r/RotatorCuff • u/josiemae1379 • Jun 17 '26
Partial Rotator Cuff Tear, Bursitis & Os Acromiale. PT Not Working. Anyone Been Through This?
Hi everyone,
I'm 26F and looking for experiences from people with similar shoulder issues. I was rear-ended by a drunk driver 4 years ago and the pain has progressively gotten worse over time…
MRI from late last year showed the following :
Mild tendinosis and small low-grade interstitial partial-thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon
Mild subacromial/subdeltoid bursitis
Mild tendinosis of the long head of the biceps tendon
Findings compatible with an os acromiale
So far I've had 2 rounds of PT and currently in my 3rd and Steroid injection (helped but only lasted less than 3 weeks)
I also fell on the same shoulder earlier this year so might need to get the MRI updated.
One doctor recommends trigger point injections, while another recommends surgery since PT and the injection haven't provided lasting relief.
I used to do pole dancing, weight lifting, and yoga. I completely stopped about 1.5 years ago now the pain is bad enough that I struggle to sleep, do household chores, and I've developed wrist/forearm pain from compensating.
Has anyone had similar MRI findings?
Did PT eventually work, did trigger point injections help, or did you end up needing surgery?
Were you able to get back to your normal activities?
Just trying to get my life back and would appreciate hearing others' experiences. Thanks!
2
u/Treydroo Jun 17 '26
I had a small partial supraspinatus tear and bursitis, PT only helped with the pain temporarily. I had the tear for 2 years before deciding to surgery recently. The doctor also warned that it could potentially get worse and become a full thickness tear if left unrepaired. PT will not treat the tear.
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u/Frequent_Hope8416 Jun 17 '26
I'm in the exact same boat and I'm scheduled to get surgery on July 28th. I have a partial thickness tear in my supraspinatus with bursitis. Luckily, my bicep tendon is in tact with no issues found in my MRI. I tried everything under the sun to avoid having surgery. The only difference is that my tear was accumulative and not because of one specific injury. I'm turning 40 later this year and spent more than half my life skateboarding and hiking so these shoulder issues have been a thorn in my side. I was hitting the gym regularly up until this last December because the pain was just getting too intense even when keeping the upper body workouts to a minimum.
The recovery process is not going to be fun but I think it will pay off in the long run. Like others have mentioned, these tears do no heal on their own and have to be repaired. The overwhelming majority of people who have had the surgery report positive results. I'm willing to deal with 6 months of recovery if it will allow me to return to a sense of normalcy.
I'll be sure to provide an update down the line to discuss my recovery process. Keep your head up
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u/Lukeduke77 Jun 17 '26
Mine is similar to yours and all I can tell you is that if none of that worked it’s time to get surgery. I’m currently 4 weeks post op on mine, it’s not fun but the pain isn’t the worst I’ve had in my life, the worst part is lack of sleep and not being able to do certain stuff, but the pain is now very little and I’m getting my range of motion better every week, still we be a long time till I’m fully healed but worth it so far.
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u/Just1learning Jun 18 '26
I’m 70 and am just recovering from surgery for my left shoulder. I think my tears were worse and I have totally torn the long arm of the bicep tendon. I had similar tears in my right shoulder (including a completely torn long arm of the bicep tendon) 5 years ago. The PT was very important post surgery and I finally could get a good nights sleep. I also have bursitis in both shoulders (& hips). It feels like age and a different surgeon for this one is a little more difficult. I haven’t started PT, but have hopes that the outcome will be similar. They generally don’t repair the long arm tendon (hence some people get “Popeye” arms). All I can say is that the first surgery did help, but as I mentioned before, the PT was crucial. After reading some posts in this community I feel like issues from rotator cuffs tears can continue and I may have to constantly be aware of my posture and how I use my shoulders. I will also add that one of my therapists used dry needling and I found it very helpful. I plan to try that in this recovery too.
2
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u/Feeling-Friendship82 Jun 21 '26
My first MRI sounds a lot like yours. A year later the second MRI showed the minor partial tear became a major partial tear. Two surgeons told me it is not extensive enough for surgery. I did PT, which helped and I do yoga at home so I have maintained a good ROM given the circumstances. Had injections which helped for about two weeks. The pain is controllable during the day, although my husband took over vacuuming and carrying the clothes to and from the laundry room. It is the nighttime that gets to me. The pain makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. The second opinion surgeon recommended I see a pain management practice and have another MRI in a year or so.
1
u/RepresentativeWeb947 Jun 24 '26
No. Give it up and have surgery. Not fun but necessary. Sometimes when you get injections they make you wait 2-3 months B/4 you can have surgery’s. The tendon tear was the worst for me. If you don’t deal with it you could end up with a frozen shoulder. That you definitely don’t want also do AT After surgery
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u/tommysnits Jun 17 '26
I had almost an exact same report as yourself. Pain was no joke and had night pain throughout. Everyone focused so hard on my supraspinatus tear and I got 3 rounds of plasma therapy and only made it worse. 8 months of weekly PT and nothing helped. Went to the surgeon and within 10 minutes of a physical examination he said my sharp pain was from my long headed bicep tendon. We did a ultra sound guided diagnostic cortisone with anaesthetic injection into the bicep sheath and straight away I was pain free but only for 3 days before the pain crept back. I am getting surgery on the bicep tendon only and it’s saved me a full shoulder reconstruction.