Sudden Bicep pain after rotator cuff and bicep repair

Do you have pain halfway down your humerus with cramping?

I'm 17 weeks post bicep tendonesis surgery. Let's just start by saying, this has been horrible. I ended up with frozen shoulder, I had manipulation done 4 weeks ago, I gained 15% ROM but lost 5% after 2 weeks, I haven't gained anymore in the last 2 weeks. I saw my doctor today, he says he has no idea why my ROM and pain is so bad. He now wants to send me to a pain management clinic to see if my pain receptors are working correctly. He said I might have hypersensitivity to the anchor they placed and it might need removed and it could be scarring keeping me from raising my arm but wants me to go to pain management first. I'm beyond frustrated, I think they are prolonging a problem. Any input would be appreciated. 

Ricochetred, I have followed your posts from 8 months to 2 months.  It is encouraging to review another person's journey.  I am 13 weeks today.  Surgery was supposed to be two small rotator cuff tears and turned out to be one small and one fairly large requiring an anchor.  Also,during the surgery the doctor released one bicep tendon that was just attached by a thread.  He indicates there's no need to repair it as I am not an athlete. I too experienced severe elbow pain that has since subsided and not returned in several weeks.  But what I mostly identify with is your experience of bicep muscle pain.  I continue to experience moderate to severe muscle pain (which I did not have any before the surgery) and sometimes believe it will never go away.  I hope this is not true.  I have been faithful to attend every PT session twice a week and the PT doesn't think it's anything to be overly worried about.  He says that this surgery takes longer to recover than any other and not to be concerned unless there is still pain in a year!  Thank you for your posts, I would love to know how you are feeling now.

So now I’m 9 weeks post op Labrum tear surgery and I’m still having pain in the shoulder and bicep. It feels like a bad sprain. Still can’t lay on the shoulder or my back without the pain. My ROM is ok but slow and painful. I return to PT Nov 6 and I’m worried. I’m really concerned that I reinjuried because the pain still feels same before it did before surgery. I’m reading that others are feeling no or next to no pain at this point. Is it because of young age or that my surgery is not successful? Looking for answers or advice

Hi

I hope u have recovered well from all these pains and surgery.

I have exactly ur case i have had my r cuff surgery on 16/8/17 n everything was great didn’t even wear my sling after the third date after my surgery . Was walking and going all about but carefully dr was amazed with my progress after exactly 6 weeks and 2 days I have rapture my tandon again and pain was felt .

Redone my surgery again on18/11/17 but had 8 anchors now instead of 3 in first surgery and all was going great till two days ago that’s four weeks after surgery when I was asleep heard a snap in my biceps and very bad pain in my biceps clearly was my biceps being tore for first time.

I don’t wear my sling at night as I prop it up on a pillow every night but when I tried moving the snap happened trying to bring the pillow near me.

What do u think ? Still under r cuff surgery recovery now with lhb tear  I went today n ultra sound confirmed this year however r cuff is still good .

Plz advise me what everyone think?

