Surgery for Bone Spur-Shoulder

Has anyone had bone spurs removed from their shoulder(arthoscopically)? I think it is time to finally bite the bullet and get the shoulder fixed. I have been having some serious impingment issues with it for a little over a year now. I have had 2 depo medrol(pretty much cortisone injections) and a round of PT and it keeps persisting. After being on the bike for about 30 minutes my right arm "locks" up. The pain shoots down to my elbow and I can't move that arm. If there is road debris on the right side of the road I end up moving my left arm behind me to point it out I also can't get my water or anything else with that arm when riding or stand to sprint without serious pain.
It is also affecting other aspects of my life, can't swim(and I was hoping to do some Tri's this year), positions in yoga hurt, can't do oblique pushups on the right side,etc. Then, once I have done these activities I am in excruciating pain(it is a constant burning feeling) for the next day and it becomes an issues to even write or type without pain in my arm.


So my question is, has anyone else had this done? If so what was the recovery time and how was it. The Ortho told me it would be a 4-5 day recovery period, I just want to make sure it is really that short before I do this at the beginning of race season.

oh there is a slight chance there could be a small tear in the rotator cuff(the pain started december 06- actually the day before christmas, when I crashed on the bike on my right side), but since they have to go in anyways they aren't going to do an MRI- so hopefully there is no tear, because I don't want to be laid off for that long of recovery.

You don't have full function right now, why are you concerned about recovery time for something that will restore full function?

The sooner you have surgery, the sooner you'll be back swimming and biking.

Even if allthey do is shave off a spur the recovery in my experience is more like 3 weeks. And as you said, you may have a tear. I honestly wouldn't be surprised. So the recovery from that is more like 12 to 16 weeks. But if you can't function or race now, I'm with Zen, sooner rather than later.

Sorry you're going through this. It's a vey painful injury and frustrating.

Good luck and let us know haow things go.

My husband had the arthroscopic shoulder surgery to smooth off a bone spur. He waited too long to have the surgery developed a "frozen shoulder" - he spent about a month in PT before surgery getting gently manipulated to release the scar tissue(yeow). The orthopedist compared having a bone spur in your shoulder joint to "having a butter knife trying to cut a steak" (the "steak" being your rotator cuff :eek:! Recovery was more like 3 weeks as I recall, and involved more PT to strengthen his shoulder muscles to protect his joint. He can now cycle, do push ups, yard work, kayak, etc pain-free. BTW, I work in a hospital outpatient surgery (recovery room RN). If they find that your RC is damaged enough to need a repair, you'll be using that arm very little for about 6 weeks. But I would get it fixed sooner rather than later if it's limiting your activities, too painful to sleep well, etc. If you do need a RC repair, the anesthesiologist can give you an "interscalene nerve block" which will make the first 10 to 12 hours of your recovery infinitely more comfortable, and you can start oral pain meds before the block wears off all the way. Good luck! Carol

Thank you everybody for your words of wisdom and advice!

I am now waiting to get on my dad's insurance(won't have the deductable like I do on mine-eekk being on a single person insurance plan isn't fun) which should kick in the 2nd week of feb(didn't know that in fl if you are a student and under 25 your parents insurance can't turn you down). Once I get on his insurance the surgery will be scheduled for the next week or two.

Good luck, and be sure to keep us posted! We will all have shoulder stories to share ;) .

SheFly

I had shoulder bone spurs removed arthroscopically Feb 7th. The recovery is painful for about 10 days. I started physical therapy a few days ago and I have to say I feel like I have taken a few steps backward due to the pain and discomfort. No pain, no gain. At this point am thankful for ice and pain pills.

Mitch-
Thank you for posting that. I was seriously debating having the surgery next week, because the pain has caused me to stop doing things I enjoy(yoga, oblique pushups, swimming,etc).
Your post has made me decide to wait until June to have it done, I am going to baby it as much as I can and not do the activities that cause the pain. Right now, I want to race and get enough points so I can cat up to 3 for next season, then I will go ahead with the surgery.

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Originally Posted by ehirsch83

Mitch-
Thank you for posting that. I was seriously debating having the surgery next week, because the pain has caused me to stop doing things I enjoy(yoga, oblique pushups, swimming,etc).
Your post has made me decide to wait until June to have it done, I am going to baby it as much as I can and not do the activities that cause the pain. Right now, I want to race and get enough points so I can cat up to 3 for next season, then I will go ahead with the surgery.

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Well, it's YOUR choice but some heal faster/slower than others. PT is usually started immediately following surgery.
You would have been back on the bike (and doing yoga, and swimming) by June.

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Originally Posted by zencentury

Well, it's YOUR choice but some heal faster/slower than others. PT is usually started immediately following surgery.
You would have been back on the bike (and doing yoga, and swimming) by June.

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Zen,
You are correct I would be back on the bike by June. But the majority of the races for the Florida Points Series are all between now and June, after June pretty much all of the local races won't have womans divisions- I will be out there with the boys. So from a racing perspective- if I can hold out till June, then all my training won't be wasted :-)
Then, when it is super hot in the florida summer I can sit inside on the trainer in the AC and spin because I have a reason not to be outside for a few weeks-hehehe.

