I recently had shoulder surgery and now I’m able to start to shoot again. I can’t do shots like jumps because I have to elevate my arm and I can’t do break shots like in , 8,9 and 10 ball. So what suggestions does anyone have to get back in form after a few months off ?
Getting back into pool after surgery
- Thread starter chas1022
- Start date
George the Greek
Well-known member
Place all the balls randomly on the table and just shoot them in the pockets in any order and play shape on the last ball but don't shoot it. Put all the balls back up again and repeat. This won't be strenuous on the shoulder and it'll help getting motion back in it.
I had shoulder surgery in 1976, best doctor in Chicago, paid cash $450, never had a problem.
Doc cut all the muscles, then drilled a hole in the bones/installed a pin/wrapped mw up/I healed and slowly began playing.
Took months to heal, couldn't break the balls, but my swing/handle hand arm worked just fine.
Play 1p or straight for now. I have a shoulder implant… concerned about damaging it by breaking
My rehab after the turning car got my left side with 6 ribs 2 vertebrae and the clavical needed a splice plate. The bruise on the hip was the size and height of a baseball cap.started with my left arm in a sling. Knowing Ronnie Allen and practicing one handed long before the accident made my first days easy to decide. Started back at the table as soon as I was released from the hospital. My therapy had me finding the limits and discomfort points. Each day taking the motions into that zone a little longer and deeper. Years later I have full motion with the left, almost. Still trying to push those limits. 
When Grady Matthews built his pool room in the springs mid 70's before Scott Smith showed up, I happened to be in there every day, and in walks Surfer Rod a box player, dressed sharp/always.
Gradys room was an action/magnet time in life, many came thru, including Black Bart... with the Belguim Red Circle Cue ball, replacing the heavier blue circle cue ball in the Centennial set.
Anywho.... back to rod/shoulder/action.
I could break the rack on a 9' but rarely made a ball.
I knew Rod was a bar table/player he might run 1 rack/might in an hour.... with my repair and gimpy arm he wanted to gamble on a 9'
.
After about an hour and a half, I had em stuck for about $200 sumptin I had to go to the bathroom.
Walking back to the table/from a distance I immediately noticed he'd replaced the cue ball with the big/heavy rock.
He wanted to jack the bet, nooooooo problem.
He quit after about $400 stuck.
Gradys room was an action/magnet time in life, many came thru, including Black Bart... with the Belguim Red Circle Cue ball, replacing the heavier blue circle cue ball in the Centennial set.
Anywho.... back to rod/shoulder/action.
I could break the rack on a 9' but rarely made a ball.
I knew Rod was a bar table/player he might run 1 rack/might in an hour.... with my repair and gimpy arm he wanted to gamble on a 9'
.After about an hour and a half, I had em stuck for about $200 sumptin I had to go to the bathroom.
Walking back to the table/from a distance I immediately noticed he'd replaced the cue ball with the big/heavy rock.
He wanted to jack the bet, nooooooo problem.
He quit after about $400 stuck.
Flakeandrun
Well-known member
Dislocated my shoulder on Friday night, falling down some stairs at a friends birthday event while being quite well lubricated. It popped back in after a minute or two, and holy shit it was awful. I managed to play this weekend, but it has not been pleasant. I can only imagine the troubles you've had.
I guess consistent exercise and stretching. Patience and perseverance. Hope it gets back to a comfortable state for you soon.
I am waiting for your posts. Damaged my shoulder to the point it needs a complete replacement but I am able to shoot without pain.
I had left total shoulder replacement surgery 8 years ago. I play pool right handed so that is the shoulder I have to stretch out to play pool. Based on how your exercises and range of motion are going, you’ll gradually start getting back in to shooting some, but just make sure to take it slow. You’ll eventually get more comfortable stretching your arm out on the table and getting down lower on the cue ball.
I would guess if it’s the shoulder of your grip hand, you’ll need to take it slow until you are able to attempt strokes with any velocity – draw shots and break shots.
I’d suggest taking it slow and avoid any competition until you know for sure you are ready to be able to play for a number of hours pain free. Until then, use pain as your guide as to how long your practice sessions should be.
It is the sudden reflexive shoulder movements that will cause you the most pain that you’ll need to try to avoid, but that’s normal. You’ll find if you overdo it, your shoulder will let you know and usually 2-3 days of resting your shoulder and avoiding your practice session will get you back to where you can resume.
