Posted , 7 users are following.
I had surgery on my rotator cuff 10 weeks ago. I slept in a reclining chair for 8 of those weeks and now sleeping in my bed. I am constantly waking up with my arm stiff and in pain. Any suggestions on how to adjust on my bed? I have been placing a pillow under my arm for support. Seemed to work at first, but not any more.
1 like, 12 replies
We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.
Rotate-bicep peter10582
Posted
droopyshoulder peter10582
Posted
Might try a reclining mattress. I can't think of another way to get pressure off your cuff unless you had some type of external fixator that moved you humeral head away from your acromion while lying face up.
peter10582 droopyshoulder
Posted
Amac1218 droopyshoulder
Posted
Don't waste your money on the reclining mattress. I bought one around week 3 and it doesn't make a difference. I had right shoulder done about 11 years ago and I remember it hurt if my shoulder went slightly forward or backwards. Has to be in line. I use a towel under my shoulder while on my back and small pillow while on my side. Seems to stop pain at night but still wake up stiff.
Taking a lot longer to heal this time around. I'm just over 3 months and stiff in the morning and bicep pain throughout the day. I go to PT twice a week and very sore the day after. I seem to be at a standstill right now. In previous post I mentioned I was hit in the rear while stopped at a light. Doctor gave me a cortisone shot last week but doesn't seem to have helped. My shoulder went forward into the steering wheel and it felt like a whip lash. Of course it had to be my bad shoulder.
droopyshoulder Amac1218
Posted
Did the mattress help with your stiffness at all? There are a lot of variations too, hard to tell which one would work best without actually laying on it, if at all. I could see how it could be painful hanging upright without any support (arm rest/sling) bearing the weight of your arm, especially with a healing cuff that has to help bear the weight of your arm So seems like cuff repairs are fighting two symptoms at once: pain from any weight literally pulling on/apart the cuff repair, and pain/stiffness from inflammation/fraying of the repair reducing subacromial joint space causing painful rubbing/contact. From what I'm reading in this thread, lying down and reclining with/without support both have drawbacks, doesn't leave a whole lot of options.
ricochetred peter10582
Posted
try to get a simple bed wedge for the head of bed and use combination of pillows. I slept with my sling on very loose for a little while even after I could take it off. It afforded me some comfort. At several months post I would still often wake up with severe tenderness of the shoulder. It decreased after 4-6 months and now. at 9 months, I still wake with some discomfort sometimes and am sore when going to bed so pup a little lift under my elbow. It's just part of the healing process and learning where your new normal is going to be.
peter10582 ricochetred
Posted
henpen1980 peter10582
Posted
peter10582 henpen1980
Posted
cbc123 peter10582
Posted
peter10582 cbc123
Posted
peter10582
Posted