “similar size,” an isometric train includes contracting the muscle with out lengthening or transferring it. These contractions will enable you to strengthen the stabilizing muscle groups in your rotator cuff.
How: Your PT gives you particular directions for every kind of isometric maintain, however virtually all of them require a assist construction, reminiscent of a wall, in opposition to which you’ll brace your arm to carry out the contraction. Your goal isn’t to press a gap by way of the wall, however quite squeeze simply sufficient to contract the muscle for five–10 seconds earlier than releasing and repeating. See under for a number of the methods to carry out isometric holds.
Train Tools for Rotator Cuff Surgical procedure: Remaining Ideas
After a rotator cuff surgical procedure, guaranteeing a swift restoration and wholesome shoulder would require your each day consideration. The perfect piece of kit you’ll be able to prepared is your individual dedication to consistency, which is able to have an effect on your outcomes way over anyone health gadget. That being mentioned, the tools described above can assist elevate your rehabilitation efforts, serving to you replicate at dwelling the great progress you make in PT.
For extra sources on rotator cuff restoration, together with what to anticipate after surgical procedure, try the remainder of the weblog!