Problem after rotator cuff surgery

Thank all of you for sharing your experience. (I do have good news.)  What I have come to believe is that the degree of pain and the length of healing time varies with each individual. The pain is very real and it isn't always connected to the severity of original damage to the rotator cuff prior to surgery or the complications in the operation itself.  The surgery for my right shoulder, torn rotator cuff, was on April 17 of this year.The waiting time for surgery was 10 months. Lots of time for further damage.  I tore the right bicep muscle 2 weeks prior to surgery.  Nothing could be done for the bicep injury, complete tear and to frayed. All in all the damage was quite extensive. There was lots of repair work on the bone, Shaving the bone and holes drilled too.  I will be 62 years olod this coming friday.  This whole process has been quite painful.  It was healing.  The sling came off and I started physio.  Very painful but still healing.  Then approximately 3 weeks ago I have put pressure on a nerve or on the bone itself.  The pain is absolute hell.  Emergency told me to see my surgeon as they couldnt find anything.  My doctor while acknowledging my pain level wouldn't give me any stronger pain med.  I was on oxy contin and percosets. Morphine in emergency has worked the best. X-rays nor ultrasound has shown any problem.  The pain was constant 7/24.  I used ice, heat, Dr Ho electrode machine( it really helps) plus the meds.  I stopped physio as it was to painful. Having had other surgeries I am familiar with different levels and types of pain.  Thru out this I could find temporary relief in different positions.  On a couple of nights I awoke with no pain but as soon as I moved the pain would return with full intensity. My experience has been that in any previous severe injuries that when I get under control, minimize the spasming the quicker the healing process begins.  4 days ago I took enuff pain meds to bring the pain under control and for whatever reason I woke up in the morning and the excruciating pain has minimized. I am now back in the workable phase of pain and healing.  So find yourself a good support team.  Take the pain meds as prescribed.  Use heat, ice or whatever is recommended. I have a great family doctor.  My surgeon knows her stuff. I see her on the 16th. 2 weeks ago I resented the doctors and couldn't say anything nice about them.  Today I am grateful for the opportunity to, in time, have the use of my right arm.  I am right handed.

I had the same thing done to my shoulder and I am having the same problems the front of my shoulder still hurts when I raise my arm straight up in front of me over my shoulder, and my shoulder wants to raise up and limited range of motion.

I had ACL repair surgery a while ago and experienced the same symptoms you describe. I was afraid I'd ruined the repair. My Dr. said not to worry - it was normal breaking of minor scar tissue that forms after the surgery.

So thankful for everyone's responses. I had my surgery 10 weeks ago and it feels like it did before my surgery. The pain is horrible. My doctor gave me a 2 week rest from physical therapy. Also, he wants me to see him every two weeks. I'm still on pain meds and taking them 3 to 4 times a day. Your responses give me hope...

albertaneal wrote:

Guest wrote:

I'm approaching my 4th month post op from shoulder surgery. I had a rear tear, bone spur and cyst. Before surgery, I couldn't sleep and had less than 50% use of my right arm and had constant pain, throbbing. After surgery, the throbbing had stopped and rehab (25 sessions) went by quickly and with little problem, but I did my exercises at least 3 times a day and stretched in the floor each night. I still have some stiffness and still wake up at night, but not like I used too!!! I can tell that I'm at least 90% repaired and hear that that last 10 - 15% heals very slow. My wife and I went bowling last Friday night with some friends. I went with every intention of not bowling, but gave in. The shoulder was silky smooth and I won the first game against 3 other men. Even though I've graduated from therapy and can feel my arm slowly getting better, I try to continue my exercises at least twice a day and feel that I'll continue the exercises for another couple of months until I wake up without stiffness. So, keep on doing those exercises and stretches in the floor!

So thankful for everyone's responses. I had my surgery 10 weeks ago and it feels like it did before my surgery. The pain is horrible. My doctor gave me a 2 week rest from physical therapy. Also, he wants me to see him every two weeks. I'm still on pain meds and taking them 3 to 4 times a day. Your responses give me hope...

Sorry---I also had that surgery--extremely painful, but after that amount of time you should be doing far better--I'd bug the h--- out of Dr., or see someone else for 2nd opinion!!
something isn't right!

I would be getting a second opinion as well,
I was feeling pain again and I had another scan this week and I have just found out I have a new small tear,my surgery was just over twelve weeks ago.I haven't had physio for near three weeks because of the pain.
Take it easy on the meds

Thanks to all who have contributed to this site. Like many of you, I'm glad to hear I'm not alone.  I'm nearly 8 weeks past my rotator cuff surgery (3 tears, 1 spur repaired) and the lack of sleep is the hardest part of the whole ordeal.  I too was advised to use a recliner, but that hardly has sounded inviting when I'm exhausted, so I've tried to tough it out in a bed with different pillow configurations.  Lunesta seems to help sometimes to get me to sleep and help me stay asleep a bit, together with Ibuprofen, but I probably had just a handful of decent nights sleep since I got off the hydrocodone. I had to get off the hydrocodone because the side effects were too great. I had to work a week after the surgery and felt as though I were operating in a fog (with the hydrocodone, that is) with a combination of confusion/memory loss/exhaustion. Happy to see the range of motion increase, but PT can be painful!  I'm sure we'll all be better for it eventually! Good luck to those who also are recuperating and to those who have the surgery ahead of them.

