After Rotator Cuff Surgery-when will the pain end?
Posted , 94 users are following.
I am a 56 year old female who usually has a high tolerance for pain. I had rotator cuff surgery on 12/15/16. I had one anchor placed during arthroscopic surgery for a full rotator cuff tear and bone spur removal. I'm having lots of pain, especially at night. I slept in a recliner for one week. Now I'm sleeping in the guest room propped up on pillows. And by "sleeping" I mean a few hours here and there. I miss my real bed and my real life. I'm weaning myself off Demerol, because I don't want to become an addict living in a van down by the river! No offense to drug addicts; I just don't want to join them.
Physical therapy is very painful, but I'm doing my exercises daily....well, not as many reps as I should because it hurts so much afterwards. About a week ago a "therapist" we'll call Hitler just about yanked my arm from my body. Things have been going downhill since, and it isn't me on skis!😣
I'm really over this whole experience!
I want my right arm back...the one I use for everything!
I'm hoping to return to school to teach 95 seventh graders in four days. Too ambitious? I did practice driving left-handed for a month before my surgery,
Thoughts? Advice?
5 likes, 413 replies
Andrew-1966 TNteacher
Posted
I am a 52 year old male who was terrified of having shoulder surgery (Full thickness tear), normal tolerance for pain and had put up with this injury since November 2018.
I had rotator cuff surgery on 07/10/19 and had two anchors placed during arthroscopic surgery for a full rotator cuff tear and bone spur removal. Prior to surgery I had watched many YouTube vids of post Rotator-Cuff repair patients and was expecting the worst... bought an electric recliner, ice packs, slings.....
I was the first surgery scheduled for Monday morning 8am, and have a terrible phobia of injections so had asked repeatedly not to be awake for the impending Nerve Block procedure. It looks like they were running late as I got to the operating room at 8:15 and was anesthetized pretty much straight away....
Woke up maybe 1-2 hours later in huge pain... squirming in bed.... realised I could not only feel my fingers but could move them as well... they had not given me a nerve block!!.... was given 2 Endone (Oxycodon ??mg) and struggled to stay awake for the next 4-5 hours.... when I could finally hold a conversation with my eyes open, I had no pain whatsoever and was up and walking around (gingerly with sling) within 6 hours of the procedure. Refused to take anymore Endone and continued every 4 hours on Paracetamol Osteo (665mg) for 24 hours... and Targin (10mg) 12 hour slow release.... still no pain.... just tightness in the joint.
Tuesday morning Physio turned up and showed me exercises to begin with, arm dangle and rock, hold crutch out in front of me and gently move from side to side, was very cautious, all the time waiting for the pain to begin......just tightness. Released from hospital and once home started to take just a Targin (10mg), still no pain, but was waiting for it to kick in.... Tuesday 11pm was the last Targin I took and slept in bed, arm in sling and on a pillow, slept well with just numb fingers in the morning....
It's now 7 days after the procedure and I am typing two hands, drove on the weekend (Auto) as I had been practicing prior to surgery as well (Insurance company and Surgeon don't need to know!!)
I am out of the sling 6-8 hours per day (since Friday) and are using minimal movements as therapy, only using the arm below the elbow.... after a while I get a slight ache from the shoulder which is gone once arm is back and supported in the sling... or rested on my lap....
I am posting this so future shoulder surgery recipients may want to discuss this with there surgeon/doctor and ask if it may help with their post op pain. Best wishes to all for successful and less painful outcomes.
Andrew-1966
Posted
Follow Up: Had my first post-op with Surgeon 14 Days after procedure... Still no pain but I know it's there, more inner elbow and wrist soreness which will be nerve related. Now I can shower properly I use super hot water and massage the shoulder hard... especially up inside the armpit to release the muscles and tendons..... try it... it's uncomfortable, but you feel the improvement instantly....
Apparently my shoulder was so frozen from carrying the injury for 11 months they had to cut the shoulder capsule just to get the arm up to do the surgery....
