# Return to riding after ruptured bicep surgery



## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Muscle or tendon? I had surgery to reattach the bicep tendon and it was 6 months before I got the all clear. Post op was a cast & sling and then they put me in an arm brace that limited movement. Every week at PT they'd loosen it a little more. 

Do what they limit you to do and then do the exercises PT will assign. I'm a couple of years out from the injury and surgery and am still not as strong in that arm as I was. You lose a lot of muscle by being immobile so be prepared for that.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Both my mother and brother had muscle and tendon reattached. It was a long process getting from surgery to near full recovery as both have said even with PT and doing all they were instructed the arm just isn't the same. One is 10 years past the other 6 months. My MIL that had rotator cuff surgery refused to go to PT and refused to do any of the excerise on her own. She ended up in a world of hurt far worse than prior to surgery.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

lsdrider said:


> I'm four weeks post surgery for a ruptured and torn bicep. Doc says wear the sling and a weight limit of zero until the next appointment in four weeks. I can go for walks, but no slip, trip or fall.
> 
> Anyone have experience with recovery from this surgery?
> How long until you could ride?


I had rotator cuff surgery, general shoulder clean up and was going to have to have my biceps tendon reattached at the same time. When the dr. got in there, there was nothing left to reattach, things where shredded up so badly. He ended up removing 1 of the biceps tendon heads and removing it. It's been about 18 mos. since I had that surgery and the shoulder is doing much better and is moving freely. The biceps is 90% better but it's not the same and, I suspect, never will be. I had over 6 mos. PT and did everything they said and recovered really well. The strength isn't the same, though I am still very strong. The tendon tends to want to cramp when I try to lift something or move it a certain way. Once I got the all clear to ride again, I started and the actual riding went fine. I need help lifting my western saddle up over my head in order to saddle up. That's been my biggest deficit.


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## lsdrider (Jun 27, 2012)

JCnGrace said:


> Muscle or tendon? I had surgery to reattach the bicep tendon and it was 6 months before I got the all clear. Post op was a cast & sling and then they put me in an arm brace that limited movement. Every week at PT they'd loosen it a little more.
> 
> Do what they limit you to do and then do the exercises PT will assign. I'm a couple of years out from the injury and surgery and am still not as strong in that arm as I was. You lose a lot of muscle by being immobile so be prepared for that.


I had the distal bicep tendon reattached along with some other repair, nothing needed on the shoulder end.
They only put me in a sling with orders to wear it except to shower and DO NOT LIFT ANYTHING.
PT starts next week, 5 weeks post op and see the surgeon again at 9 weeks post op. Therapy says that the initial visits are for ROM only, weight will not be introduced until after the 9 week post op evaluation.
My fear is if the surgeon says no riding bike or horse even after 6 mos (which seems to be a typical "all clear" time) due to the possibility of falling resulting in a severe shock to the bicep.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

lsdrider said:


> I had the distal bicep tendon reattached along with some other repair, nothing needed on the shoulder end.
> They only put me in a sling with orders to wear it except to shower and DO NOT LIFT ANYTHING.
> PT starts next week, 5 weeks post op and see the surgeon again at 9 weeks post op. Therapy says that the initial visits are for ROM only, weight will not be introduced until after the 9 week post op evaluation.
> My fear is if the surgeon says no riding bike or horse even after 6 mos (which seems to be a typical "all clear" time) due to the possibility of falling resulting in a severe shock to the bicep.


By 6 mos. everything should be re-attached and healed. I think you'll find that you are much stricter in your ground rules, you don't want that horse yanking your arm and pulling you apart another time, the first one was enough fun. I know, in my case, I've been told if I tear that shoulder apart again I'll be looking at shoulder replacement surgery. That's a BIG negatory from me. So they behave or we have a serious chat about manners. The other head of the biceps, the proximal one in my case, didn't rupture or detach and wasn't shredded, so it's good. Take your time with your PT and make it your new religion to do those exercises and do exactly what they tell you, no more, no less, and you'll have a good outcome. I loved my PT (actually since it's arm & shoulder, they considered it Occupational Therapy), she explained the body mechanics of how and why I needed to move a certain way, made things really easy to understand.


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## lsdrider (Jun 27, 2012)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> By 6 mos. everything should be re-attached and healed. I think you'll find that you are much stricter in your ground rules, you don't want that horse yanking your arm and pulling you apart another time, the first one was enough fun. I know, in my case, I've been told if I tear that shoulder apart again I'll be looking at shoulder replacement surgery. That's a BIG negatory from me. So they behave or we have a serious chat about manners. The other head of the biceps, the proximal one in my case, didn't rupture or detach and wasn't shredded, so it's good. Take your time with your PT and make it your new religion to do those exercises and do exactly what they tell you, no more, no less, and you'll have a good outcome. I loved my PT (actually since it's arm & shoulder, they considered it Occupational Therapy), she explained the body mechanics of how and why I needed to move a certain way, made things really easy to understand.


This was a rare non-horse injury, lol.
Happened at work.
I have been very strict at following doctors orders. Still under orders for zero weight and wear the sling until the Dr. visit at 9 weeks. Last week at the 5 week visit he told me I can go for walks but no slips, trips, or falls. 
Thanks for the encouragement with PT too.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

lsdrider said:


> This was a rare non-horse injury, lol.
> Happened at work.
> I have been very strict at following doctors orders. Still under orders for zero weight and wear the sling until the Dr. visit at 9 weeks. Last week at the 5 week visit he told me I can go for walks but no slips, trips, or falls.
> Thanks for the encouragement with PT too.


LOL! Mine was also not a horse injury. My first shoulder tear apart injury was a horse injury on top of an old undealt with injury from ski racing. This last one my 100 lb puppy shot to the end of the leash and when that 100 lbs hit the end of the leash, POW! It hurt, oh it hurt a lot, but it still didn't occur to me that the PUPPY had just torn up my arm and shoulder. I am very cognizant of any stress on that arm now, if a horse or dog even thinks of getting strong, we immediately go to the CTJ mode. 

Hang in there. Gotta say it was one of the more painful surgeries I've had and the rehab seriously lacked fun too, but it was worth it in the end.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Distal for me too. The brace didn't limit shoulder movement just how much I could straighten my arm at the elbow. I always say PT but it was actually OT. The only thing I hated and made them quit doing was rubbing the surgery site with different textures to break up and keep excess scar tissue from forming. For some reason that drove me up a wall plus made me nauseous and I told them I'd massage it on my own. 

Since you had more done than just reattachment you may have to be more careful for a longer period of time. With mine it was just giving the bone time to grow around the tendon and then slowly stretching it back out. I can't remember how long it was before I could start picking up some weight but had to start out by lifting a can of soup. LOL


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## lsdrider (Jun 27, 2012)

Mine is OT as well, lol


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