Good Luck to you - I think I'd do just that given your situation. Zen is correct in saying that exercise begins right away (limited exercise). I started the day after surgery the exercise of lifting my arm. It took about a week to master that. Once the physical therapy started the first goal was to increase the range of motion lost. Next will be exercise to increase strength. I'm still working on range of motion but am making very good progress. :)

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Originally Posted by ehirsch83

Mitch-
Thank you for posting that. I was seriously debating having the surgery next week, because the pain has caused me to stop doing things I enjoy(yoga, oblique pushups, swimming,etc).
Your post has made me decide to wait until June to have it done, I am going to baby it as much as I can and not do the activities that cause the pain. Right now, I want to race and get enough points so I can cat up to 3 for next season, then I will go ahead with the surgery.

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I had an MRI done last Monday. Meet with orthopedic surgeon tomorrow for surgery consultation. He diagnosed me with tendinitis and bone spurs. Two cortizone shots later than the MRI.

A fellow colleague had the surgery in December. Chatted with him and he said he was in a sling for a month and PT four times a week.

Glad I finally went to the doctor's to help with this problem. I suggest the sooner the better and not to wait.

tigger56

Thanks Tigger.
Yeah I am calling today to see about moving the surgery up. The pain isn't nearly so bad since the 3rd cortisone injection,but now the pain is all the muscles surrounding the rotator cuff. I even pulled out of a crit this weeknd about 10 minutes into it because of the pain, decided it wasn't worth it :-( I am now having horrible sleep issues, waking up multiple times throughout the night b/c of pain- OTC anti-inflammatories weren't working, now taking darvocet at night and that isn't working to well either. oh well thought i could postpone it but there will always be next season.

To Emily,

You need to go to a new orthopedic if the one you are going to is giving you bad information like the 4-5 day recovery timeframe. I had arthroscopic surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago and I'm still having to take percocet every 4 hours for the pain. I can move pretty well and don't have 'frozen shoulder' problems but the pain is hard to handle.
I'm glad I had it done - knew it wasn't going to get better on it's own.

My husband had this surgery. He had torn his rotator cuff years ago that ended up needing some repair and he had bone spurs that were cutting into a tendon.
He was not allowed or released to go back to work for 3 months. The first week was pretty painful for him. He freaked a little right after because they didn't tell him that he wouldn't be able to move his arm. Once we called we realized that was normal. He didn't do PT, they just gave him exercises to do with one of those bands, and they continued to check his progress.

Good thing is, this was 4 years ago and his shoulder is doing great. He has no pain or recurring problems. He is very happy he had it done. He is a police officer, so he really needs full use of both arms.

Hi, I am new in this forum here. I am researching about bone spur surgery if it is worth doing it and I learned to read these information and it seems worth surgery. I really tried to figure out why I got bone spur on ac shoulder. Dr. said that it could run in my family. I doubted and asked my mom about it. She doesnt have anyone in our family that has bone spur.

Dr. said that I have arthrisitis, bicep tendonitis, and ac bone spur. I have been to physical therapy. It hurted on my bicep area the most. Until August, It got worse and appeared some more area like on my shoulder, back near rear deltoid. One day it felt stingy and weak on my pink finger and I was so puzzled.

How it happened... Two years ago (Oct 2006). My shoulder felt so funny and hurted. Three weeks later (end of Oct) I found out that I was pregnant. My dr suspected that shoulder pain related to my shoulder. I doubted because it was 3 weeks before. Maybe it was concidence.

Last year in summer time, my baby was born then Oct. 2007 he was 4 months old and I reached him in the back in car and pulled my shoulder like backward. It was big time pain! It couldnt move for a month. It was so painful. I had to carry baby on and off. It was so hard for me.

Two months later, I went to MRI and they found that I only had edema like swelling tenditis, nothing serious. I went to physical therapy and it improved a little. Feb. 2008....

Late in March, I got a job at UPS as a sorter. My shoulder felt pain again on and off for months.
It got worse last Aug. Now I have bone spur beaduse I went to MRI again and special dye needle into my shoulder and see through xray computer. Thats how dr found out what my problem is.

I suspect hat I worked out a lot with dummbell most of my life that may cause. plus carrying and lifting heavy boxes at UPS. OH well.

I am scared of surgery. So I cant lift baby after surgery?? My baby is 17 months and always need me geez. I wonder if breastfeed causes calicum low and become weak with my bone? I drink milk a lot and viac vitamin (spell?).

I think the sooner you have the surgery the better. I delayed mine because my daughter got married at the end of August. I had it done on October 21 and I am in my second week of rehab. The longer you wait the more likely something else will get damaged. I missed mule deer season. Luckily I only had to have a large spur removed and the clavicle shaved. I have talked to many people about the surgery and also what has happened by them waiting. My only problem so far was because of the anethesia. They gave me a nerve block which affected my diagram and I could not get enought oxygen. I have had a history of asthma so they probably should not have done the block. I'd rather cope with the pain instead of not breathing. Good luck to all and God Bless.

