After Rotator Cuff Surgery-when will the pain end?

I am post op 7 months, still have pain with stiffness. I have return to work but had to change jobs due to the high demand and work load as a nurse. I have began lifting weights to build up my muscle in my arm, this feels better. I am concern that  over the surgery incision site that it is very stiff and I feel like it is goiing to pop when I lift my arm. I have good range of motion but it does hurt. My Ortho Dr released me and said it will take about a year to feel normal. I have thought about pain management but really trying to see if this will get better or will just be chronic pain for me. Continue to take your pain medication only at bedtime because once therapy gets intense week 9-10 you will need something during the day. Ibuprofen 800mg really helps. I hope you have a good recovery

Sorry, didn't notice who I was replying to. I should note my doctor told me I'd be ready for a trip to Spain week 9! Pt thinks I am nuts, but, paid for long ago and am going. Obviously I won't be lifting any bags. So, my week 9 will be week 11 or so when I get back. I don't want to take the pain meds to Spain, lots of paperwork for that. Instead, will just take a non opiod OTC such as you suggested in case I need it. Quite an adventure this surgery. Sad thing is, it's probably likely the same will happen to my other shoulder. 

I think a trip is ok if you are not shopping and using that arm a lot. Pain meds may be needed bc a trip to Spain should be fun, Naproxen may help with lots of ice. Do your PT exercises so you don't get frozen shoulder! I am just now able to reach all the way behind my back when using bathroom. My arm is still weak with pushing and pulling and still pain at night but only over that surgery area not my rotary cuff.

Does/did your shoulder feel something like they packed a bunch of gauze inside it, real odd feeling?? I don't know how else to describe it. The entire area, down the back a little even feels this way.

Yes, I will continue with the exercises while there. I always do exactly what they tell me, no excuses.

Yes it feels like that, you explained it well, I assume it's the sutures

Wee tip when you travel. Take your sling and put it on when in large crowds so people give you a wide berth, you don't need someone bumping into you. I learnt this when I travelled at 6 weeks post op.

A note of caution on travel and being in crowds in general. A sling doesn't mean much in a huge, busy airport such as Atlanta. People are generally distracted, rushing and not looking where they're going. Barely see you, never mind your sling! Best bet is to walk along the edge so that your surgery side is away from the crowd. I used to wrap my good arm around to my shoulder-in a self hug. ABSOLUTELY don't have your surgery side on the aisle on an airplane!!!

I noticed that when you're in a sling people assume the problem is your arm or hand so they grab you by the shoulder! Lean towards them with the bad side.

I hear you on the bicep pain. I'm about 11 days out of rotator cuff full tear repair and started p/t today!! I would love to punch that guy. Anyway, to answer your question, I had a kind of itchy feeling for a while. It seemed to go away with more ice. So try being relentless with the ice. 

I'm sorry for your pain. It takes a long time to heal. There are other threads on this site that you will find comforting. I am a year in 6 days and still achy. It improved a lot in 4 months but the achiness started again in cold weather. Sleep was always a treat! Do what the doctors and PTs say and be patient. I too had no idea what this was about. Be careful with your shoulder and it will work out. But it does take months so be patient as hard as that is.

I am week 8 and can only lay down a couple hours.  Sitting ip give me rib pain on each side now. You have more at home exercises than I, but I was in PT at week 3. The thought of a retear was constant for me until week 8.  You will find the pain diminishes, but then goes back up at times. I was just awesome before week 8, felt great. Then, came next round of PT using actively my arm, and now torture again!

Thank you for the words of encouragement. 

I was prescribed sleeping pills after day 9 as I was climbing the walls at that point. They helped some but I have not wanted to become reliant on them so stopped 3 nights ago.  I think maybe I’m expecting too much. 

I am self employed so have to work to some extent or I’ll have even bigger problems, though juggling work with shoulder is a farce really. I am really expecting to write off the next year and hope I’m lucky (?) enough to get both done in the belief it is the best long term plan. 

Thank you. 

At this point I can cope with pain, it’s the lack of sleep and anxiety about long term physical and financial ramifications that trouble me most. 

It’s gonna be a long year! 

Yes, the anxiety of whether or not the shoulder will work again is indeed a challenge. It seems to be a lot of mental game. I too (was) self employed until Jan 1 when I retired, knowing I was in for some shoulder issues. Good thing. not sure how I would have worked. Here and there, sure. But not a full week or even close. Heck, I was using only my left hand to type and use the mouse, not very efficient! Just yesterday I started using my right arm. Sleeping pills sure sound good to me at this point! Tried bed last night, had torture in our regular bed, got 1 hour sleep. So, moved around the house for 3 hours to feel a little better, and then tried a couch, torture. So, went back to the theater type chair, got maybe 1.5 hours. Then, got up for a bit, and tried our guest bed which is firmer. I did get 2 hours sleep, and woke in great pain. But hey, that's 4.5 hours, not too bad lately. I'll likely doze on the couch this evening while watching TV, so, it all adds up. I tried Elberberry pills and Valerian in an attempt to relax, no big help. 

