Shoulder injuries?

[mcrow]

So I have this nagging injury to the shoulder that's been brewing for a while. Well, it's to the point where I can't throw anymore. My primary care dr. is going to send me to an orthopedic specialist. She thinks it is probably a labrum tear or impingement syndrome.

Anyone here deal with shoulder injuries and come back from it? My Dr. hinted a she thinks this might be the end of me playing DG.

 

[ru4por]

I know several players that have had shoulder surgery for both rotator cuff and labrum tears. They all are back playing. They seem to all have some decrease in power and mobility. I don't think any of them throw more than a recovery, flick, forehand anymore.

 

[nothinbuttree]

Obviously not a doctor, but what it is with a labrum tear that would prevent a 100% recovery? Football players and pitchers have come back from breaking/tearing/etc every bone/ligament/muscle/tendon in the body, and many fully recover...and these sports are more demanding on muscles and joints than DG.

I do wonder if DG players don't allow sufficient recovery/physical therapy time?

 

[DavidSauls]

I tore my labrum in 2002, surgery in 2004, and came back. Recovery was about 4-6 months. Never quite recovered my distance -- which was modest, so I didn't have much to spare -- but I was never quite sure whether that was from surgery itself, or a 2-year layoff and aging.

About 10 years later, one of my brothers had surgery on his labrum, and was throwing baseballs 10 days later. The Orthos have become pretty good at fixing these things.

That's the pep talk. The only medical advice I have is, don't wait. I lost 2 years, trying to fix it with rest or exercise or chiropractor or painkillers or whatever else I could think of.

 

[biscoe]

I have a buddy who has had both shoulders replaced. He is back to playing but can no longer throw backhand which he really only did minimally to begin with. His forehand is not as long as it once was but is still longer than mine. He also serves as a cautionary tale- he had a shoulder surgery maybe 20 years ago and did not take the advice of the doctors to not play for a couple months afterwards but was instead at the course within a couple weeks. IMO that has been the source of his ongoing issues with that shoulder at the least. Good luck with it- listen to your doctors.

 

[DavidSauls]

I do a lot of foolish things, but not following the post-surgery instructions is not among them.

Between enduring the injury and the surgery, and paying for it, I wanted to make darn sure I wouldn't go through that again.

I eased back in....at first, not putting more than 15', then 20', and gradually backing up over a period of many weeks.

But here's a word of faith in the surgeon: my brother and I bought land to build a private disc golf course, and at the closing my arm was still in a post-surgery sling.

 

[autocrosscrx]

I've spent about 2 of my 5 years of disc golf dealing with serious shoulder injuries. No surgery.

Cleaned up my form, got more serious about strength training, and I use kinesio tape to help keep things in place and remind me to not use too much shoulder. Now I'm able to play multiple rounds in a day and play the next day, which was never possible before.

 

[lee76007]

20 years ago I had rotator cuff pain where my PCP sent me to an Orthopedic Surgeon for possible surgery, and the Ortho said no sent me to aggressive physical therapy which took the pain away after a few months. It did end my ball golf amateur tourney career losing 50 yards in distance off the tee. 12 years ago, I did have Achilles tendon reconstruction with aggressive physical therapy where I can walk the disc course with no limp, but limp for a few moments getting out of the car or off the couch. The one thing in common for both was the aggressive physical therapy, I would see what an ortho recommends.

My first year playing two years ago (put the golf clubs away after the Achilles) I developed arm pain from strong arming. I've spent almost two years cleaning up my form I play much better, shoulder, arm, and ankle feel great. So, maybe something going on with your form?

 

[DavidSauls]

I've taken 6 injuries to Orthos -- with the advice being 3 surgeries, 1 rehab, 1 rest, and 1 pending. The pending is knee replacement I'll need sooner or later, but in the past year a regimen of stretching, strengthening, and ice has at least bought me some time, and improvement.

I know some others who rehabbed rotator cuff. It's always good advice to see if rehab will help.

But also to go to the Ortho and find out exactly what the problem is. My labrun had torn from the connection to the bone, and nothing but surgery was going to put it back.

 

[Countchunkula]

I've spent about 2 of my 5 years of disc golf dealing with serious shoulder injuries. No surgery.

Cleaned up my form, got more serious about strength training, and I use kinesio tape to help keep things in place and remind me to not use too much shoulder. Now I'm able to play multiple rounds in a day and play the next day, which was never possible before.

Glad you seem to be out of the woods with shoulder issues.

Does the kinesio tape actually help? I thought the consensus was that it was mostly woo, but I haven't heard much about it since it was all over the place at the Olympics a few years back.

 

[autocrosscrx]

Glad you seem to be out of the woods with shoulder issues.

Does the kinesio tape actually help? I thought the consensus was that it was mostly woo, but I haven't heard much about it since it was all over the place at the Olympics a few years back.

I think you could say that it makes a massive difference or you could say that it is totally bunk, and you'd be right either way.

