Soldier w/a steel shoulder, Can I shoot still?

[Duckster]

Hello, I had a total shoulder replacement last April. I was wondering if I could still shoot my single shot .270 or Marlin .35 Cal? I went to the range about a month ago and shot a perfect score with the 9mm pistol (I'm still in the Army, but being medically retired) range. I know I could still shoot an M16A2, because there is very little recoil. I was just wondering if the rifle and shotguns without recoil mechanisms would do some damage? I've basically healed from all my surgeries and feeling as good as I'm going to get.
By the way, it was the right shoulder and I'm right handed. Plus, I was a sniper and know how to shoot. The metal is "stainless steel" in shoulder, "chromium in left knee". So that should clarify some responses.
I thank you in advance for any advice or percpectives or personal accounts with same problem!!

"GOD BLESS THE INFANTRY"

 

[OEF_VET]

This sounds like a question for your doctor, not an anonymous internet forum.

 

[Waywatcher]

What he said.

 

[Duckster]

looking for real world experience.

What a doctor might say is something different from a person with actual experience with the same issue. I will ask my doctor, but he is constently gone to Iraq and I'm not sure he'll get back before I'm discharged.

 

[atomchaser]

You might try the occupational therapist or rehabilitation department at the local VA hospital.

 

[tanksoldier]

The only way to really know is to try it.

I have enough titanium in my lower back to make several watches.

I can do some things, not do others... and as time goes by I find that I can do more things either because things are getting better or because I find new ways to do them.

I expect that with some practice you'll be fine. My doc says the work in my back is stronger than it was before surgery... anything that would damage the titanium would have done worse to the original bone... the problem is that the lack of felexibility makes it easier to damage the rest of my spine.

Worst comes to worst, learn to shoot left-handed.

Oh, and if you do get the retirement... take advantage of all the perks, esp VA Vocational Rehabilitation. I'm rated as 70% disabled. It's not what I would have chosen, but since I can't change it I'm running with it.

EDIT: Yes, as mentioned above and below... the only way to know is to try it AFTER your doc OKs it.

 

[Odd Job]

Duckster, you need to ask your doctor that question because only he knows what hardware you have in there and more importantly how it is secured.
I can pick up the phone and get a very experienced orthopod on the line and ask him about this, but he will probably say that without the X-rays and some knowledge of how the procedure went, he won't comment. There might be something about your operation that resulted in you not having a standard implant procedure.
My advice is don't take a chance. Don't do anything to that implant without your doctor's blessing. He is the one who will have to revise it if something goes wrong.
The likelihood is he will say it is okay, but you have to check first because there are variables to do with that implant that you (and we) are not aware of.

 

[ceetee]

What Odd Job said. No reputable doctor is going to offer an opinion without a thorough examination of both the shoulder and new xrays showing how the new bone growth has attached to the prosthesis.

FWIW, I shattered my right humerous in 2000. I had three surgeries, each a year apart, to put it right. Each surgery went through my right shoulder, and I have miles of built-up scar tissue. Even after a year of therapy, I've noticed a considerable lack of stability when shooting long guns, as well as a heightened sensitivity to recoil. Shooting heavy 12 ga loads used to be fun. Now, after just a few shots, it's actually painful.

I'm saying this to emphasize my opinion: Don't shoot anything that recoils heavily without getting a physicians okay first. You could really mess yourself up, and you may not even notice until a few years go by. Stick with light-recoilling rifles until your doc gets home, or pony up the caysh for a second opinion...

 

[svtruth]

If your own Dr.

is not helpful enough, try calling a local pro sports team and ask who their team orthopod is. Those team MDs have lots of experience in rehabbing joints that go back in harm's way.
Good luck, and thanks for your service.

 

[BullfrogKen]

Even the best intentioned of folks can't offer medical opinions over the internet.

You should get a doctor when you retire, either VA or private care, to help with your rehab. Ask him (her). He (she) is both qualified to offer an opinion, and situated to make the determination from your records and condition. We are neither.


Good luck for a full recovery, though.

 

[Duckster]

Thanks Guys

I appreciate the feedback and will follow up on it. I'll keep ya posted. I have seriously considered going left shoulder. I have the knowledge, but not the practical use yet. Thanks again!!!

 

[Ric]

Just in case nobody has said it yet:
You Da Man
Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

 

[Thefabulousfink]

*Note* I am not a Doctor, nor have I suffered any major joint injuries (knock on wood). Before attempting any suggestions, you should consult proper medical doctor.


That being said, the proper equipment can make a world of difference. A good recoil pad, shooting jacket, and reduced recoil loads can make a considerable difference in the amount of felt recoil a gun has. An example: My friend and I both have .30-06 rifles made in the 1950's. His is a Winchester M70 with a wood stock and steel buttplate. Mine is a sporterized 1917 enfield. Even with the sporter stock, my rifle is 1-2 lbs heavier and has a thick rubber recoil pad installed. After 5-6 rounds, the metal buttplate on my friend's Winchester starts to bruise my shoulder; however I can shoot over 20 rounds through my enfield befor I start to feel discomfort.

After consulting a doctor to make sure that the stress caused by shooting won't harm your shoulder, you should be able to reduce the recoil caused by the .270 and the .35.

Best of luck, and thank you for your service.

 

[hobbeeman]

Hey Duckster, Thank you for your service
I am an Occupational Therapist and have some experience in shoulder rehab. That being said, the specifics in your case will be very important for the specific goals that you want to reach. Specifics like your scar tissue formation, the bone regrowth, the specific type of mechanism that was implanted, etc...
The thing that I would strongly recommend would be to have the OT include your shooting into your treatment plan and the individual goals made into part of your treatment.
I once put steer roping into a patient's plan and the entire rehab got involved
Your therapist will most likely enjoy the challenge, and you may have the opportunity to do some teaching to them on the finer points of shooting that only someone with your training will be able to teach.

On a hopeful note, I have only rarely not been able to adapt an activity to my patient's desires. Almost any activity can be adapted.

Good Luck and happy shooting!

David
aka hobbeeman

 

[Byron Quick]

Duckster,

Your doctor might not be the physician you need to consult about this. You need to talk with an orthopod who is also a shooter. Some doctors who are not experienced with shooting can overestimate the effects of recoil. And vice versa.

Has he given you any parameters about what you can do and what to avoid? Time frames? Amount of rehabilitation possible over time?

 

[Juna]

Ditto...

First off, thank you for your service to this great nation and for defending our freedoms!

Secondly, you need to get an orthopedic surgeon who's examined you and knows what operation you had. There's more than one kind of "steel shoulder," and they're designed differently for different purposes. There are also different brands, analagous to Ford vs. Chevy. Your doc who did the surgery would be the best equipped to handle that question, but if not, at least another orthopedic surgeon who has access to your records.

There are a lot of factors that determine the activities you should be undertaking, time being one of them. I'd be surprised if he says you can't fire low-recoil firearms anymore (after a proper recovery & whatever rehab is deemed necessary), but that's up to your doc. Obviously, you can decide whether to comply with his/her wishes or not, but only he/she can make official recommendations.

Odds are, if your doc is in the military, he/she has probably fired more than a few rounds, at least in training. Your average run-of-the-mill civilian orthopod probably has not. Trust me, I've asked about these things before to a moronic orthopod who clearly had no clue how to answer me as he'd never encountered the question before. So that was a good point about picking one who shoots, if possible. In the VA system, that seems like it wouldn't be too hard to do.