- 1 to 4 weeks: A sling may be worn for one more week, if necessary.
- Two weeks post-operation, begin a Total Body Conditioning Program after incision is closed {starting earlier, you run the risk of getting perspiration in or on the wound, increasing the risk of infection).
- Gradually achieve full elbow range of motion.
Thus, Is Tommy John surgery painful? After your surgery, you will have some pain. However, you can take over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications, to keep the swelling down. You should also have your elbow in an elevated position. During your physical therapy is when you’ll experience the most pain.
Additionally Is Tommy John surgery the same as rotator cuff surgery? David Lintner, an orthopedic sports medicine specialist as well as head team physician for the Houston Astros. “The main task with Tommy John surgery [is] you are reconnecting a cable or tendon. With the rotator cuff, you’re talking about the shoulder and repairing a muscle and a tendon.
Why is Tommy John surgery so common? According to Dr. Erickson’s study, more than 56% of the pitchers surveyed who had Tommy John surgery grew up in warm weather climates. Many of them played year-round as a result of the climate instead of only playing seven or eight months a year.
How do you rehab a Tommy John?
Can Tommy John surgery be done twice?
Yes, it is possible to tear the ligament again after surgery and have to have a re-do ligament reconstruction. The results following a repeat Tommy John surgery are not as reliable as the results from the first Tommy John surgery.
How do I prepare for Tommy John surgery?
Take 4 months off with no competitive pitching, and 2-3 of those months with no overhead pitching at all. Follow your league’s limits for pitch counts and rest days.
What Tommy John feels like?
Most commonly, it’s a slow onset of elbow soreness, loss of velocity and/or location, or tingling into their fingertips. The epidemic of Tommy John injuries has freaked out most pitchers. They automatically think they’ve blown their elbow out if they even feel a slight hint of pain or soreness.
Do you throw harder after Tommy John surgery?
“The surgery may help you throw better than you did with a damaged UCL, but it isn’t a performance enhancement,” he says. “Tommy John surgery is not an elective surgery for ball players trying to improve their ability. It should be performed only when necessary.”
How long are you out for Tommy John?
“Patients are back to throwing 10 weeks after surgery, and most are back to competing within six months, which is less than half of the average recovery time for the traditional surgery.”
How common is Tommy John surgery?
Tommy John Surgery has climbed in popularity among MLB players, growing from 12 surgeries in 1974 to 1994 and 22 from 1995 to 1999 to 194 performed on MLB players from 2000 to 2011. During those 11 years, 275 Minor League players had the operation.
Where is the pain for Tommy John?
A Tommy John injury is an injury to the ligament on the medial (inside) part of the elbow. It most commonly occurs in overhead throwing athletes such as baseball pitchers and quarterbacks but can also occur in other sports such as gymnastics, javelin throwing, tennis, volleyball, and softball.