It isn't going to fix an injury. It isn't going to prevent an injury. But it seems to help with soreness and pain, it does offer some support, and it acts as a training tool of sorts for me. If I start to round my shots and use too much arm, I can feel the pull in the tape. So I'm a lot more mindful about it.

 

[Pizza God]

Sort of in the same boat, I actually had an appointment 3 weeks ago for my throwing arm shoulder that has given me problems for 20+ years. Was going to finally figure out if I could do anything. I can't throw forehand without massive pain.

The day before my appointment, I played 7 courses and on the way home ran my freaking car out of gas 1 mile from the gas station. (car said I had 18 miles to empty, it lied) When trying to push my car, I slipped an fell. I wound up cracking my left shoulder and literally can't live my left arm.

So instead of seeing if I could do anything about the right shoulder, I am using my referrals on the left. Cracked my shoulder bone in the fall. I also have about a 70% tear in one of the tendons. As soon as the bone heals (end of next week) I am suppose to do some physical Therapy on that arm.

I was actually starting to throw some short shots left handed since I can't throw forehand. At this point that idea is done. I don't think I would do surgery on my right shoulder because I can throw full strength backhand, it's just forehand and overhead shots I can't throw. Putting long distance can hurt, but I have never been much of a distance putter.

I had already quit playing tournaments. I just now course collect.

 

[discNDav]

After 18 years of playing DG, I tore my rotator cuff. Post "open" surgery in 2005 to repair it sucked more than the original pain, it took 8 months before I could throw again but it was successful despite losing 30 feet on my drives. 2016: I severely dislocated the same shoulder and still have a torn labrum from that fall down the steps. My game sucks compared to what it used to be but I still play and enjoy the game.

 

[Brockness Monster]

Just came back this year after a 3 year break to heal my shoulder. Was pretty sure I would never throw again and PT was not helping. During the lockdown I took a couple things I learned from PT and slowly tried different workouts and stretches to see how they made my shoulder feel. After almost two years of stretching, working out and most importantly restraint, I am now throwing further than I was in 2018-19. I am a big believer in time will heal better than surgery, but time is not always an option. If only I could talk to my younger self and tell that son of a bish to stretch more and stop trying to throw to the moon.

 

[mcrow]

Thanks folks!

While I wait to see the Dr. I still want to play so I'm going it to try a left handed round.��

 

[mcrow]

Well lefty round went better than expected.


Shot a +8 in 9 holes, about 11 strokes more than with my right. I was averaging 185ft with my best stingray. I was trying it over by the end of the round. Crushed one for 220 and almost got a birdie!

 

[Monocacy]

^ Way better than I would do lefty.

Having dealt with shoulder injuries that predate regular disc golfing, I would suggest: a) listen to your doc; 2) do whatever PT is recommended; and iii) try to figure out how to throw without shoulder pain. I had to revamp backhand and sidearm to figure out how to continue disc golfing without aggravating old injuries.

Good luck!

 

[mcrow]

^ Way better than I would do lefty.

Having dealt with shoulder injuries that predate regular disc golfing, I would suggest: a) listen to your doc; 2) do whatever PT is recommended; and iii) try to figure out how to throw without shoulder pain. I had to revamp backhand and sidearm to figure out how to continue disc golfing without aggravating old injuries.

Good luck!

Yeah, my problem is my shoulder is sore whether I'm playing DG or not. DG just makes it hurt worse. I mow the lawn, it gets sore. I carry groceries in it gets sore. I take the winter off and not play DG is stays sore. Unfortunately, I'm probably past the point where I can change form, and rest probably only sorta works

 

[Dthunderchicken]

Anyone here deal with shoulder injuries and come back from it? My Dr. hinted a she thinks this might be the end of me playing DG.

Still playing after:
1 broken shoulder.
3 rotator cuff tears (1 requiring surgery.)
Triger finger (My ring finger locks closed. I use a two finger grip)
Arthritis in my hand, elbow, shoulder and back (I need to have an arthritic bone removed from my thumb.)
And a couple of herniated discs.

With each injury I've lost some of my physical game. The upside is my mental game is better than ever (strategy and shot placement). AND in every round, there's at least one shot that makes me smile.

As the song says; I ain't as good as I once was. But I'm as good once (sometimes) as I ever was.

I've kept up with my rehab routine even after feeling healed and I stretch every day.

Good luck. There will be down days and slumps. Try to come back slowly. I found it best to shelve my faster discs for a while. Now a days my most used discs are my fast mids (speeds 5 and 7). The drivers come out only for windy days.

 

[bsammons]

Rotator cuff surgery here and then learned forehand after my surgery, clocked in at 70 MPH forehand a few months ago. What it would have been without surgery I don't know, but my shoulder is 100% healed as far as I can tell. Injury was non-DG related, but - I had the surgery when I was 18, and am 22 now. So age may have helped me out with recovery.