I had shoulder surgery two weeks ago. There was a bone spur and some nerve damage but basically it was a rotator cuff repair.
Last year I fired hundreds of .416 Rigby getting ready for my buffalo hunt in Zim. I'm
6-2 and 230 but I'm also 73. Rotator cuff injury, as I understand it, is tearing of the tendons that attach various muscles to the should bones. I wonder if big bore recoil could be the cause.

Not likely, since the recoil is not that severe and the injury is generally associated with some sort of overhand or pulling motions.

The repeated recoil may have aggravated the condition, but I doubt that it was the cause.

Did you play much ball or golf when younger? Or did your work require some sort of repetitive motion?

George

Recoil, even from a big bore rifle, won't tear a rotator cuff.

As George says, a torn rotator cuff is caused by repetitive or violent arcing motion of the shoulder, such as that used when throwing a ball.

I should know. I've torn my right rotator cuff twice. I shot big bores even when the tendon was torn, all without pain. Other things, however, such as tucking in my shirt, were impossibly painful.

Post-surgeries, I can still shoot anything I pick up with no problems, including my 100+ ft.-lbs., big-kicking .500 A-Square.

But my fastball is down to 85 mph.

I had an AC5 surgery last september.. and am back to shooting big bores

I had bilateral bifurcation of my inferior turbinates. After that I couldn't shoot at all.

I've had a torn rotator cuff for the last 15 years and so far it hasn't been aggravated by shooting. I'm going to get it repaired though (after next year's Buff hunt) because it is affecting a lot of other parts of my life

I doubt it. I had a torn rotator, bone spur, my big bore shooting was pretty minimal prior to that. Mine was caused by playing baseball & then softball for decades. Maybe over a prolonged number of years shooting could cause it, but not one year of a few 100 rounds. http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-gu...-spur-topic-overview FWIW, after I had it repaired, I can shoot my 404j or 12ga all day, 100 rounds easy, every month, no issues after some 10yrs now. The one I would watch out for, detached retina, especially for the really big bore, heavy kickers. It's like taking a boxing punch, not good for old eyes. Yes, I had a partial detachment, not to be fooled with. Have your eyes checked annualyif yo ushoot a lot of heavy kickers.

Thanks for the replys. I'm encouraged that shooting didn't cause the problem and I will be able to shoot again.
I didn't play baseball and I have never done physical work so it must be my crappy golf swing that caused the problem in the first place. Then I fell into an irrigation ditch on a Mexico dove shoot and I'm sure that finished me off.
Thanks again.

quote:

Originally posted by Macifej:
I had bilateral bifurcation of my inferior turbinates. After that I couldn't shoot at all.

You had what????

Anyway it sounds about as painful as a pineapple up the rectum. (without the vaseline)

quote:

Originally posted by John Frederick:

quote:

Originally posted by Macifej:
I had bilateral bifurcation of my inferior turbinates. After that I couldn't shoot at all.

You had what????

Anyway it sounds about as painful as a pineapple up the rectum. (without the vaseline)

The pineapple treatment would be less tortuous for sure.

quote:

I had bilateral bifurcation of my inferior turbinates.

Is that like having your balls cut off?
Peter

quote:

Originally posted by Macifej:
I had bilateral bifurcation of my inferior turbinates. After that I couldn't shoot at all.

I experienced the same thing from the muzzle brake blast of my Barrett!

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:

quote:

I had bilateral bifurcation of my inferior turbinates.

Is that like having your balls cut off?
Peter

Naaaaah ... more like having the inside of your head circumcised through your nose.

quote:

Naaaaah ... more like having the inside of your head circumcised through your nose.

He, he, he.

Your rotator cuff injury was one of the rewards of a life of physicality and hard work. Osteoarthritis on the underside of your acromium process (look up an illustration) grew downward like a stalagtite in the shape of a shark tooth.

Every time you raised that arm above shoulder level, the shark tooth cut, sawed and tore you supraspinatous muscle and tendon. Your clavicle ("collar bone") was the cutting board against which the damage was inflicted. Eventually, the tooth cut through enough of the tendon that your shoulder could no longer lift anything above its level, hurt like hell and caused you to see an orthopedic surgeon to have the shark tooth chiseled off the underside of the acromium, and the supraspinatous muscle/tendon unit reattached to form a functional unit.

