What can I expect from shoulder surgery?

[Dastardly]

I was going to post this in the main forum (and may still do) but I heard that you have had some shoulder surgery yourself and may be able to offer some informed advice.

This is a long rambling post, I understand if you cannot be bothered to read it or if you do not have enough information to offer advice.

I am a mid 20's male, who has had shoulder problems for my whole life. My shoulders have always been very unstable and prone to painful minor subluxations and heavy impingement. I have never been able to pitch a ball without causing lingering pain, which feels like something has been pinched or torn.

I started lifting at the beginning of last year, I was doing bench pressing, standing press, push ups and lots of specific rotator cuff rehab work. This all had a remarkable effect on reducing my impingement and improved my ROM massively. I begun SS this year and dropping r.cuff work. Eventually I got my right shoulder to the stage where it no longer causes me problems in my everyday activities and training. For all intents & purposes, it is cured.

But my left is as every bit problematic as day one. It still impinges (all be it much less), but is still very unstable. Even holding the handlebars on my bike cause it to shift around in the socket, I have to keep muscles "active" and internally rotate to prevent painful subluxing and strain on the shoulder, which leaves me tired and with soreness in the shoulder.

In terms of lifts, my bench press stopped progressing way before I was even at bodyweight. All other lifts continued to grow but bench & ohp have been at a standstill more or less. When I push myself to pass this plateau I just get stuck due to the shoulder instability & pain. I find it hard to keep form at maximal weights as it is very easy to get impingement which screws up form totally.

My bench press is only 60% of my squat or 50% of my deadlift, and the disparity continues to grow. Im seen as an oddity in the gym, by myself as much as others. I deadlift, squat, & do pull ups at decent numbers, which makes people respect me and even ask for advice. But my bench & press are lower than the scrawniest most clueless trainees that I see.

Today I went to an a local bench press comp and saw kids who were in my eyes anoerexic, bench my 1rm for 30 speed reps. This really made it sink in, my strength here really does suck.

I have been trying to get medical advice for the issue over the past few months, I have seen multiple clueless consultants and therapists. I have been told by some that my shoulders are perfect but just lacking muscle/strength, that weightlifting is perfect. By others that I must stop at once, and that 5 reps is only for bodybuilders who want to acheive atrophy (I kid you not) and that all the worlds scientists got together and agreed that 15 reps was the optimum range for strength work. I have had therapists breakdown in tears when I most politely displayed a lack of confidence in their advice, I have had a consultant recommend that I have acupuncture to remedy my shoulder problems, that it "really works" (I emphasised that I have mechanical problems, not pain).

Basically a lot of BS. But I finally got to see a decent surgeon/doctor the other day. He gave me a very good examination, and for the first time used tests that clearly identified my impingement & instability. He also had a very confident swagger, and suggested that the cartilage in my shoulder was too loose & stretchy, that it will probably need to be tightened up with keyhole surgery. But that we would try some proprioception based physical therapy first, as the stuff I had been recommended so far had apparently been totally innapropriate.

I have never wanted or liked the idea of surgery, but things are looking promising now that there seems to be potential options and solutions ahead. If the op was definetely going to have a significant postive effect, then I would jump on the operating table right now. But the doctors cannot offer me any specific advice on how any of this might effect my activities like lifting, and what post-op rehab may be for someone who is a keen and determined strength trainee.

I want to be able to bench & overhead press impressive weights, I want to snatch in confidence that I will not dislocate shoulder, I want to be able to to go on long distance bike rides, I want to be able to throw punches with left hand.

I cannot do any of these things, and was wondering if you were familiar with the outcomes of something like this? Is the recovery time and such worth the potential benefits?

[Mark Rippetoe]

If there was ever an argument for testosterone/anabolic steroids, it is apparently you, for many reasons. Seriously as hell. Do you even eat red meat? I detect many problems here, damn near all of which would be fixed if you Butched The Fuck Up. Even a little would help.

[Cenova]

Dastardly,
I would agree with Mark. I'da been a bit more sensitive but that's just me. If your problem is truly capsular loosening, proprioceptive training will only take you far. Saying that, "butching the fuck up" will also only take you so far. If the problem truly is capsular insufficiency, and you do not have some type of Collagen defect (you didn't specify), then a capsular shift or capsulorraphy might be in order. Find a very qualified surgeon as this is a technical procedure. One that if done too tightly will result in limited ROM for a very long time, or not enough puts you right back at square one, just substantially weaker.

[Edward Arbeck]

You describe alot of my problems aswell. I injured myself while boxing and weightlifting extensively during my late teens and early twenties. Your description of your problem is very similar to mine. I also have met alot of crappy doctors and physiotherapists in my day, but finally had the same diagnosis as you did. My doctor told me I'd have to heal each shoulder for six months, and of course I could only operate one at a time. So I've decided to not go ahead with it. Also, the risk (here in Sweden at least) is that it won't solve the problem.

I have since the shoulder injury had trouble getting my benchpress up, but not my OH press. My OH press is 80% of my bench. Like you I experience that SS made my shoulders a lot better. But they really started to get better when I was crossfitting for a year (RXed).

Rips advice to harden the fuck up is of course genius. We could all harden the fuck up. And chow some more animals. Everything that bleed is food. Chuck Norris has no shoulder problems.

No but really, you're not alone with this problem.

[MazdaMatt]

Do you even eat red meat?

This is likely a VERY valid question. I may be confused, but aren't you one of the veggies on this board? What's worse: surgery or eating steak every day for the next 6 months to see if it gets better?

[TTT]

I thought he was indian and therefore couldn't eat cow for religious reasons.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Then his training failure is just part of the sacrifice. Embrace the weakness, revel in the lack of progress, cherish the bruise on the forehead that comes from beating it against the wall.

[LudwigVan]

It's okay Dastardly, I still believe in you!

[Gunnhild Bruno]

I thought he was indian and therefore couldn't eat cow for religious reasons.

There are these animals called goats and sheep. They're pretty tasty.

[Dastardly]

Bloody hell people, who told you I was a vegetarian? And I am definetely not a hindu either!

I like eating animals and things that come out of animals very much so.

I dont know whether to be offended or flatterred by what is probably the best put down Ive seen Rip give anyone. I admit I was being kinda whingy, so I guess I was asking for it.

Just for the record, the pain/discomfort I describe is not at all a problem for me. This is something I had to repeatedly drill into doctors who simply wanted to offer me painkillers or cortisone injections.

Pain (very specific pain) alerts me to the damage happening in my shoulder when things are pinched, strained or torn inside. This happens very easily, despite my best efforts, and is making progression on pressing movements nearly impossible.

If you could humour me with a few tips/pointers about the usual outcomes of these types of operations it would be very helpful. If you can recommend any type of rehab for quick recovery? can subjects take part in throwing sports and weightlifting afterwards? Does the improved joint integrity/tightness have risk of increasing the impingement? Can the capsule just stretch out again over time?

Obviously I will tell the therapist & surgeon that I want to press & bench press. But is there anything else I should tell them?

Thank you.