About 4 months postop - Still a LOT of pain
Posted , 8 users are following.
Had my rotator cuff surgery June 13th. Since I have be introduced into " phase 3" which is strengthening, the shoulder hurts/aches all the time. Do not have my full range of motion yet. At about 142 degrees arm lift, 45 degrees to the side. I am just so overwhelmed with the pain and would like someone to tell me when I ought to expect it to diminish. Still have to sleep in recliner. I move into bed after wife gets up at 5AM. Sometimes I stay in bed till 9AM, but the longer I stay in bed the more things hurt. If I sleep on opposite side, it aggravates that shoulder. On my back causes pain all across shoulder , back and neck. Just would like info about when pain starts to get better and when sleeping can approve. Thank you.
0 likes, 28 replies
Susan1942 bill49757
Posted
Will do . I saw. my Physio last week and she was not overly concerned..Just adapted some of the exercises I was doing. At the end of the session my pain on moving the shoulder had diminished
Just doing the exercises and see whst my Surgeon has to say..
Sue
arj50436 bill49757
Posted
My experience has been very similar. I am at 7 months.
If you are like me, strengthening is going to hurt until your shoulder gets strong again. It can be excruciating. As you go along, it's going to hurt less and less. Your range of motion is going to come back on it's own schedule. It doesn't matter what your surgeon or your physical therapist says. I am at 7 months and almost have full ROM. It takes up to a year for some people to regain full ROM. My P/T and doctor expected me to have it at 3 months.
It sounds like you are having some cervical pain. Try some of the Alexander techniques on youtube to help with the cervical pain (just look up neck pain exercises Alexander technique). I have come to believe that stiffness in this case is your friend. It tells you when you are going too far. If you try to push past it instead of pushing up to it, you will have cervical pain because you are actually using your neck and back to lift your arm, not your shoulder. Stiffness is telling you something.
Whenever I have cervical pain, I find it best to rest until it went away. So my advice is a little different from that below because your situation is like mine. If you continue to do the exercises every day while you are having neck pain, the pain will get worse. Do stretch and do pendulums. Lift some light weights without using your shoulders at all. Don't wall walk too far past the stiffness if you must do it every day. You don't have to run to the finish line. You do have to keep your shoulder lubricated so that it doesn't freeze up.
I find myself a little bit stronger each time after resting. Gradually I find myself doing things like resting my arm on the back of a chair or reaching for something that I couldn't reach before.
Keep stretching as much as you can, put both arms on a chair and, holding them straight lean in until you feel the stretch. Lastly, consider asking for some dicyclomine gel for the pain in your shoulder, back and neck. It would replace any anti-inflammatory you are currently taking. A balance ball can also help if you roll it back and forth. Pendulums are good. Massage therapy, if you can afford it, is good. Make sure you have someone who is familiar with shoulder surgery. They should ask you questions about what kind of surgery you had. familiar with Myofascial release is going to be very helpful with the cervical pain. Exercise your legs as much as possible by walking or using a stationary bike to keep your body strong on your off days.
bill49757 arj50436
Posted
Thanks for your input. A lot of what you say makes perfect sense and very well applies to me. I really don't have so much neck pain as i have upper to mid back pain. Years of having a job sitting in front of a computer i am sure have contributed to it. Plus i have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis in the cervical area. My PT has given me some exercises to hopefully help with that. My biggest hurdle right now is a flared up ulnar nerve that has cause numbness along with significant pain and restricted movement in the wrist,hand and fingers of surgically repaired shoulder. This was a result of being in the sling although i had some numbness prior. Had to see a hand surgeon and may require surgery.
arj50436 bill49757
Posted
I have ulnar nerve too, fortunately it's in the opposite arm!
Susan1942 bill49757
Posted
I am feeling a bit dejected at the moment. Quite a bit of pain just struggling with the physio..
I will be glad to have my scan and know just exactly what is going on
9th November so another couple of weeks.
So many of us in the same situation
Sue
bill49757 Susan1942
Posted
Hang in there Sue. You and i are only a day apart 6/12 and 6/13. PT can be very trying. Hope the scan puts your mind at ease. This surgery is tougher than i ever imagined. No one can describe it to you properly until you experience it. Please keep us posted.
Susan1942 bill49757
Posted
Thanks Bill today is a new day. You are right it is challenging. I have to just carry on in the meantime . If I knew my repair is holding this would reduce my anxiety.