In younger people a blown rotator cuff is often caused by landing on an outstretched arm (pitched off of a horse, playing catcher or wide receiver and having your legs, "cut out from under you" or some similar form of trauma.

In mature people it is due to degenerative joint disease (arthritis).

If you keep doing all the exercises that the physical therapist gave to you (and you quit doing them before ten months); if you do those exercises every day, your shoulder will serve you through many more safaris.

Also:
Lay off the push-ups, they are now bad for you

Work out in a therapy pool as often as you can; that warm water and zero impact environment is gooood for you.

More shooting sessions with less cartridges fired in each session.

Keep rolling with the recoil. Big guys tend to try and overpower the rifle. Big guys have more injuries from shooting big rifles. Roll with the recoil (as I know you already do).

Unlike the old wives tale, masturbation does not cause bad eye sight or shoulder injuries; over-use injuries of the forearm and wrist are common, as are calluses on the thumb, index and long fingers, sure. No shoulder injuries, presbyopia (age related near-sightedness) or hirsute (hairy) palms.

Finally (thank God, eh?), no more curls with weights or pull ups. Those can cause your bicipital tendons to tear loose _ bad juju!

"bicipital tendons to tear loose"
Interesting! Happened to me and I thought nothing of it. Now it is too late to re-attach. It seems to be not uncommon. Happened to a Jaguar football player a few months ago and they did not reattach.
Peter.

I had shoulder reconstruction surgery just 8 weeks ago. Included Rotator repair (including pins to reattach muscles).
Doctor said no high power rifle shooting for at least 3 months.
Mine was not caused by any aggressive activity, such as being sports related.
Doctor called it a result of impingement (Also sometimes called entrapment).
Am still having pain and am told the pain may continue another 6 months.
Also told that rehab almost always takes 6 months to a full year before all is back to normal.
Be prepared for lots of pain immediately after surgery, then lots more when your physical therapist works to stretch you to get your range of motion back to what is considered full range.
A recommendation regarding physical therapy selection: Some places assign a licensed therapist to you and you only see/work-with that one therapist. Other places assign assistants to you when you go or you may have a different therapist depending on who is on duty.
Best places do not use assistants and best places assign one therapist for the duration of your rehab.
You need to visit a few places and ask questions so you know what kind of rehab you will get from the place you select.
Another note: Most doctors will initially tell you to do PT 3 times a week. If you can follow the therapist's directions, most doctors will have no qualms about you visiting the therapist once every 5 days to once a week.
And, continuously use the sling that you will get. Keep using it for 3 to 6 weeks.
Good luck.
PM me with any questions.

I know about shoulder damage as I have had a progressing problem for the last 18 months as there has been resorption of the distal end of my clavicle agravated by osteo arthritis.

As Lawndart said in the post above,

Your rotator cuff injury was one of the rewards of a life of physicality and hard work. Osteoarthritis on the underside of your acromium process (look up an illustration) grew downward like a stalagtite in the shape of a shark tooth.

Every time you raised that arm above shoulder level, the shark tooth cut, sawed and tore you supraspinatous muscle and tendon. Your clavicle ("collar bone") was the cutting board against which the damage was inflicted. Eventually, the tooth cut through enough of the tendon that your shoulder could no longer lift anything above its level, hurt like hell and caused you to see an orthopedic surgeon to have the shark tooth chiseled off the underside of the acromium, and the supraspinatous muscle/tendon unit reattached to form a functional unit.



Mine is left shoulder and (being right handed) I can no longer shoot offhand as suporting the forend out far enough is not possible so shooting sticks are a must. Shooting prone is a distant memory. Still I have found ways to keep shooting for now.

Von Gruff.

quote:

Originally posted by R. G. Howard:
I had shoulder surgery two weeks ago. There was a bone spur and some nerve damage but basically it was a rotator cuff repair.
Last year I fired hundreds of .416 Rigby getting ready for my buffalo hunt in Zim. I'm
6-2 and 230 but I'm also 73. Rotator cuff injury, as I understand it, is tearing of the tendons that attach various muscles to the should bones. I wonder if big bore recoil could be the cause.

Wondered what happened to you. Pending neck cervical surgery myself in the near future. Still have to do some work up for my 375 Flanged double, going to chronograph some North Fork loads and see where they regulate to. Take care and call me when you feel better.