I am more afraid of the things I will not be able to do after surgery than the surgery itself. I have a five and two year old, the two year old is not completely potty trained, I have to take the five year old to pre-k and both have to be put in car seats. Will I be able to do this and if not how long will it take? I don't have family and I don't know many people so asking for help is not an option.

Hi; I am new to the whole posting on a forum thing. After reading the posts thought I may have something to add. I am in my early 40's and very active participating in most any sport I can find and lifting lots of heavy weights. Because of this pasion I had my third shoulder surgery 3 mos ago. In the past I would be back to my normal strength and mobility in 3 mos. This time which is the seccond time on the right shoulder (1st 7 years ago) the strength and mobility are back but the pain is as bad as before the surgery. This could be do to my age diff. I don't want to scare you away from surgery but just give you some more realistic expectations. Also my surgeon told me once he took the spurs out they would not return. I should have known better than to believe that. If it matters my opinion is to find the best surgeon in your area for shoulders, Have a MRI done so they can give you a more deffinate idea of the repairs your shoulder needs, Then have it done as soon as posible while there is still something left to repair. Good Luck!

I have had 4 shoulder surgerys. After each procedure I was told they found bone spures. I asked how it was possible that they were taking these sprurs off and yet they kept comming back. I received many diff answers many didn't make sense except 1. I was told that a bone spur is the bodys natural protection when you injure yourself by pulling a tendon or tearing a ligament. He told me the body builds bone like tissue around the injury where the tissue connects to the bone to protect itself. The problem is that having surgery doesn't always guarentee that the spur won't grow back. If you can find a doctor that knows how to keep this from happening let me know. Right now i'm looking for a doc that can solve this prob before i decide to get help again. Right now the pain just keeps on with very little that i can do about it.

I just had this surgery today, doc said I had a big bone spur with lots of inflamation. Hurts bunches, but the Vicodin ES takes care of that. :rolleyes:

Snap, will you cut it out with the surgery?! :rolleyes:

Seriously, feel better soon. (((((Snap)))))

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Snap, will you cut it out with the surgery?! :rolleyes:

Seriously, feel better soon. (((((Snap)))))

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It is getting a bit ridiculous, isn't it! Today hurts like heck, yay for Vicodin.

Oh geeze, I'm sorry love. :(

I hope you can get lots of healing rest.

Lee and I have nothing going on this weekend, if you need anything you know where to find us.

Had rotator cuff surgery on 19 May, along with removal of a bone spur. It was all arthroscopic--which I hope speeds recovery. The tear was "small", a result of whacking a big block of ice while shoveling snow in January, but the doc said there was probably an "issue" before from a skiing fall a year before. First week was awful, started PT the second week. Now at 4 1/2 weeks , I wear the sling only at night or when it gets really tired. I am told I can ride my road bike at 8 weeks, 16 weeks for mt. bike. How does that seem to others who have had this? The pulley exercise DO hurt, but I sure don't want frozen shoulder. I had the other shoulder done from a worse injury 12 years ago, and it never has been right since. Couldn't swing a golf club anymore.

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Originally Posted by oldbikah

Had rotator cuff surgery on 19 May, along with removal of a bone spur. It was all arthroscopic--which I hope speeds recovery. The tear was "small", a result of whacking a big block of ice while shoveling snow in January, but the doc said there was probably an "issue" before from a skiing fall a year before. First week was awful, started PT the second week. Now at 4 1/2 weeks , I wear the sling only at night or when it gets really tired. I am told I can ride my road bike at 8 weeks, 16 weeks for mt. bike. How does that seem to others who have had this? The pulley exercise DO hurt, but I sure don't want frozen shoulder. I had the other shoulder done from a worse injury 12 years ago, and it never has been right since. Couldn't swing a golf club anymore.

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I had a very bad tear back in 2001 as well as a bone spur fixed. It was the best thing I did getting it done asap. THat took many months of ...this didnt work...that didnt work crap. I had 10 days sling.....physical therapy for 10 weeks (2-3x a week) and no lifting over 5 lbs for the full 12 weeks. My shoulder is fine other then I can feel the weather change!

I was told no riding until I have full range of motion back in my shoulder. :( Oh well, I've waited this long, I can wait a little longer.

PT starts on 6/30.

Interesting that the first 3-4 different posters had only 1 post. Maybe there was just 2 people or a group having a go at this topic? ;):D

Hi,
I"m a guy and only after reading this entire thread did I notice that this is a woman's cycling forum! OOps, Anyway, this is the most comprehensive forum and I didn't feel looking all night for one answer. I have mri's that show both spurs, and cyst. I can move, however I sleep on my side with my head on top of my bicep with the pillow in between. I was laid off for 5 months and can't sit still so I went to work on our house doing all of my honeydo's. Anyway it was a blessing in disguise because I really really hurt my shoulders. The doc asked his questions and we decided that it was my weight lifting in my earlier yrs that did the damage. Ok.....my question is this. I can chew Vicodin all day and the only thing it will do is keep me up all night. It completely knocks my wife into lala land.. (dang her!) Darvocet, aspirin...etc...nada. Is there another pain killler that works better than Vicodin???