WVU Medicine orthopaedic care helps shoulder surgery patient regain mobility, active lifestyle

Rick Wiest has never been someone who likes to sit still.

Whether he is fishing, bow hunting, working on boats, or spending long days outside, he describes himself as someone who is always moving. 

“I’m active from five in the morning until six in the evening,” Rick said. “I don’t sit still. My arms are going. My legs are going all day long.”

But after injuring his right shoulder while working on a boat, Rick noticed that his active lifestyle was becoming harder to maintain. At first, he hoped the injury would improve on its own. Instead, the pain continued to get worse. 

For someone who depends on his arms and hands every day, the injury became more than an inconvenience. It started affecting the way Rick worked, slept, and lived.  

 “The pain would hit me and I was like, ‘Oh, I can’t quite do that,' ” he said.

Rick was referred to WVU Medicine Orthopaedics and David Richards, MD, who evaluated his shoulder and explained the extent of the injury.  

Rick was comfortable with Dr. Richards in no time at all. 

“I trusted him pretty much from the start,” Rick said. 

Dr. Richards performed a right shoulder arthroscopy with arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, arthroscopic subscapularis repair, biceps tenodesis, and platelet-rich plasma injection with collected bursal tissue. 

“My post-op protocol entails six weeks in a sling, during which the patient works on elbow flexion/extension and passive external rotation to neutral,” Dr. Richards said. “At the end of the six weeks, the sling is discontinued and the patient starts home physical therapy.” 

From there, Dr. Richards said patients begin stretching exercises, later adding strengthening exercises before beginning formal physical therapy around 18 weeks after surgery. 

From the first appointment through surgery and recovery, Rick said Dr. Richards helped him understand exactly what was happening and what to expect. 

“From day one, Dr. Richards explained things really well,” Rick said. “The day I went into surgery, he explained everything in detail.” After surgery, Rick said Dr. Richards was there again, talking with him about what he found and what had been done. 

The recovery process took patience, but Rick was determined to get back to the life he loved. With guidance from his care team and physical therapy, he steadily regained his strength and range of motion.  

Physical therapy also helped Rick continue building confidence in his shoulder.  

“The physical therapist was a big help in showing me different things I could do to get my range back,” he said. “It really made a difference.” 

Today, Rick is back to doing the things that matter most to him. He is fishing, hunting, working, staying active outdoors, and using his shoulder without the pain that once slowed him down. 

For Rick, that life-changing progress has him encouraging others not to wait if shoulder pain is affecting their lives. 

“I don’t know why I waited so long,” Rick said. “I wish I had done it sooner because he really did take care of it.” 

Now, Rick says he feels nearly back to full strength. And most importantly, he is back to the active lifestyle that defines him. 

“They got me to where I need to be,” Rick said. “I’m back to my active life thanks to the team at WVU Medicine,”  

Learn More: wvumedicine.org/activeortho