Rotator Cuff surgery and drums

[Rmgreg]

I'm having a Supraspinatus, infraspinatus and long biceps tendon repaired Monday. I'm curious how soon after surgery others have returned to playing. PT starts about a week after but I will have a sling for 4-6 weeks I believe. I feel like I could at least play on a practice pad pretty quickly but I'm really curious how quickly I can play my drum set.

 

[Patrick]

I was gigging light gigs with my arm in a sling at 4 weeks. I could not move my gear by myself. And I only started up again after my pt said just what I could do at that point. Things got back to normal gradually after that. Good luck

 

[Rmgreg]

I was gigging light gigs with my arm in a sling at 4 weeks. I could not move my gear by myself. And I only started up again after my pt said just what I could do at that point. Things got back to normal gradually after that. Good luck

Wow. That's much better than I thought. I bet cymbals were tough to reach.

 

[cworrick]

WELCOME TO THE CLUB!!!!!

1. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. Everyone's surgery, the reaction to it, and the PT is different. There is no cookie cutter answer to your question.

2. Don't expect to do ANYTHING with the surgical arm while it is in the sling. Do use this time to work on your other arm and foot coordination on the drum set. You would be amazed what being put on this restriction will do to expand your playing. You may be able to get back to this in a few days to a week after surgery.

3. As far as gigs go, it depends on several things:
Do you have a roadie to carry your gear or not?
What kind of music do you play and how active do you have to be to play it?
Can you get away with doing some gigs one handed?

I've heard of people gigging in 8 weeks and I've heard of people having to wait 8 months.

Good Luck.

 

[jptrickster]

Lower your cymbals , raise your throne. GL!

 

[SKSMITH]

I was gigging light gigs with my arm in a sling at 4 weeks. I could not move my gear by myself. And I only started up again after my pt said just what I could do at that point. Things got back to normal gradually after that. Good luck

I was about 4 weeks also when I had mine done in 2001 or 2002. Same as you, I couldn't move my gear.

 

[Patrick]

A lot of stuff sucked for quite a while. Driving, reaching above my head either for a crash cymbal or to get the mayo from a high shelf.