Long time lurker, first time poster.

A little background: I am 26 and 8 weeks post op. I had a rotator cuff tear as well as a SLAP repair with 2 anchors. PT has been progressing nicely thus far. I am a bank teller for my day job and I am a volleyball and basketball coach by night.

Last night was our first basketball game and in my excitement of one of the girls hitting a 3 to take us to overtime I found myself in the midst of an over-zealous fist pump. I heard a pop and a slight amount of pain. Nothing unbearable. I didnt really think anything of it. After the game I asked our trainer about it (he is not my normal PT) and he was convinced I re-tore it. Cue my freaking out the rest of the evening and the insomnia that ensued due to my fear of having to relive the whole process again. First thing this morning I woke up and called my PT and she seems to think that I just broke scar tissue loose. I do not have any added pain and the only difference is my movement is actually better. I guess Im just wondering if this is normal. I havent really experienced any scar tissue breaking up in PT, so I dont really have anything to compare it to.

Sorry for the novel-esgue post. I will try the cliff notes version next time. Thanks!

Yes, I have had those pops both in PT and reaching for something. I believe as long as you don't have really bad pain it was just scar tissue. Especially if your ROM got better with little pain, you should be all set.

Karen

Thanks Karen!

As much as I tell myself it was just scar tissue in the back of my mind I have still been nervous all day. So its nice to hear other people have had similar happenings. The thought of going through the last 8 weeks all over again was not a pleasant thought.

I go to PT again first thing tomorrow morning so hopefully that will finally put my mind at ease.

Thanks again!

I'm 5 weeks post op and had a similar experience to yours. I asked my PT and the OT and PT I work with and they said it would take a lot more to tear it than me moving it on my own. My senario was that I was putting on a sweater when it first popped. Now it seems to pop 75% of the time when I lift it above my head both actively and passively. Sometimes it is grossly painful and other times it is jsut usual stiff pain. Does your shoulder always pop now or did it just do it once? I have general burning and achiness almost constantly and the PT exercises usually reduce me to tears...not a ton of incentive to do them since I know they will result in an evening or day of misery! At what point did your shoulder stop hurting all the time or does it still hurt? Does your PT down play your pain? I think mine thinks I am stupid because she keeps telling me it is sore muscles from moving them but as an athlete I know the difference between pure pain and soreness. Thoughts?

Tennisgrl, it sounds like we are having the same worries.

This morning was my first PT session since I heard the pop. My PT was very much trying to convince me that everything was fine and that it was scar tissue I broke loose. Which part of me fully believes her, however I still have an uneasiness about it.

For me I am struggling with now that I broke things loose it feels different, so my frame of reference as far as "normal pain" is confusing to me. My PT assures me that because the scar tissue is gone it allows for more ROM and thus the muscles are still weak, adding to weak feeling. We did a few different strengthening exercises today so Im not sure if that is to blame for the ache and tiredness I am feeling with it today. Its hard now not to make more of any little ache or pain.

As for if it pops all the time, in my case not that I have noticed. It was just the one big pop and now it just feels weak, which my PT assures me will get better. I have had a dull pain, but I had that prior, I blame it on the snowstorms that keep hitting the Mid West. I live in Michigan and so far the shoulder is 2 for 2 in predicting storms, if I go 3 for 3 I will put my application in to be a weather person!

And dont worry my PT probably thinks Im crazy too. I called her literally as she walked in the building yesterday because I wanted someone to calm me down. I figure I cant be the craziest person she deals with. Hang in there!

You are absolutely right about your shoulder predicting the storms. I had this after my first surgery and is right on after the second also. I keep kidding the doctor that he was suppose to take the weather vane during surgery #2

There is a post from last year on this subject. Alot of people chimed in having the same pain before storms.

Karen