shoulder surgery....bone spur....recovery time....

[warrant800]

Happy Belated Thanksgiving.....
     any idea on recovery time after removing a bone spur from the shoulder?  Not rotator cuff surgery....Also, does the shoulder come back l00% as far as being able to lift heavy???  Or, at 48 should I just be happy with what I have at this point and maintain it???  Right now in physical therapy and unable to flat bench heavy....can only do 3 plates on a hammerstrength flat bench and that with some pain....I guess my options are to 1. work around the pain and lighten the load, upping the reps and cut out certain exercises that irritate the shoulder....or....2. Bite the bullet, get the surgery and continue lifting like I'm 25?   

[trab]

I'd exhaust all options beside surgery. And, avoid any Dr thats in too big hurry to cut.

How about lower body focus for several weeks? I did that when I had a busted arm and it makes
noticable improvment on legs.
Relax and enjoy some of your other interests and dont beat taht shoulder up too soon.

ANything you can do that dont agravate it.

[Rimbaud]

I'd exhaust all options beside surgery. And, avoid any Dr thats in too big hurry to cut.

How about lower body focus for several weeks? I did that when I had a busted arm and it makes
noticable improvment on legs.
Relax and enjoy some of your other interests and dont beat taht shoulder up too soon.

ANything you can do that dont agravate it.

I agree with everything trab said.

[atr911]

Shoulders are a really really fragile one but don't assume that your lifting days are over because you can't flat bench.  Lots and lots of guys switch to an incline dumbell press that allows them a much more comfortable lifting range of motion.

Anything you do that bothers your shoulder even in the slightest should be stopped. 

Try switching to a neutral grip on some exercises and see how it affects ROM.

Other than this, the above info is great.  Whatever you do, if you go under the knife, make sure you are 100% before you return.  Your body will thank you later!

[wes mantooth]

warrant,

just as a reference point, i had my shoulder scoped....meniscus trimmed, tendons decompressed and part of my acromium bone taken off.

that was 12 1/2 months ago...today i flat benched 315 for 5.

the shoulder is not the same, but you can teach yourself to work around it. somedays are better than others, but for the most part you need to re-train yourself how to train. my form is stricter, i dont ego lift, i rest more, and i listen to pain...not try to push through it.

good luck

[local hero]

if i were u id work around it and ice it down afterwards,,, if the surgery goes wrong u may never lift properly again