Thank u

Ali

Oh my gosh this discussion is amazing! What little I knew what would happen after my bone spur removal & full thicknes tendon repair. Most of these stories sound so familiar. I actually had my consultation with PT 6 days after surgery though. But to be honest I was regretting having surgery by the end of my 1st wk. The sling is so big and bulky and was throwing my balance off. I found it so hard to sleep. Getting comfortable wasn't easy & sleep only came when I was exhausted. 2nd wk I started PT 2 times a wk with just ROM exercises. My pain was worse at nights.... almost like I was cramped because of lack of movement. I'd get up every 2 hours just to squeeze my ball. The surgeon finaly put me on a prescription that was a pain med enhancer that made me tired enough I coukd sleep like a rock for hours. After 2 nights of taking this med the PT noticed great improvement in my ROM. I know my body well enough that if I cannot sleep it won't get better. 5 wks after surgery PT says he has me working on 11 wk stuff & we can't push more. I started getting the bicep spasm at this point... mostly in the evenings. I have had swelling below elbow about the size of a golf ball that is extremely painful to the touch. Xray showed nothing. Ice didnt help, but taking my sling off did. So at wk 5 I took it upon myself to only wear sling when sleeping and leaving the house. Had 6 wk appointment with surgeon last wk & he said get rid of sling, no lifting more than a cup of coffee, no pushing, no pulling, and right now no strengthening in PT. The what feels like a very long spasm in my bicep has gotten worse at night but starting earlier in the afternoon. Ice helps my shoulder some times but heat seems to help a little more. Sometimes the spasm feels like it runs down to my middle finger. I've tried massaging it out and that provides a little relief. Tylenol, pain meds, ibprofen all seem to not do anything for this. I get so frustrated and feel like no one around me understands. I am not a "wimpy girl"... I am a material handler at a truck manufacturing plant. All day long I pull and deliver parts weighing on an average of 40lbs up to 86lbs. This job probably contributed to my shoulder issues but at this rate and the way I feel, I feel like I am in for one heck of a long battle. Hearing these stories has lifted my spirits and let me know that I am not crazy.... there are ppl out there with all the same issues. I just wonder why I had to read here what sounds like very common issues after surgery and didn't here this from surgeon or PT....

Hi,I am post surgery 12wks and am still in tears often. My surgeon says that I should be doing better but that I am not alone. I have 3 anchors and a total of 7 different procedures done during my surgery. I can't find my paper but I know that he said my collarbone had to be shaved and a cyst removed, rotator cuff repair, impingement repair, tear repair, Mumford which I believe is just the cleaning up of all the frayed tissue. But surgeon says that about 28% of patients do not improve as fast and actually need manipulation procedure to loosen tightness and tear through the scar tissue while under anesthesia. I think that would be helpful but I don't think in my case that is the issue. 2 days post surgery I had taken my arm out of the sling to stretch and my 7 year old grandson grabbed my 4month old grandson and nearly dropped him on his head and I had to quickly swoop the baby up who is about 12lbs. I immediately felt pain but then 1 week later I fell down the stairs in my house. Although I hurt afterwads I still think I was OK but......then last month 4wks post; I faceplate on the concrete and to protect my shoulder I tucked it up to my chest. I fractured my sternum where my fist was up on my chezt from the fall. I had been in PT and making some progress although slow so in order to rest my sternum injury I had to take a break on PT for 2 weeks. I'm back at PT now and feels like I'm starting over and surgeon says he doesn't think I messed up surgery or dislodged any anchors because I would have swelling in my bicep which I clearly see but he doesnt. I feel like I'm being dismissed. I don't think I should still be in this kind of pain either. I hope you feel better. I am hopeful that the pain will eventually subside because it took a while on my other shoulder but not this long but eventually disappeared and was at work 3 months later. So good luck.

I had my first surgery Christmas 2016, they did the bone "shaving" debridement, and a labrum tear,.... a little over 2 months later while re-habing this,... i felt like I got hit with a bolt of lightning ... sure enough my bicep tore (partially) and became dislodged from the groove it rests in).  So I had an anchor (bicep tenodesis) put in in July of this past summer (2017).  I was making great progress, I was on the ice coaching and able to lift weights at about 12 weeks. Continued to make progress then a few weeks ago, i went to park a customer's truck and the external rotation movement of turning the wheel with one hand I felt a jolt/snap. I was already getting the bicep spasms in the evening and night (I thought from going to the gym a lot and expected that was normal). Now the spasms are still there although I'm not lifting now, and the middle deltoid feels tight and the whole shoulder feels "Full" although it doesn't look swollen.  I'm going to see my surgeon in two days and I'm hoping I didn't dislodge the anchor. The Pain wakes me up quite often, but doesnt stop me from my desk job duties, I am a Type 2 diabetic and lead a very active life (hiking, softball, hockey, coaching hockey and weightlifting)... hoping for good news, but preparing for problems! 

I am 4 mths out from this type of surgery. Was doing great until the bicep pain started. I am now back to the pain level and movement that I was at just after surgery. I’m very frustrated and depressed over this. How long will this last and could it be something else? It feels as if it pops out of socket on occasions. Range of motion is so limited. Help!!!