8 weeks post shoulder surgery

[ToyotaKev]

Rotator cuff/bicep repair done on right shoulder back on Sept 24th...rehab coming along...mostly happy with progress I guess...started on "above" shoulder movements/exercises about 10 days ago...not many sharp pains anymore but mostly soreness 24 hrs after a rehab session...started sleeping in bed about a week ago...have always kinda struggled with getting comfortable sleeping position for last few years with other back, knee ailments but seemed to always end up a side sleeper on right side...well, still can't do that without pain so the sleep struggle continues some...Thanks to all that recommended a recliner (kinda going back n forth using it to sleep) as I think I definitely couldn't have done it without one...drugged up and still awake late until I was dead tired allowed me to usually get a solid 6 hours (late night bathroom trips not included, lol)...so here I sit typing away while hoping to hear some feedback from some of you again in regards to your recoveries (knowing that each case can be quite different)...at what point did you feel you were "back" as far as most movements/total return of range of motion...not pain free as I get that would still be around as you continue to increase strength? It's beginning to be a mental struggle of probably wanting too much, too soon...and being scared to death of something that would set things back...have a back on the water target for myself of early March and the hope of holding my first granddaughter pain-free at the end of March! Sorry for rambling...thankful to hear of your experiences!

[jimsch]

Listen to the Dr. and your therapist. I over did my workouts and went backwards.
Took roughly 2 weeks of very limited exercises to get back to where I was.
Good luck to you and enjoy that first cast with no pain.

[Gusman2424]

Hey ToyotaKev,

While it's been a few year since my surgery, I feel your pain (Sorry)!

It sounds like you're pretty much on track. The progress on pain, motion and strength is tediously slow, especially at first. I cannot overstate how important physical therapy is to the recovery process. Not only the office sessions but even more important are your home exercises. Range of motion comes first then strength. And you're right it is discouraging since just as you're feeling more comfortable, they add new exercises and the pain returns. That said, there comes a point when all sudden the pain starts to get more bearable and then you'll start feel that you're making real progress. I want to say that it was at the 3-3.5 month period that I started really feeling better.

I went back to work at 5 months (I'm an MRI Tech) pretty much pain free, but my surgeon wanted me to stay out one more month to gain addition strength which is vital to maintaining stability. I just couldn't afford to do that!

Now years later, I could not be more pleased. Virtually 100% pain free (I'm an old fart so some pain is a fact of life!) and my range of motion is actually better than my "good" shoulder.

Hang in there... it will get better!

Cheers,

Gusman

[jtracc]

I had same surgery last year. Torn right supraspinatus, torn bicep tendon, torn subscapularis and torn labrum. Couldn't be happier with my results, I'm 42 and shoulder feels like it was in my 20's. Only advice I can give is rest it and do your exercises and therapy. I did it every day and I was a head of the game.

Good luck, I know it seems like it will never heal, it will. 12 weeks is the magic number...

[Muleheaded]

My rotator cuff surgery was back in June of this year. Did physical therapy for 4 1/2 months. Surgeon wanted me to continue, but out-of-pocket co-pays were adding up so the surgeon agreed that I could continue stretching and strengthening exercises at home. I am a side sleeper and am gradually “weaning” myself from the recliner…a few hours in recliner, then a few hours in bed. My range of motion is greatly improved, but my strength is that of a 2 year old. Can’t hold a beer can out in front at shoulder height for more than a few seconds before I start to shake. I hope to be ready to fish by pre-spawn.

[BOW4UM]

After Shoulder surgery I still cant throw a baseball correctly or hold a gal of milk out. 3 years ago. GL and God speed on your full recovery!

[dartag1829]

Been 4 years since I had 2 Rotators repaired and spur clean up work. Did the PT then the gym on my own. My PT people gave me exercises to do. Keep working it. I have really no pain now. Just got done playing 3 hours of Pickleball.

Bottom line is it is going to hurt but do the work.

[Hoot]

You are on a good track just be patient and don't hurry the process there are a lot of exercises you can continue after the rehab sessions end just because the Dr releases you sometime after surgery and post surgery rehab sessions doesn't mean the switch has been flipped to return to full activity throwing caution to the wind.

The muscle tone surrounding the shoulder joint takes a long time to restore especially with the degree of severity of the injuries that your surgery entailed and staying ahead of the game like jtracc said is my recommendation also.