I have a lot of pain just below the ribs in the front, seems like my stomach is swollen or more firm than it should be, waiting on the doc to tell me. Appears to be a potential rare side effect of Oxycodone. Really feeling terrible because of that. I thin I'd feel a lot better without that issue. Don't know if that's not unusual to have, or, might be related to weaker muscles not supporting things as well perhaps. It's by far the worst when sitting. Going to PT in an hour! 

It is true you are going to have a long year. Ice is your friend. Keep up with the exercises they assign, volunteer for more if you can and they let you. Try your best to keep your spirits up for the mental game. If you have others in the house have them watch your progress so they can say nice things and give you confidence, they can see things better than you often times. 

I started physical therapy 7 days after my surgery. It was extremely painful and at times still is. I'm 6 weeks out now. I still sometimes sleep propped up. Still have days that it really painful especially after physical therapy. They now lift my arm past my head while laying down also I use a pulley system to pull my arm up. I had torn rotator cuff with 2 anchor placed and bone spurs removed. This has been more painful then I expected. I still take pain medication at night but not during the day.

Your night sounds all too familiar. I only tried the bed once, a disaster. I find the feeling of exhaustion yet inability to sleep for more than an hour or so very distressing. I’ll try a couple more nights without the sleeping pills but if no joy I’ll revert. 

Good luck with that side effect, that’s an extra worry you don’t need. 

I’ve got the bicep pain but reading this thread realized it seems a normal. My other new problem though is nausea and headaches from too much time on computer. I’d hoped I could drum up some extra business/finance using my head rather than my arms but that plan also seems doomed. Though went for eye exam today to see if that’s the cause. New glasses ordered so fingers crossed that will resolve that issue. 

Family support a good idea but sympathy has never been strong in my house. I can tell the tolerance honeymoon period is already long gone and have entered the “aren’t you better yet” phase. Given I share the sentiment , I can hardly blame them. 

Anyway, good luck on your recovery, post an update. I think we all need to know there’s light at the end of this tunnel. 

You will start sleeping again. It just takes time. As I said I'm nearly one year. It was all going well, some achiness good ROM and strength at 10 mos until we had real cold weather and I started trimming bushes. New aches. I'm waiting for warmer weather. You will be better. Please be careful, use heat and ice and meds if necessary. I think pain makes you more stressed and that makes it worse. Just my opinion. Exercise within reason. People don't understand how long it takes. That's what makes these forums so valuable. You don't want to do this again so take care.

Yep, the bicep pain is typical. So, after some xrays, I found the problem with my ribs / stomach area. Let's just say I am literally full of it. Like up to my 4th rib. Thanks to the constipating side effect of Percocet and me eating a lot of fiber. So, all that great stuff is literally pushing my ribs out. It hurts. So, for those of you considering whether to keep taking the pain meds for a while, something to consider. I took them for 7 weeks, the last several weeks just before so called sleep. 

Sorry to hear about family. My wife has been wonderful and super helpful. She is getting some meds for me now so I can get rid of this "rib" pain. That and I am apparently still withdrawing from Percocet since I have intense nervousness and shakiness. Great, let's just keep adding to the horror!

Wait until you get to move it! The first time they told me to do the touchdown raise both arms above head, I was like "you're kidding right"? It's truly how amazingly weak one can get in 8 weeks. So, when you get there, just be ready for the shock. That being said, it was a wonderful feeling even with the dismal muscle action knowing the arm really does still move, albeit slowly and painfully. 

That makes me very glad I gave up the painkillers so early. Apart from constipation I was having fever like sweats and blamed the drugs. Don’t know if it was them but at least it rid me of those 2 issues. I also wondered if they were hampering sleep? I thought the Percocet was useless anyway. 

Had to go back to Sams Club earlier to select glasses. While there saw a folding sofa/bed that can be set with a varied setting raised back. Purchased and will give it a test run tonight. Willing to try just about anything right now. 

I find the worse thing about the sleep deprivation is when I wake, no matter how tired it’s almost impossible to go back out. 

I must say though, that this post and learning that the issues I have seem typical, has been strangely reassuring.  Even down to the left hand typing!

I still have pain . Sometimes a lot especially at night. I still take pain meds ( norco) at night does help me get some sleep. Past few days it been really stiff,trying to move it move but very painful. Deep ache all the way to my hand. This has really stressed me and now I have so much anxiety. This not sleeping is hard on me. I also had my neck fused c3 to my c7 in October 2017 and then this in march... ugh

Well, you're only at week 6 so pain for sure. I am optimistic that once my Percocet issues from taking them go away, hopefully in a couple of days, I'll be able to stand it much easier. To have the problem and that pain, plus, Rotator pain, plus terrible anxiety due to withdrawal is not much fun combined. About to get better soon I hope! Exercise sure has gotten harder since they cranked it up! But, I enjoy it as I know it's to my benefit. Whereas, them bending my arm I was not always so confident of.