Big Ben : Just A "Little Torn Rotator Cuff

[CloakNNNdagger]

Steelers' Roethlisberger not worried about 'little' tear in rotator cuff
August 1, 2012 3:35 pm

For the record, Roethlisberger likes the new offense and says he and Haley get along well -- and he does not believe his right arm will hold back that offense. It was injured in the Steelers Nov. 6 loss to Baltimore. He mentioned it in the spring but this is the first time he's publicly called it a rotator cuff tear. However, he says it feels fine, that his arm feels strong and that it should not hamper any of his throws.

"I'm good. It's OK, just sore," he said when asked about his arm injury. "I have a little torn rotator cuff. That doesn't heal. We just have to hope it doesn't tear the rest of the way, according to Doc," he said, laughing.

He does take some precautions before practice, and not just because of the injury.

"It's part of getting older, too. If you watch walk-throughs, I used to throw all the time. Now it's just backing off. Now I don't ever throw during walk-throughs. It's less throwing; I think that's smart anyway. As you get older, you just need to take care of yourself whether you're hurt or not."

Suddenly, even the soreness seemed to disappear.

"It actually feels great,'' Roethlisberger said. "I don't have any pains anymore. Let's just hope it doesn't get any worse."

Far from a little worry for a right-handed QB...........for the near future or the long term. Rotator cuff tears do not tend to ever heal spontaneous. But they do tend to extend.

 

[disaacks3]

It's priceless that this was the Advertisement on top when I opened this thread...

 

[infantrycak]

Far from a little worry for a right-handed QB...........for the near future or the long term. Rotator cuff tears do not tend to ever heal spontaneous. But they do tend to extend.

Yup. As I believe we discussed one time I tore mine 18 years ago with essentially no progress since.

For those who aren't familiar this is particularly troubling for any kind of throwing. Mine is on my right hand side. I can pull a 70lb bow just fine but I can't throw a football or baseball hard. At least in my case the throwing motion is by far the one most affected. CnD can correct me if the terminology is wrong but it can also result in a chronic arthritic ache in the shoulder.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

Yup. As I believe we discussed one time I tore mine 18 years ago with essentially no progress since.

For those who aren't familiar this is particularly troubling for any kind of throwing. Mine is on my right hand side. I can pull a 70lb bow just fine but I can't throw a football or baseball hard. At least in my case the throwing motion is by far the one most affected. CnD can correct me if the terminology is wrong but it can also result in a chronic arthritic ache in the shoulder.

You are correct. If significant tears are left alone, they often lead to arthritis, due to continual rubbing and inflammation of the unbalanced joint. On the other hand, as we get older, arthritic changes that are many times accompanied by joint irregularities such as bone spurs can actually secondarily saw/cut through the rotator cuff structures.

 

[GP]

It's priceless that this was the Advertisement on top when I opened this thread...

Did that one mine too.

Google is watching us. Always watching us...

 

[GP]

I was going to make this claim a few weeks ago, but now that he's got a bad rotator cuff it makes it all the more certain:

This is the year the Steelers really decline. They eek'd it out in 2011 and then cratered vs. Broncos (of all teams) and I think 2012 they don't make the playoffs.

New offense, aching Big Ben, no run game. They're going to suffer.

 

[Hardcore Texan]

Yup. As I believe we discussed one time I tore mine 18 years ago with essentially no progress since.

For those who aren't familiar this is particularly troubling for any kind of throwing. Mine is on my right hand side. I can pull a 70lb bow just fine but I can't throw a football or baseball hard. At least in my case the throwing motion is by far the one most affected. CnD can correct me if the terminology is wrong but it can also result in a chronic arthritic ache in the shoulder.

Is surgery not an option? Just curious why over 18 years there is no progress, are there no other options?

 

[infantrycak]

Is surgery not an option? Just curious why over 18 years there is no progress, are there no other options?

I was told it was a just live with it and avoid the motions that aggravate it the most injury. The doc said sometimes on pro athletes they would attempt surgery but my impression was he was skeptical of that and he certainly was not recommending it (and if he wouldn't recommend it insurance goes right out the door). Look at Big Ben - no surgery for him and he was told it doesn't heal.

 

[Texn4life]

Yup. As I believe we discussed one time I tore mine 18 years ago with essentially no progress since.

For those who aren't familiar this is particularly troubling for any kind of throwing. Mine is on my right hand side. I can pull a 70lb bow just fine but I can't throw a football or baseball hard. At least in my case the throwing motion is by far the one most affected. CnD can correct me if the terminology is wrong but it can also result in a chronic arthritic ache in the shoulder.

I'm in the same boat. My mind tells me I can still throw like I used to, but my arm kills me when I try to throw too much. Can't do push ups without a lot of pain, and it even hurts after weed eating in the yard for a while. Frustrating but it is what it is.

 

[drs23]

Been (or is it Ben) following this thread and what you guys have said bears out in a situation I'm personally aware of. A fellow I play cards with, retired 68 YOA had one shoulder done, waited a couple of months then the Doc had him come back to do the other. That was two years ago and he says he should have just left well enough alone. His ROM is diminished now and the pain is even worse.

Lesson learned for me. My right shoulder wakes me up at night when I sleep on it the wrong way. I've learned how to turn over and go back to sleep. Then I do it again.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

I was told it was a just live with it and avoid the motions that aggravate it the most injury. The doc said sometimes on pro athletes they would attempt surgery but my impression was he was skeptical of that and he certainly was not recommending it (and if he wouldn't recommend it insurance goes right out the door). Look at Big Ben - no surgery for him and he was told it doesn't heal.

You might be interested in this article re. QBs and rotator cuff surgery.

QBs Not the Same After Injury, Surgery
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

Although surgical techniques continue to evolve, studies have surprisingly shown no clear-cut outcome advantage to scope vs. open approaches. Rather, as is the case with many surgeries, it is the surgeon that will make the difference. But one thing to keep in mind in the case of a patient such as a QB is the longer a tear is left unattended, the greater the chance of extending the damage even to other shoulder structures. Furthermore, repair of partial tears typically are very strong and predictable results in terms of pain relief, improvement in strength and function. Compared to full rotator cuff tears, in a repair of a partial rotator cuff tear, there is less stress on the repaired tendon because the disruption of the tendon is incomplete. This is advantageous for healing, and greatly lessens the possibility of the repair failing.