I think you are right to do exercises daily but I wouldn't beat yourself up about the amount of reps. In most cases, this can get treated with home care, but if the pain persists, it is time to see a shoulder surgeon. Started June 21, 2021, By Its looking like I may have rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder. After a good few months, I did get some deep tissue massage which helped immensely and made me realise I was ready to be a bit braver with exercise, but up to that point I was nervous of overdoing it, and also because of the pain that followed. When appropriate, non-surgical treatment may be the first line of defense, but our physicians will also inform you when surgery is needed. "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUM72k8bVPHZeOI6gP-Xh2w", Registered in England and Wales. , p.s. Recommendation is to repair. Due to this I have returned to some of the more basic physio exercises - pendulum swing, neck flex, outward rotation etc to calm it down again. This time, tho, it is for my neck, which is also riddled with arthritis- not sure if it was always that bad and I just didn't realize it?? I do hate trying to sleep in it, but I'm afraid I will wake up crushing my arm by tossing and turning. Then something terrible happens. Do not use your arm to move around, push yourself up from lying down, or to change positions. }, { Read our editorial policy. And by "sleeping" I mean a few hours here and there. offers several types of surgery, including minimally invasive arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff and superior capsule reconstruction if necessary. They did an mri and the Dr. said I have a tear in my rotator cuff. Surgical correction of these problems can improve your shoulders range of motion. Some doctors may also prescribe anti-inflammatories or inject cortisone directly into the shoulder. Shoulder bursitis affects the subacromial bursa, which sits over the rotator cuff. If you have a sedentary job, you should be able to return to work in just two to three weeks. I rate it 95% perfect. }, If youd rather request an appointment online, click here. Usually, rotator cuff surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure. Im looking for people that have gone through this for advice based on their experience. The surgical procedure usually takes a few hours, depending on the extent of work needed to repair the torn tendons. I'm hoping to return to school to teach 95 seventh graders in four days. We are both around 70 years old. I am 8 weeks post op and can't believe I still have this much pain. Just don't be too hard on yourself. I think because of the lack of sleep also, you don't feel you are living in the real world - I wasn't going to the gym, feeling sociable, all of the normal things I was used to doing. Nonsurgical measures can reduce pain and inflammation, as well as strengthen the injured tendons. Good luck with the cruise! I saw several comments about not being told the whole truth about the pain. New mri on that shoulder reveals a tear and muscle tendon issues. It is very emotionally draining. Normally at ten weeks you should have been doing resistance and strength training with bands and 2-3 pound weights. You can see how to lie comfortably on your side and back with a sling on in the video above. Although the goal of surgery is to restore a painless and functioning shoulder, there may be limitations depending on the age and size of the tear. About a week ago I was yawning in my recliner with sling on and stretched my should slightly and felt a pop (likely released an adhesion). It mostly works fine. . Phase one: 1-6 weeks In the first phase of recovery, a. My son-in-law is having it done in a few weeks. The rotator cuff surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff muscle or tendon usually involves one or more of the following surgical goals: . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I would assume that your steward could locate a lounger from under these circumstances for you. One of the leading reasons is the common post operative course that I described above. Orthopedic Surgery 28 years experience Rotator cuff repair: Surgery to re-attach a torn rotator cuff tendon typically takes 6 weeks for preliminary healing of tendon to bone. The massages I get from the therapist are life changing. I went to PT after two weeks and only have a few exercises to do so far. Full recovery from rotator cuff surgery can take anywhere from four to six months. Seems like you should be asking your doctor your question and not us. I agree with the advice to talk with your surgeon and physical therapist. Thanks for any suggestions. . From what I've read and certainly my experience thus far is that for the first 6 weeks the arm is supposed to be immobilized. Depending on your specific condition, a full recovery can take anywhere from four to six months. Because I don't think, I know he would have asked a series of pertinent questions, would have done a physical examination of your shoulder, and possibly would . Please dont remove the sutures until the wound healsDo not travel until you have your doctors permission. The use of sling may be extended up to 12 weeks depending on your recovery which is different for different individuals. appropriate medical assistance immediately. I followed the PT instructions to the letter and on reflection I wonder if maybe that was such a good idea because I was always in so much pain afterwards. You'll need rehab after rotator cuff surgery. My surgery was January 18, 2018. The more often you move your fingers, the less stiff your fingers will be. "addressCountry": "US" Here isa linkto the Disabled Cruising section of CC: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/. For