Well, after reading all of these posts I'm alittle scared!!  I had a rotator cuff/bicep repair on  my right shoulder April 2012, I did all of what I was suppose, to including phyisical therapy.  Everytime I had pt I was in so much pain the doc wouldn't give me any more pain meds. He was tappering me off.  I went back for another check up which I have been doing about every 4 weeks since surgery.  This visit I tell doc I am in so much pain is this right?  He said, "well could be" but let see, so he checks me I can't lift my arm up hardly at all.  He says well lets get another MRI it wouldn't hurt to just check.  "OH yeah! I forgot I've also gained a crunching sound and some popping at times which just about sends me through the roof with pain.  I can't sleep on my right side and just overall frustrated with the whole deal!  So, the doc sends me for the MRI the next day and wants to see me right after, with pictures in hand.  I say to myself kinda wierd cause it usually takes 3 weeks to get in.  Well, I come in with the films, doc comes in says well got some bad news.  I say "What"? He says the surgery didn't take! My jaw drops.  I fade into the chair thinking to myself you have to be kidding. " I thought this was a pretty simple surgery"?? I said to the doctor what happened??   He says that it just didn't heal it could have been any numbers of things that contributed to it.  I was like WOW!  He seemed very apologetic.  At the time I told him it's ok it's not your fault.  So, needles to say I am having 2nd surgery in 2 weeks.  The more I have thought about it the doctor said many times he was sorry and looked so a bleek.  Should I be concerned about this?? Is this situation normal??  Boy, I am not looking forward to all the pain again, not being able to use my arm, relying on someone else help get me dressed all that!!!!!

Any suggestion?????  

I am three weeks post op today. Had two tears repaired, front and back, a biceps tendon reattached and some bone removed that was causing impingement. I had a lot of work done and man it feels like it. The first week the pain was constant and really intense at night. I still have quite a bit of pain that varies from sharp stabbing pain to toothake like pain that runs all the way down my arm, to burning intense pain. This seems to randomly move from one repair site to the next and seems like one of them is giving some degree of pain all the time. I am not taking meds for pain as I hate the side effects. Just taking Advil mainly. Started PT the second week for range of motion only. I am in a sling for 6 weeks and instructed not to use the muscles in my arm until it can heal. The amount of pain suprised me. I expected to hurt but not this much for this long. Night is the worse and sleep is difficult to come by. I understand it is a process and just wanted to let others know the pain can last for some time. It is getting better but still keeps me aware of the fact that I had work done. From what I am learning from others shoulders can give a lot of pain and take a long time to fully rehab. Just be patient don't over do it.

I still have pain, thought I re-injured it..sometimes there is hardly any pain, and the next day it throbs...surgery was two months ago...just want to know how long do I have to put up with this?

Well, its been nearly 10 months for me now. It hurt like all hell first few months. I barely slept. had to buy a good recliner 2nd day after i came home. You can't sleep in a bed , that much i know. I waited about 6 months, then started playing basketball again.  I had occasional weird pain..still do.  But i started lifting after about 4 months..and real light. I mean light. dont push it! Not worth it..so like 6 months in, i was gradually working my way up. And decided to try 225 on the bench..and man, it hurt for two weeks after. I scaled back after that. Now, 10 months later, still feels like a lot of pressure on my shoulder, and some pain after benching, etc. But I feel prob around 85%.  I think a couple more months and i'll be fine.  I could barely play basketball, but now I can, and my shoulder stopped hurting after. Im regaining my fast twitch motion in the left shoulder finally.  I had a stretching machine, i forgot the name of it ( you sit down, put your arm in the slot, and the machine raises/lowers your arm, stretching your shoulder) , and that machine, with therapy 3 times a week, nearly right after surgery, really helped. 

Overall though, i still have occassional pain, but it takes a serious 6 - 8 months before you get any solid confidence back.  Its a lot longer of  a process than i thought. Even after alll this, i still take advil for occassional inflammation after lifting, but i keep doing exercises to strengthen my shoulder, and using rubber bands is a great way.  I feel like im almost back. So hold in there. It's going to take quite a while

It has been almost 3 months for me. Still have intense pain when I try to lift my arm .  Can only do one half pound in therapy and cannot sleep on my right side.  Used too much oxy codone and hydrocone for the pain and now am having serious stomach problems Oh well maybe it will get better in a couple of months

 

 

 

 

Update. I am now 9 weeks post op. still have pain at night. Daytime is much better. Getting pretty good range of motion back. I am still restricted on what I can do and just within the last couple weeks I have been doing light band exercises. I just have to be patient. I am told by my PT that it could be a year till full recovery. Just wanted to give an update.

It has been one year 2 months and 14 days and four surgeries, this morning was the FIRST morning that I got up without pain thank GOD i will not ever do that again I would rather live with the pain. 

 ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** private e-mails not allowed***Please read our Terms of Use

I had rotator cuff/calcium deposit removal surgery 4 months ago too and though the pain is much less I suffer a lot with neck pain where my sling hung.  My neck now pops and I lost range of motion in my neck! I get Phys Therapy Assistants each time and I get minimal help. I saw my regular P/T for reevaluation and says I'm behind what they expected.  I was stunned since I've done all the exercises and ice throughout the day to help avoid pain meds.  So new exercises are prescribed and hopefully the assistants can follow through with the new orders.  For the neck pain I found wetting a dishtowel, microwaving it and rolling it on the tightness helps for awhile. I get more range of motion that way.  But it is just getting worse. I see my surgeon next week and will tell her everything. Elbow pain too.  Be honest and open or they can't help. And if they treat you like you are faking..find another