Pain after Rotator Cuff Surgery

Hi I'm glad I found this site and that i can respond, I had surgery July 11th 11 weeks later I'm still in pain can't sleep I can't find the right position doing all the therapy and my therapist says I'm ahead of schedule and have to be more patient its workmans comp and I don't want anyone to think that I'm faking it I am back to work lite duty but I would like to just do my normal job. anyway I just wanted to tell everyone that perseverance is key work hard and stick it out I don't have to have another surgery but mine was full blown surgery I hope I get my strength back so I can play guitar and piano like I used to I miss it and I'm tired of taking all the over the counter junk that doesn't work I haven't had any consistent sleep since before I had surgery. I wish everyone well hang in there.

I had rotator cuff repair on September 3, 2013.  I have begun physical therapy this wee, and have to do the exercises twice a day.  My pain threshold is very high, but this even has me crying.  I know it will get better, and will do what I have to to get my arm back.  Some of the exercises seem so bad but I trust that my physical therapists know what they're doing.  This blog has helped me to read about other people and their experiences.

I had rotator cuff surgery Feb 27 this year and I was in pain like everyone else but I also had a couple of pushed disc in my neck c6,7 and I just found out July this year that my cuff re tore again, which I did read that if something was to happen it will in the first six months after surgery and my arm re tore and I have now a high grade partial to full thickness tear, my first was a full thickness tear, this one tore in the opposite direction, and I just had a neck fusion last month, the pain is only what you make it out to be, and I am still having a pain in my arm pit, so things I see people complaining about I feel your pain but mine is a lot worse just get through therapy and trust me you will never be the same but you will be some what normal, not the best but normal...

Had rotator cuff and bicep release done  5 days ago. The doctor didn't mention the level of discomfort I would experience. Now I know what I am experiencing is normal.

Hi All..I had rotator cuff surgery 8 wks ago, connected with a disconnected bicep muscle. Pretty brutal pain for about 1 1/2 weeks then started tapering off. No PT until 6 wks. I removed the sling at 4 wks because my elbow was tightening to the point where it was painful. That loosened up in about a week. I did not use the affected arm, just dangled and squeezed a ball. Between 3-4 weeks the pain just diminished to almost nothing, just was"uncomfortable" at end of ROM. Started PT, loosening up well after 2 wks almost full ROM and at times have no reminder of surgery. I can match the left hand on the wall reaching with ease but not gonna push it. I consider this a successful surgery and  hats off to my surgeon. I am 59 yrs and am seeing a quick recovery, I once again sleep all night-a first in close to a year. Eureka !

Had complete tear rotator cuff surgery in 2002 . Have been in pain ever since. this is an every day battle for me.The surgery went well except i was back in the emergency room 10 hours later because i was allergic to the pain med. I am now 66 years old and work every day in pain. the only med I take is over the counter.Its not a matter of manning up ,its a matter of how the surgery goes , how your therapy goes and how your body heals. I wish all you guys the very best.

First of all I'm a woman, so I'm unable to ":man up". Secondly, I am now 7.5 weeks out from rotator cuff surgery and worked in orthopedics as a NP. I was amazed at how painful this was and was concerned as I continue to have pain and am still having difficulties sleeping secondary to it, I was thankful to this site as I was able to see that this is normal and there was nothing wrong, and I could continue to push through. Good for you that you have done so well!! But I, for one, am thankful to these comments and realize that EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT and respond differently to surgeries!!!

