Rotator cuff repair - post-op pain

I have learned lately that it depends on the severity of the tear on your rotator cuff of how much pain you will be in afterwards. My rotator cuff was completely separated from the bone...(which I did not know at the time, perhaps my Dr didn't want to scare me more than I already was), however...I was in tremendous pain after the block wore off. I ate percocet on the designated time permitted around the clock, my husband woke me up at night and gave it to me. You are not exaggerating when you say you are in pain if your injury was anything like mine. However...this will knock your socks off, because, it sure did mine. My husband just had rotator cuff surgery. He was in a sling 1 day, the day he came home....then out of the sling he came. He was able to use his arm almost immediately. After speaking with the Dr. His cuff was not torn, he had a spur on top of his shoulder and it was rubbing on his cuff causing him pain, and would eventually cause a tear, if he did not have it taken care of. So depending on what extent the injury is, thus the extent of repair, will determine how much pain one will experience. I am with you KimserBee, no one will ever know how much pain you are experiencing...no matter how much you try to explain. The pain did ease up a little after 2 months, (I said a little). What was really strange..was at the end of the 3rd month, it was like someone had a switch and switched off my pain!!! It was remarkable !! (I have to say my Dr. had told me this is what would happen). I know the pain gets very tiresome, and you think it will never end. You are not crazy. I remember feeling depressed, I was so tired of feeling constant pain. Please know it is all temporary...a long temporary, but it will go away. I would be happy to stay in touch with you if you need to talk to someone that has been thru it. I remember trying to walk on the treadmill, trying to get some normality back into my life. I walked very slowly... but the next day, my whole arm ached. The movement was just too much. There is alot of swelling inside and it will take alot of time to get better. I hope my experience has helped all of you.

I had 1 inch tear repaied Jan. 4 and still have pain that wakes me up 2-3x a night and almost constantly durning day. I will never have this again. The pain prior to surgery was at least liveable. This is getting me down.

hi

I am so glad i have found this page,im 10 weeks post surgery on wednesday and am in absoulete agony.

back to not sleeping which is the same as before the surgery,im sitting here at 2.30 in the morning because the pain and burning is so

bad,an icepack on my shoulder,back to the surgeon tomorrow and im praying he is going to tell me this is normal,cant stand the pain and

inflamation anymore,started my physio 4 weeks ago and she had me stop doing it because of the pain im in,she even gave me a tens machine to bring home with me,please someone give me some positivity,because im cracking up,dont think my family believe that im still in so much pain,stopped taking the pain meds 4 weeks after surgery because i was on them so long(last july),i have not been back to work since the surgery and dont know when im going to be able

Your post made me feel better. I am 4 weeks out of surgery for a full thickness tear. Had to open me up, i Have a 3" scar. Doctor said I had the tear for quite some time. Anyway, I guess at 4 weeks I thought I would start feeling better but sometimes I feel I'm going backwards instead of forward. On my 3rd week of therapy and it hurts so much! I get so frustrated and depressed, I try not to let my husband see how bad I feel but he does his best in taking care of me. I just feel so useless! I'm hoping at 3 months I will feel so much better like you did. Thank you for sharing your story.
Joanne

I am 5 months post full thickness repair dominant arm and still in tears with pain.  I had surgery because of loss of function.

Can anyone tell me how long the pain will last?

I had rotator cuff surgery and tore main shoulder muscle literally in two 12 days ago.  yesterday I lifted three bags of clothes in those air vaccum bags.  i used my lrft arm and shoulder  but now experiencing burning and aching in my right arm where I had surgery.  Has anyone torn their stitches after surgery?  I am so scared I tore something!!!  I go to dr tomorrow. 

 

What did your doc say? Tear anything?

I had my surgery a little over three months ago and I was pain free and looking forward to going back to work.

My physio had me on half a kilo weight and I was doing really well.

He upped my weight to 1kg and within days I was in pain again,not sleeping,cant do any exercises now and have trouble doing daily things like going to the toilet.

This has been going on for over two weeks now with no improvement.

I went to a doctor and have an ultrasound booked for this Wednesday (Two days away) to see what has happened.

I am hoping I have just overworked it,but we will see.

Moral of this story is take it easy and go at your own pace,don't let anyone push you.

