Pain 3 months after surgery

Yes, you sound similar to me. I had surgery last November. I thought I’d never get better. It took a good 5 mo the for the pain to settle down. My PT was very slow, not over 1# for months and months. Take it slow, keep icing it to settle it down, I was icing well into 5/6 months.  Put it back in the sling when it’s tired and achy, use lots of pillows and don’t be afraid to use OTC medication.

I also had sgy in April (rotator cuff, labrum and bicep tenodesis as well as debridement of calcium).  I’m still not at the point of lifting weights and am just starting the excercises to try and get some movement behind my back.  Still have aches/pains - but also have times it feels ok.  My surgeon told me NOTHING greater than 2# at this point and no repetitive movements.  Also told me to expect 10-12 months to truly feel more normal and that PT was essential to optimizing ROM and recovery.  So hang in there!  This is a long, slow recovery.  If you only have a few visits left with PT - make sure they give you exercise routines that you can incorporate into your daily routine.  My PT has already said there will be excercises that will be important for me to do for life in order to help prevent re-injury.  Nerves are also the SLOWEST healing part of the body.  Sgy can impact the myelin sheath of the nerve (the coating of the nerve) and can take up to 12+months to heal/reform.  Others have given you good advice - don’t hesitate to give yourself some TLC when you need it!  Wishing you all the Best!

Hi Nicole,

I agree with grandmajan. This is definitely warranting a second opinion...someone that YOU choose. What you are hearing from the workers comp doc does not jive with what the rest of us are hearing at this point of our recovery.  I know it is hard, but please advocate for yourself on this one!

My opinion is your dr. Is nuts. You are very early in recovery and shouldn't do much lifting at all. I was given weight requirements after 4 month. It would be so easy to reinjure yourself by doing too much too soon. Go at your own pace. My pain wasn't better until 6 months or more. It can take a year. Take it easy, you are right where you should be.

Thanks guys. It is good to talk to others that know what you are going through. Do you feel like when you raise your arm straight in front of you that if you move your shouler a certain way that it is less painful that just letting your arm go straight up naturally? If that makes sense. The dr is now saying he wants me to do an FCE. I am going for a second opinon soon.

I had my right (dominant) shoulder op. on 22nd May. The bursa was removed, the (acromium?) space was increased, old scar tissue was tidied up, and my long tendon cut. I have a full thickness supra' tear that was not repaired.

I have done everything I was told to after surgery. No sling after a couple of days. Went to my physio after a few days. Twice a week now, still. Stretching as far, and as much as possible, without causing it any more damage.

I am still in more pain than I was before surgery. Still taking slow release Tramadol. Still pushing my movement as far as I can, plus a bit more! I can't sleep on it. The pain is markedly worse in the mornings. I've tried Paracetamol, blended with everything from Codeine, to Ibuprofen, to caffeine. They don't help, so I am sticking with Tramadol.

What increased movement I do get, tends to seize back up again quickly. I massage my shoulder with Voltaren. I use a warm wheat bag. I've tried heat patches. The wheat bag is probably the best relief I can get, but it doesn't last long.

My physio and surgeon are satisfied that I don't have a frozen shoulder, but I am so sick of pushing it to the point of pain, over and over again. I'm restricted badly at gym. I'm frustrated so much now, that after weeks and weeks, I still have aching and very bad tenderness where the long tendon was released.

Four years ago, I had a similar op. on my left shoulder, but it wasn't torn or scarred like this one. The last movement to regain, was my hand behind my back, so I'm not pushing that so much.

I'll keep going as I am for another few weeks, and see where it goes before I lose my patience again, and go back to the surgeon. (To be told "it's just taking longer than expected" I think it is improving, but so slowly, it is driving me insane!

How are you doing now Nicole?

I had surgery on my shoulder on 11th June so early days for me but the pain is very high still, I had my first physio today and that really hurt.  I am however really paranoid about the shoulder forward elevation, I have to lift my arm above my head and get it to about 90 degrees currently but when I  lower the arm back down it feels like the muscles are spasming / popping and I get that sudden feeling it will dislocate.  I told my surgeon and he laughed and said "that aint coming out, stop worrying" and I am sure he is right but love to hear from someone recovering ffrom shoulder surgery to see if this is normal?

Any ideas / feedback would be greatly appreciated and I hope your pain has started to ease and your on the mend now!

Thanks guys. I finished my PT this week. I now have a home program to do until i see the dr next week. I am up to 3 lbs from knees to waist and 2 lbs on shelves in front of me. The pain is still the same. It is getting really upsetting and I feel like this is something i will have to live with forever. Even when i lift things, fix my hair, etc i can do it a couple of times but after that it starts getting fatigue and if i keep pushing it then im in really bad pain and the pain last for 2 or 3 days even if I just rest on those days. I dont know how i can go back to work 5 days a week full time. Even on light duty. We had just started the crate with 3 lbs to waist last week and that increased the pain and i woke up last weekend with really bad pain in my other shoulder blade. PT said it was an over use injury to the muscle. Its all just so fustrating. I am use to swimming, hiking, etc. Now i can do any of that stuff. I hope everyone else improves and heals. It helps having people that understand and dont act like you are taking to long to recover