I have to chime in as well as this is rediculous.  32 years old, played football and baseball my entire youth and been active my entire life.  I am on my second rotator cuff repair.  First one, last year, was to fix a 4 year old right rotator.  The top muscle was torn completely off and the 2 side muscles were ripped halfway off.  He got 1 good stitch in the top one, because it was so old he couldn't repair fully, the sides he fixed mostly.  That occured from a 20 foot free fall directly onto the shoulder, I had no insurance so didn't get it fixed but couldn't use it for months.  I was a commercial diver and was back to working in a week using only my left arm...  Finally got a job with insurance so I had it partially repaired due to the time frame that had past.  I took 1 pain pill the night of surgery to sleep, didn't take anymore and started PT after 3 days.  I will have to have it replaced next year because it's torn back off "because they only got 1 stitch in the top muscle after pulling on it for 45 minutes".  The left shoulder was done 3 weeks ago, from over using it after having the right one injured so long, I managed to rip the top muscle off 98% of the way, he said it was hanging on by threads.  The back muscle had a small tear as well.  I have taken about 2 to 3 pain pills, mainly to help sleep but that was only the first couple days.  I started pt again after 3 days.  I had surgery on a monday and was back working the following monday, desk job though.  I started driving using the opposite hand the day after surgery, I was not on pain meds.  Yes, it's painful.  Yep, pt sucks.  But it's really not that bad, just breath and deal with it.  Imagine the pain if that arm got ripped off by a forklift or something, or you got squashed between 2 backing semi's, rotator cuff surgery doesn't seem that bad now does it?  I'm guessing the majority of you simply don't deal with pain well, period..  It's just not that bad, don't let this board con you into thinking you can't handle the surgery.  If you can bare a little pain at all, go for it.  The pain prior to having surgery is much worse if the tears are as bad as mine were "are".  I still have throbbing pain most of the time, and still sleep in my recliner, but I'm 3 weeks post surgery and I know it only gets better from here, good luck!

Btw, I never had anything done to my bicept so I have no idea what that feels like. I know everyone heals differently, and I'm glad to see some of you are having good results. If you are 6 mo post op and still experiencing a lot of pain, I'd be willing to bet you re injured it soon after post op and it never healed correctly, have a mri done to be sure.

I have read all the prior posts here and I do not believe anyone was really looking for sympathy or whinning, they were just looking for reassurance that their amount of pain is normal. Well i can assure everyone it is. To the tough guys on here, try to understand each individual injury can be different but shoulder surgery of any kind is a daunting process. I to have performed athleticly most my life, football for 38 years, 4 college and 9 Professional before a career ending injury to the shoulder. First shoulder injury was in 2006, torn labrum to the left shoulder. Yes, the pain was bad but not torture, the post op surgery was not fun for a couple days and the PT was no fun but tolerable. 2011, torn up right shoulder a completely different story. Torn Rotator cuff, full thickness tear and 2 partial tears, torn labrum which consisted of a slap tear and bankart tear and a bicep muscle tendon tear. A whole different story, the amount of pain for the first 10 days or so post op was nearly unbearable. Thank god for percocet, can still remember the pain. it was a miserable recovery and feel for anyone going thru it. So my case being, nearly the same injury can have different implications and much different pain. Hang in there everyone, its a very trying time and some misery along the way, especially if its your predominant arm. I will vouch for that. 

Accidentally hit the down vote, have been trying to remove it. I did a lot of reading before the surgery, and you're right, it helps knowing what to expect. Good luck on your continued healing.

Mike, you are vain and act like macho man!! I am 13 weeks post surgery and have performed all the exercise I was trained to do even over and above what I was told. I am a 63 year old woman in great shape and still having pain and trouble sleeping. My doctor said he performed the full monty on my shoulder (supraspinatus repair, labrum, bicep tendon, and bone shaving and decompression). Not everyone heals the same, so you suck it up. You need to understand that everyone does not have same procedure and all heal differently. I hope my pain goes away soon. Worse then before surgery. I went to one PT who "tortured me". Fortunately, I found a wonderful local PT and have progressed 150% in 10 days. PT is not suppose to feel like torture.

I am writing this to hopefully encourage someone. I had rotary cuff surgery 5 weeks ago. I had a 90% tear and impingement. I am a 58 y/o female. I have done very well. I only went to therapy once and decided I could do it  myself after that. I have almost full range of  motion back. I only wore the sling one week and put it up. I still have some pain for which I take ibuprofen. Still cannot sleep on the affected side but overall doing good

I am 5 days post op and also do the pedulam swing and have the same feeling. and at times when I am sitting I feel like it is going to dislocate. I did not have anchors so I am not immobilized. I hate the dislocation feeling and I also have horrible discomfort in my bicep

Hi, I am three months out. Can I expect to be getting better, My arm still really hurts. Kevin.