Have the arm out of the sling, 60% of range back, Surgeon wants me to start moving it to release the other tendons in the shoulder. Only stretching and loosening exercises. Hurts when I move the joint to the outer edges of the stretching exercises..... strictly no lifting.
Have seen Physio twice so far.... both times has been surprised by the progress, yet still manages to find exercises that are very painful..... solution... I'll go back when I have recovered more movement.
Pre-Surgery, I really studied my Shoulder in depth.... I wanted to be fully prepared for any pain or loss of movement and know how and why. Patients, really pin your Doctors down and ask what is actually causing the pain.... repair or surrounding tendons, muscles or even nerves in the shoulder may be the source of the discomfort. Best wishes to all.
Andrew-1966
Posted
Follow Up: 5 weeks after shoulder surgery....... Everything was going well, still no pain, slowly getting more motion back in shoulder and arm to the point where I almost felt I could operate as normal (minus lifting). Just biding my time to the sixth week point where I could start strengthening and raising the arm above my shoulder.....
So, Thursday 7th, 4 weeks and 4 days in .... I rode my Mountain Bike 40 km, gently using the arm, and it felt great, no pain, no strength issues.... felt fantastic to get active again.... once home had a hot shower.... raised both my arms up to wash my hair.... it felt great.... no pain, less tightness.... it felt like almost a 5% improvement since that morning.....Fantastic...
Next morning.... same..... Shoulder felt great.... almost normal.... I was on a bit of a high... Had my third Physio appointment for midday (8th), went in explained that I had been riding, shoulder was feeling great... He sat me down started moving my shoulder and arm in a compressed motion.... saying in one breath, I'm doing to much for the stage I'm at... and I should be stretching the shoulder to unfreeze the joint more??????
20 mins of moving my arm and painfully working the shoulder, I left the clinic.... the shoulder felt terrible.... I drove myself there in a manual car (with no trouble) but the return journey was an uncomfortable affair.... I could feel every movement of the shoulder.... almost like week one when my arm was out of the sling....
Now 3 days later, the shoulder is still uncomfortable.... a little painful, and I feel as if my range of motion has decreased..... not impressed..... I have canceled my next appointments with my Physio..... I am annoyed about the setback he may have caused... I was very happy with the range of painless movement I had previous to this last visit.... far more than most patients at a comparable stage of recovery as stated by my Surgeon (and Physio)...
I am wondering if any others in these forums has had a similar experience with their Physiotherapist.... possibly taking them backwards in their Shoulder recovery?
Andrew-1966
Posted
Follow Up: 7 weeks after shoulder surgery..... Shoulder and arm movement is back to 90-95% of full usage.... I was only meant to be out of the sling at week 6.... the repair site has no pain but as I use the arm more and more I am finding the surrounding muscles are starting to ache... not badly, you just know when you have over used the joint.... Moving the shoulder to the outer edges of range is more a tightness that needs time to improve.. Lifting objects over say 2kgs also taxes the shoulder at this point...
I have not been back to my Physio and have taken it upon myself to rehabilitate the joint. I am cycling 70km per week and working around the house.... and I use all this activity as part of the rehab...
All the movements that were eye watering painful prior to the surgery are no longer an issue... and I use these movements / exercises to test that the tendon is still fusing to the bone... and have found YouTube as a fantastic resource for post op exercises.
This will be my last entry into this forum as no one appears to be reading this journal and I hope it may be used by others in the future for inspiration for recovery from a surgery that leaves many in great pain.... Cheers Andrew
gwen46045 TNteacher
Posted
This is more an update than a reply. As of October 15, I am one year post op full
thickness rotator cuff repair, subacromial decompression and distal clavicle resection. I was 73 years old at the time. I did PT twice weekly for five months. I re-read my posts from when I joined this forum and even just a few months ago and realize how far I have come! I have frequent soreness and tightness but not pain. I call it an "awareness"; I know something was done to my shoulder!. I have additional exercises for the upper back/shoulder blade issues I was having. I still have to work on strength building. Last week my surgeon told me in no uncertain terms that my days of lifting 25lb cases of water are over! Eight-ten pounds max. That's fine if it means I'm less likely to re-injure or worse, injure my other shoulder; especially since re-injury will mean a total shoulder replacement!