Tomorrow will be two weeks since my open rotator cuff surgery on my dominant side. This is my second repair on my left shoulder. The first was a small repair and I don't remember this excruciating pain. Tears are streaming down my face as I read this site. I don't think I can stand the pain much longer! I have one more pain pill left and when I went to the doctor a few days ago he took out the staples. I don't know why I didn't ask for more pain pills. I was embarrassed he would think I was taking advantaged of getting more pills and I would become addicted! Also I am embarrassed about my pain. I thought I was just being a baby! I am so glad to see others saying how difficult this is!

hi all

had surgery for shoulder inpingement 8 months ago,have never recovered from the surgery went back to the surgeon 4 weeks ago and had an xray,thank god because it showed more bone in the same area,thank god because i thought i was going to be left in pain for the rest of my life and also that nobody would believe me ....i was beginging to think i was being nuerotic about the pain,but anyway i wasnt,when the surgein seen my xray he booked me straight in for surgery which i had yesterday,so far so good i dont remember feeling as little pain after the last surgery i was in agony for months so if this is anything to go by i think im onto a winner this time,please god,im hopeful,but have tomhav physio and all so time will tell,fingers crossed please have been in constant pain for the last 13 months

I want to quitt! i'm miserable , 3.5 months post op rotator cuff tear, taking morphine 15mg ER + dilaudud for break thru pain. have not laughed ina long time

Wow Sara5, I've never heard of someone having this surgery w/ minimal pain, thats awesome. I have a complete tear in my right shoulder, dominate side and a 50% tear in my L. side. I'm suppose to schedule surgery but I'm so scared of the pain. I've had 7 spinal surgeries where the pain was awful. But for the past 6 yrs I have had to take very strong pain meds for permanant nerve damage in both my legs. I'm so scared if I have the surgery that my tolerance to the pain meds will mean that I will get no relief from them. Hearing your story, even tho now your having some pain really made me feel better. I would love to know the name of your doctor, lol.

I had arthroscopic rotator cuff repair on March 1st 2012. It was about 70% detached, and some bone was shaved as well to avoid spur issues. I am still in pain (4am - 10am is pretty bad) and cannot lift more than 1 pound above shoulder height because of both pain and strentght issues. 

Most of my PT time is spent stretching and pain relief. Except for the gains in motion (I am about 80% motion), more PT seems to be worse, so i go for weeks sometimes without PT and it will start feeling better but I am gaining almost no strength. 

After stretching exercises via PT or at home with pulleys, shoulder will hurt more than usual for 1-2 days.

The doc was concerned about the pain, and now says to just use it regularly, try working at things i like which will move it and use it, and the pain should eventually subside "on its own". I asked if I should be working it harder to push through the pain and he said no.

I am quite discouraged and frustrated as this is way beyond the normal recovery time.  A second MRI showed no problems after surgery.

I am regularly taking hydrocodone and it is becoming less effective, I guess i have developed a tolerance. 

I am sad. Thanks for letting me share my story.

 

CP

after my second surgery in 8 months i really thought that all my pain was gone,had second surgery 4 weeks ago and for the first 2 1/2 weeks i could feel nothing,when i say nothing i mean i could not even feel my shoulder and i thought this was great,i can handle this,went back to see surgeon and told him about the numbness that him that it was great,he said he didnt touch any area that would cause the numbness,anyway here i am after 3 1/2 weeks in pain and discomfort again,i rang the physio to get started on my rehab and she seen me 2 days ago she said that all my pain and numbness is caused by nerve pain and until that is under control she wont work with me as u cant do physio on someone who is coping with pain.........i just want my life back to normal i am 9 months since my first surgery and feel no further ahead...help,physio told me to talk to my doctor about putting me on lryica to get the pain under control....wish me luck that this works

Finding this site has been  a great relief. Shredded rotator cuff, torn labrum, bone spurs....etc. As a past  prof. athlete, I'm a vetran of injury & pain, and althlough my PT and surgeon see things progressing well, 7 weeks past surgery the pain and lack of normal of use of the arm is overwhelming. My "tough-guy" card was going to have to be shredded! Its been imasculating. The various comments have been mentally uplifting knowing there is a light at the end of this tunnel. So apparently the truck parked on my shoulder will leave and I will be able to play with my kids and spouse again without pain. Thanks for all the post, its helped, as these are circumstances that can be deppressing