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So far I have had six rotator cuff surgeries that started when I was 63 years old and I turn 78 this summer. Two surgeries to my left shoulder and four surgeries to my right shoulder. Rotator cuff surgeries involving full thickness tears performed on males over the age of 55 fail within 2 to 3 years after surgery. It is a medical statistic that is real and I’m living proof of that stat. So what you need to do is put pool on the back burner and just go slow. You have to strengthen the repaired tendons and let the surgery heal slowly because if you don’t, you’ll be having another surgery. Just work on flexion and range of motion, slowly stretch, do the post surgery exercises every day as often and as much as you can tolerate. Strength will gradually return but allow up to a year, and in some cases longer, to reach full recovery. Don’t push yourself because when you do that, which I’ve done, the surgery suffers setbacks and you’ll go under the knife again. Forget trying jump shots until 2025 because lifting your arm too high causes discomfort and weakens the repaired tendon if performed too soon after surgery. I am an expert on rotator cuff surgeries and have used three different orthopaedic surgeons, one of whom is nationally used by college universities for athletic injuries and also several NFL teams. He is one of the best and both operations he performed on my shoulders failed within six months of undergoing surgery. If you are destined to ever have rotator cuff surgery, just hope it happens when you are under 40 years old. Once you hit you 50’s or, heaven forbid older, rotator cuff surgeries very often fail and your physician will confirm this as a medical fact. You don’t have to suffer this fate if you take it slow post surgery. The future is you’re in control on how you fare but do not be impatient or over zealous.
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Biloxi Boy
Man With A Golden Arm
Think of it this way -- rehab after surgery is like breaking in a brand new baseball glove, at first it is so stiff you feel like you will never get there, but you work it a little and then let it rest a while, again and again, and at some point it's finally right.
I had my shoulder repaired on a Wednesday when I was in my late teens. They caught me sneaking to the elevator to go play a little one handed pool that night. By Friday night I was jumping up and down the bleachers at a dirt track with a quart of beer in the other hand. Immediately after surgery I found a sweet little ring game. I wanted in so bad I could taste it. The doctor said seven weeks in a sling and I gave it seven weeks to the day. That night I went and busted that ring game.
Totally different today, healing much slower. The cut to repair my shoulder went three-quarter around it, now a little nick lays me up for months.
Best estimate after many surgeries, it will take two to three months to reach 80-85% of max function, a year or a bit more for max function.
Final tip, plain Neosporin, not the antibiotic stuff, rubbed in at least twice a day vastly reduces scarring on the surface. I had heard this and gave it a try when I had a surgery needing two incisions. The comparison test showed the Neosporin made a big difference. Cosmetic but it also helps bending and twisting at the incision and there is a little less pain.
Do what feels right but don't push into severe pain. You will set yourself back and take longer to recover in the long run. You didn't mention if it was bridge hand or grip hand but this is a fine time to work on short drills and position play. Straight pool is a great idea too.
If it is the shoulder of your grip hand I strongly advise breaking with the other hand or no hard breaks. My experience is that healing tissue hates hard jolts. I think you will have more scar tissue if you break with that shoulder prematurely too. Talking not just surface but throughout the incision. Less scar tissue makes for more comfortable movement when things are healed.
Excellent advice from others. I think what I have said is generally good advice too but we are all individuals and our mileage will vary.
Hu
Totally different today, healing much slower. The cut to repair my shoulder went three-quarter around it, now a little nick lays me up for months.
Best estimate after many surgeries, it will take two to three months to reach 80-85% of max function, a year or a bit more for max function.
Final tip, plain Neosporin, not the antibiotic stuff, rubbed in at least twice a day vastly reduces scarring on the surface. I had heard this and gave it a try when I had a surgery needing two incisions. The comparison test showed the Neosporin made a big difference. Cosmetic but it also helps bending and twisting at the incision and there is a little less pain.
Do what feels right but don't push into severe pain. You will set yourself back and take longer to recover in the long run. You didn't mention if it was bridge hand or grip hand but this is a fine time to work on short drills and position play. Straight pool is a great idea too.
If it is the shoulder of your grip hand I strongly advise breaking with the other hand or no hard breaks. My experience is that healing tissue hates hard jolts. I think you will have more scar tissue if you break with that shoulder prematurely too. Talking not just surface but throughout the incision. Less scar tissue makes for more comfortable movement when things are healed.
Excellent advice from others. I think what I have said is generally good advice too but we are all individuals and our mileage will vary.
Hu
Any doctor will tell you a dislocated shoulder needs to stay in a sling 24/7 for 3-4 weeks followed by isometric shoulder exercises. Even a subluxation (pops out and back in immediately) requires 2+ weeks in a sling.
Stretching it out too soon by playing pool (a left shoulder for a right handed shooter) will only loosen the entire shoulder cavity up to where dislocation will be far more likely in the future.
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Might was so bad till the fix, I could throw it outta socket with a Good Sneeze. Ah Choo.
Flakeandrun
Well-known member
He did give me a sling, and some painkillers. It just feels really swollen more than anything. I am no stranger to dislocating fingers, and my elbow (twice now). I guess I should treat it with a bit more care than those. I will take it a bit easier then. Nothing broken, feels fine mostly, but the pain is like a trapped nerve when moving the 'wrong' way when stretching. I guess that is what the sling is for, and what I should be care of
I played cricket with a guy who had a similarly janky shoulder. he'd bump lightly into things and it would noodle. Maybe going to relax on mine for a few days and perhaps take the doctor's word more seriously.