I have said this before and I say it again: be gentle with yourself; it will make the inevitable rough times easier.
sally89382 TNteacher
Posted
I've just had my third rotator cuff surgery on the same arm. I've been in pain since first surgery. This new doctor says he has fixed all problems, but that was said after each surgery. Anyone else experienced this problem over and over? First tear was in 2007. I am 61 years old.
sally89382 TNteacher
Posted
I've just had my third rotator cuff surgery on the same arm. I've been in pain since first surgery. This new doctor says he has fixed all problems, but that was said after each surgery. Anyone else experienced this problem over and over? First tear was in 2007. I am 61 years old.
gwen46045 sally89382
Posted
I have the impression that resection is common. At my age, 74, repair is apparently not a viable option so it would be total replacement. I've pretty much decided that should my other shoulder develop issues it will have to be REALLY, REALLY SEVERE PAIN FOR ME TO DO THIS AGAIN!!!!!
michelle69026 gwen46045
Posted
I can fully understand that. Im sure not looking forward to.ðĪŠ
terry50190 TNteacher
Posted
This is an old post, but I just seen it. Did you ever get your issue resolved? I am having lots mote problems since surgery.
kim15565 TNteacher
Posted
I go in to have the same operation on 11/01/2020. Same start to next year as this year. Not looking forward to that. However, my expectations of pain, discomfort, low mood are all in place! And the slow road to recover. After 10 months I can actually lift my arm straight above my head. So this time next year I hope to be in the same position but minus the tear. You absolutely can not win them all!
kim15565 TNteacher
Posted
I go in to have the same operation on 11/01/2020. Same start to next year as this year. Not looking forward to that. However, my expectations of pain, discomfort, low mood are all in place! And the slow road to recover. After 10 months I can actually lift my arm straight above my head. So this time next year I hope to be in the same position but minus the tear. You absolutely can not win them all!
christine_61665 kim15565
Posted
I posted on another site that after 2 1/2 years from repair surgery on my right dominant arm my left shoulder apparently has developed tendonitis. I start physical therapy tomorrow. I do favor the repaired shoulder, and the left was weaker so I guess this was bound to happen. Everything is connected. I was fairly ignorant of the procedure and consequences and wish the medical professionals had been more informative. I assumed (wrongly) that once I was released from therapy all would be as it had been. I should have been building more strength in my left arm instead of just using it more. Of course, cold damp weather makes everything more achy which must be taken into account. Best of luck to you, and your positive attitude!
martin86705 kim15565
Posted
My sympathies are with you having to go in for more of the same, one year on. I too had a massive supraspinatus full cut tear repaired in January this year 2019, along with a damaged biceps tendon cut & buried in bone. It seems that I was one of the fortunate ones, as I was able to lift my arms above my head, without pain or discomfort at 3 months, much to the dismay of the Consultant. I can't imagine what it must feel like to have the discomfort & limitations for 10 months.
As I have said previously, along with many others, it seems to be rare for the medical people to provide you with any real idea of what to expect, and everything can come as a shock, especially the pain and discomfort. It doesn't seem to be an exact science, and not all pains or discomfort can be explained. Even having someone around you, it's often a lonely experience, and any setbacks, which most people will get at some stage, can be depressing.
Like many others have noted, the shoulder not operated on has taken a hammering, and still gives me discomfort from time to time. As someone suggested, it is probably worth trying to strengthen the unaffected arm before any operation, as it will be required to do a lot afterwards.
SnoopyJ TNteacher
Posted
Almost 7 months post rotator cup repair. Have had full motion back for quite a while. Strength, however, is coming back much slower. It is definitely better now than before the surgery. For the most part, the pain is gone with the exception of soreness during my weight training exercises. I also no longer need to apply ice/heat or use the nerve stimulator I had purchased.
richella_40978 SnoopyJ
Posted
yea! good for you. it took me even a bit longer for full range motion. but, definitely was the correct and only thing for me to do and im glad i did. your strength will return. just give it a bit longer. ð