I think my anxiety is due in fact to my Surgeon warning that it could fail so I am expecting the worst
Sue .
Susan1942
Posted
I had my scan on the 9th November and sad to say as I suspected it shows further tearing of the area where the repair was carried out. The Radiographer showed and explained the actual . I have 2 areas 1 &2 where the RC is intact. The 3rd area is not great but where the tear was repaired there is a big gap and so I was feeling very down. Disappointed but today Sunday I just have to accept the situation. Due to the amount of pain and the continued weakness of my arm and shoulder I more or less expected it. I was hoping that all was well and that i just needed more physio etc. I did absolutely everything I could to protect my shoulder. Had domestic cleaning for 8 weeks Hairdresser for 7 weeks twice a week to avoid injury I did everything asked of me by the Physiotherapist. I slept sitting up for all these weeks Surgery on the 12 th June.
I will be seeing my surgeon so will have to wait and see. I have taken a break from Physio for the past 2 days but will start again tomorrow. Sorry to bear bad news to all of you out there who are struggling with your post operative rehab! Sue
Susan1942 bill49757
Posted
Bill wondering how you are doing ? I saw my Physio today He is a specialist shoulder and elbow Physio He works with my Surgeon does the clinic with him
He looked at my scan with me and let me read the report
It is not good news and surgically I think it is the end of the road surgically. In his opinion a reverse shoulder replacement would not necessarily give me the desired result. Says my shoulder in all probability would not improve on the strength I currently have If is basically a failure of biology The origional tbought was to patch it but I dont really want to have further surgery He will book an appt to see my Surgeon . I am going to continue to do my physiotherapy Pain wise I am reasonable and have accepted that I could be a lot worse. I will be 77 in February and just modify my lifestyle
I will need help with heavier housework and can afford it so not a problem It has taken me 2 years 6 months to get to this stage. I look around at other people and am counting my blessings
A friend who lives in Australia now was diagnosed with a brain tumour 6 weeks ago juat out of the blue. She is been in a coma since yesterday so the end is very near She is 60 My Husband died in 1996 of the same tumour Grade 4 Glioma He was 56 The prognosis today is no better 22 years on
Sorry for my gloom and doom but this puts things into perspective
Hope your progress is improving
Sue
bill49757 Susan1942
Posted
Susan;Thanks for keeping in touch. I see some of the same things within my family and circle of friends and try to keep things in perspective especially when i am having a down day. I still believe i have been given a blessed life from God. On the 15th i saw my hand surgeon to follow up on the pain and swelling of hand since PT introduced. I have been diagnosed with: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome. (RSD) Its not that common but can swell up extremities from surgical site. If anyone here that reads this has any helpful info on RSD, I would appreciate it. I was prescribed prednisone and it reduced the swelling about 50 percent , but now that i am off of it , its getting worse again. Anyway, i saw my shoulder surgeon the next day . He seemed pleased with my ROM and strength. I am proceeding with strength training. Five months of sleeping in a recliner has taken its toll on me as well. I try to sleep in bed for 2-3 hours, but i get such pain in my opposite shoulder , hips and back. Concerned my body has conformed to the chair. Plus had a 3 hour ride in car for Thanksgiving that totally screwed up my back after just one hour. I am just getting over that now. Anyway, it's such a slow process. Baby steps it seems.
Susan1942 bill49757
Posted
Bill sorry your wrist is still
problematic. I do hope that you can get things moving in right direction
Today I saw my Surgeon says keyhole surgery nowhere to go Shoulder replacement might nit improve strength
He has offered me a second opinion which I have decided to take him up on that. He asked if I would like to see another Surgeon at my Hospital or at a different. He says sometimes a fresh set of eyes is not a bad thing As it is him who is suggesting it I know that wont be any ill feeling about
I am just so disappointed as I really thought the June repair would be the end of my problems.
Hope things arr better with you.
annemarie02184 bill49757
Posted
hi i am new to this but i had my shoulder surgery in november 2019 i go physio and to the hydropool once a week but my pain is still so intense i think it will never get better its more oainful in the mornings i am on warfrain so can only have paracetomol for pain relieve but they dont touch it sonetimes its so i painful it makes me cry and i am not a mard person going to see my surgean next week so hopefully he might have some answers thanks for taking time to read