starters, it takes between 6-8 for the tendon to heal to the bone. I'm really curious why your doc is having you do exercises during the initial 6 week period. My PT started at 4 weeks and has been a roller coaster. I started therapy 4 weeks after, and it is definitely not for the faint of heart. All I can say is that religiously doing PT at home and at therapy is vital for your recovery. I am up all night with my tens unit and ice. I couldn't get comfortable at night and would get the resting nerve pain which was excruciating. Overall, about 90% of patients are satisfied with their shoulder after cuff repair and experience significant improvement in function after surgery. Our team is ready to individually assess your condition and create a plan for your recovery. Nobody seems to want to tell you what you are about to experience. If I flat out said that I dont want to go or wont go, he would be disappointed but not angry about it. "address": { Also, I would suggest that if your DH and I use that term advisedly really wants to go on the cruise, let him go by himself. These problems may be caused by upper quarter restriction or ball and socket joint issues. 3 Thanks for your post and suggestion. Hi. Will it ever end? I do wear the sling when out & about, to prevent the arm being jostled about, and for the sympathy vote! I couldn't lay on my back for the LONGEST time. This technique allows your surgeon to evaluate and repair the tear using a few very small incisions instead of one large incision. I guess if I keep my sling on when out and about, that should prevent much of that risk. The pain will get better. I didn't need pain meds after surgery, but I haven't used them after other surgeries either. If your shoulder is not moving freely after surgery, there are several reasons for it to be painful. My left shoulder ( good one , not worked on) stings at times, since I use it more I guess. At. Answering your question would be practicing medicine w/o a license. It has helped however, to read all these posts and realize that my experience is not so unusual. thus far. The only exceptions are bathing (showering), when you're doing post-op exercises, or getting dressed. Total recovery and rehabilitation after arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery take approximately 22 weeks. Now, my wife just had the same surgery on January 3rd and will be wearing her sling for a total of 6 weeks. You also said that you sail next week and had the surgery nine weeks ago. Deb. I'm sorry you had such a hard time, too. I couldn't lay flat on my back, as I believe the repaired tendon was still healing and it seemed to take forever. Good Luck to you and if you can do it, it should inspire us all. If I feel Im not up to going, they will fill out the insurance forms for me. Keep it dry. The bursa is somewhat inflamed and that's about it. "postalCode": "75701", Its nine weeks exactly that I had the surgery for my Rt rotator cuff, I had calcium deposits that had to be removed & I had a 95% tear that needed to be cleaned up and anchored. Rotator cuff pain is often worse at night. How do I know if my rotator cuff surgery failed. Do physical activity, as suggested by a physical therapist. Icannot wait to have a deep tissue massage. https://patient.info/forums/discuss/update-9-weeks-post-op-648808. About 12 weeks in, I was experiencing major pain so I had an ultrasound to see if everything was still in place. Re: RC surgery 10 weeks ago. Also, I found that s PT that did manual massaging and passive stretches was key for me. Wear the sling in uncontrolled environments (like outsideof the cabin), bring baggies to use as an ice pack, do my at home PT exercises, no swim strokes that use the shoulder in the pool (OK to stand there and gently move my arms back and forth, use pillows and my sling in bed. I've had both shoulders done. Unless you have "cancel for any reason" insurance I doubt that you can cancel at this late date without a 100% penalty. Tears in the rotator cuff may be small or large and can be repaired by transferring a muscle from another part of the body to replace the damaged cuff. I wish for you the very best and hope you are enjoying a break from school and your healing has improved! He had both shoulders repaired (at separate times) with rotator cuff surgery and only took one pain pill. Hi Latonya. At 6 weeks, the sling is discontinu. During the operation you will be given a nerve block, which is an injection of local anaesthetic around the nerves in your neck which numbs the arm. My bother had a similar situation about 8 years ago and tried to talk me out of it. I had the MRI and it basically came back I'm ok. mnothing is written in stone. It may be easier to take a sponge bath until the suture removal. "@type": "GeoCoordinates", Casing in the morning and lifting 50lb trays of mail, carrying a mail sack and opening and closing the sliding door on the van will be a challenge. Cool Cruiser; Members; 49 posts; November 8, 2014; Seattle Raising your arm after rotator cuff surgery will take time depending on how many repairs were done on your shoulder. My other shoulder is also torn, but I may not fix it. It can be difficult to sleep after surgery. I can at least confirm, as will many others, you are NOT going crazy. I am 59 years old. I have read and heard that the spinal tap that was in my neck for this surgery may hold the answer. iii. Full tear and bone spur removal and extrememly high pain threshold. Make Sure Your Voice Is Heard! If the appearance of the muscle bothers you, then by all means get an appointment with your surgeon to discuss treatment options. I was released by my surgeon May 5, 2017. 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