Stop for a moment and think about all of the many ways that your shoulder comes into play during your movement throughout the day. You use your shoulder when you lift your morning cup of coffee to your mouth, and when you wash yourself in the shower. You use your shoulder when you dress, dry your hair, and drive. Without a properly working shoulder joint, or rotator cuff, you would not be able to throw a ball, paddle a canoe, or hug your child. Your shoulder is an extremely busy joint, and there is not much that you do with regards to the use of your hands and arms, that does not, in some way, use your shoulder as well.
This amount of activity over a lifetime may lead to shoulder injuries, such as rotator cuff tears, or simple wear and tear, that requires shoulder surgery to help your regain the full use of your shoulder, while minimizing any pain you may have been experiencing. While shoulder surgery is worth it in the long run, in the short run, your activities will be greatly restricted while you heal from shoulder surgery. Here are some tips to aid you in your recovery from shoulder surgery. As luck would have it, I have two example from which to work. A friend of my husband recently had shoulder surgery for the second time, and a friend of mine had rotator cuff surgery over the summer. One is an example of what to do, and the other, an example of what not to do post shoulder surgery.
Before Your Shoulder Surgery
Full recovery from shoulder surgery takes about a year, although you will not be laid up for that entire time. However, your activities during the first three months after your surgery will be quite limited. For many, this will mean time off from work of a month, or more, depending on the type of job that you have. If your injury, or shoulder problem, is a result of your work, be sure to get your Workman’s Compensation in place before your surgery, as well as arranging a medical leave of absence.
Also, arrange to have a family member, or a friend, available to help you in the first days and weeks after your surgery. In the very beginning, you will need help with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, and getting to and from places, as you will not be able to drive. Since you will probably need to go to physical therapy, you will need to find a way to get to those appointments. This sort of help may be needed for up to three months following surgery. Lifting, as such, will be out of the question, so arranging your life so that you can limit those activities will make a big difference in your recovery from shoulder surgery.
After Your Shoulder Surgery
Once your shoulder surgery has been done, the main efforts will be towards pain control, and restoring your shoulder’s mobility. You will initially receive narcotic pain medication, generally through your IV, then will proceed to pain medications taken by mouth. Physical therapy plays a huge role in the recovery from shoulder surgery, and some small range of motion exercises may be started in the recovery room, sometimes with the use of a machine that gently moves the shoulder frequently. This machine may remain in place, working on the range of motion in your shoulder, throughout your hospital stay.
Whether or not you will not need actual visits to a physical therapist following your surgery, you will be taught simple range of motion exercises for your shoulder, prior to your hospital discharge. These exercises will need to be done at home at the recommended frequency to make certain that you recover the maximum mobility possible from your shoulder surgery. Getting up and walking, and gentle use of the shoulder, with the elbow remaining at your side, will be encouraged following your surgery.
For the first three months following your shoulder surgery, using your shoulder very gently, while keeping your elbow next to your body, with the help of a sling to keep the elbow in place, is essential until the initial phase of healing from the shoulder surgery is complete. This may be frustrating, but it is so important to reap the full benefits of the surgery. In most cases, you will be asked not to lift anything heavier than your morning cup of coffee. All of these restrictions are why it is so important that you make certain you have adequate help in place before your surgery, even if it means hiring a short term caregiver.
Post Surgical Do’s and Don’t
My husband’s friend is recovering from his second shoulder surgery. He’s worked at a bakery forever, lifting very heavy trays of bread up into ovens, then having to remove them. This sort of repetitive activity did his shoulder in finally, and he had his first shoulder surgery. He arranged for his leave from work, and made use of his Workman’s Compensation. Then, just as soon as he wasn’t in terrible pain anymore, he got bored, and used his spare time to begin going under any car he could find to tinker around, using his shoulder far too much, and in, well frankly, stupid ways.
He went back to the same job, and less then two years later needed the surgery repeated. He swore he would not make the same mistakes, or go back to the same job, but guess what? He was out fixing cars in no time, and he’s back at the bakery. This is your “don’t” example. He’s in his mid 40’s, and will probably have a useless shoulder before too long.
My friend is a probation officer. When I heard of his surgery, I asked him playfully if he had to “take someone down.” He told me, no, that it was just old age. Since I am the same age, I told him that was a poor excuse. After his surgery, he took a month off from work, and when that wasn’t long enough, he took more time off. He followed his doctors recommendations, took it easy, did his shoulder exercises, and did not go crawling under cars, and such. He’s a smart enough guy to know that he would rather not to have to go through a shoulder surgery again. Since he took care of his shoulder, and as his recovery continues, he keeps following his doctors orders, I suspect he will be just fine. This is the “do” example. If you are facing upcoming shoulder surgery, listen to your doctor, and do not rush your recovery, and come to regret it later. Be a “do,” not a “don’t.”
Fredrick A. Matson III, M.D., Winston J. Warme, M.D.
Recovering From Surgery: Rotator Cuff Tears
http://www.orthop.washington.edu