I had the surgery on my left shoulder in early October had a good rehab was released in Mid January to start gradually increasing my weight training adding a little more weight with more reps, swimming while still doing range of motion exercises and the surgical tube resistance devices. My Physical Therapist recommended not paddling my kayaks until April which is pretty intense as I distance race started back paddling in April took a couple of weeks to get confidence back that everything was OK was back racing the end of May.

I still do shoulder muscle strengthening exercises that I did in Rehab Sessions in my workouts now use a 40 lb resistance band have fished a lot of hours and paddled a lot of miles with no complications over the last six years.

[gleninaz]

I tore the labrum off my right then a year later tore the left off. It took a long time to get fairly normal motion back. I split a cord of firewood a year after and it really fixed the motion issues. Guess it got rid of the last of the scar tissue. It has been a few years bit I can raise both arms straight up and no pain for years. Keep working on the exercises and stretch out the scar tissue.

[Treker47]

Had my left shoulder done 15 weeks and 5 days ago but who counts things like that. Pain was my middle name until about 2 weeks ago and then all of a sudden with some new PT exercises it decreases immensely. Still have some when I try to do the things I am not suppose to be doing so I just pay the price and take a pill. Slow is good and slower is better on the recovery mode so I have slowed back down. My frustration level was a problem and when I got chewed out by the PT person for doing things I was not suppose to be doing it went down also. My 16 week evaluation is Friday but I feel I am about 75% to 80% back to normal. I know the rest of the way is going to be slow to gain 100% but made my mind up to be patient. Each person is different on the recovery but you body will let you know what you can and can't do so just listen to it. Good luck and be patient.

[Bassman Ia.]

Rehab properly and it should be as strong or stronger then it was before.

[ToyotaKev]

Just got around to reading your responses so far...THANK YOU! Going into detail with your recoveries is just what I needed to hear!! Glad my surgeon continues to re-up my pain scripts cuz, as Gusman pointed out, it sure seems like it's gonna some new pains with each step in the process...will keep my chin up and keep pressing forward

[SHM64]

same surgery... i didn't take prescription pain meds and bought an ice circulator, 10 minutes for every waking hour (my wife's a saint), for the first two weeks and then always after therapy both away and at home. Surgery was in August and was duck hunting in December and playing 50+ year old wood bat baseball in the summer league. Like some of the others, my repaired shoulder feels much better than the other. I could use surgery on that shoulder but don't want to go through it again. My repaired side shoulder blade musculature gets fatigued on occasion... that's about all I struggle with 4 years later. I'm certain that ice and cool down worked wonders.

[dartag1829]

Funniest part of mine was. I had to sleep in the recliner in the living room for 6 weeks. One night I was watching speedway motorcycle racing from Poland on Youtube. Commentators were speaking Polish. Wife comes out to check on me and asks how many pain pills I had taken. I said it must have been enough because I can understand them.

Got to be careful them pills will plug up your lower unit.

[A Wood]

3 years post surgery and am so glad I did it. Living in pain for years sucked and post surgery sucked just as bad but once you heal you will be thankful. Took me over a year and a half to fully recover labrum and multiple muscle tears but now I can throw a ball with my son and set the hook on jumbo smallies without wanting to cry....
Do your PT, eat healthy, and ice alot. I say this because I iced twice as much as they said to and my pt guy was always shocked at how well I was recovering. Whether it truly helped or not I'm not sure but I iced as often as I could and I always seemed to feel good.

[Rodney P]

I had the same surgery on the same arm in March 2020 before the shutdown. I am one that is prone to form scar tissue so things were really stiff an painful even following the Dr’s orders and PT to a T. The Dr even talked about going back in to remove some scar tissue to get my range back. In short it took about a year to get back to what I would call normal with range and would say I am about 95% back. I can do about anything I did before, but I cannot throw a ball. I have 90-95% of my range back which is more than the Dr expected with the scar tissue i formed. I do not have as much strength in my arm and can tell it some times. I cast with this arm and can really feel it after a few hours as well. Most days my arm is pain free bit sometimes my bicep muscle can hurt still.

[swampshark]

Almost one year post op....still hurts on occasion...about 90% range recovery. Don't know if it will ever be back 100%...other shoulder is starting to hurt because I have relied on it for most of the daily activities....gotta be tuff to get old!

[chan-gu]

Don't be pessimistic. 90% is already a great recovery.

[Treker47]

I think age has a lot to do with the recovery. 74 here and think if I was younger it would not have been as bad. So for you guys that are putting it off keep that in mind.

[Bassman Ia.]

https://www.hyderabadshoulderclinic....-cuff-surgery/