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Arthroscopic shoulder surgery

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Posted 9/17/2013 4:44 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, all. I had arthroscopic surgery on my shoulder about 4 weeks ago. There were a couple tears that needed to be repaired, cartilage to be cleaned out, and a screw put in to keep the capsule surrounding the joint tight. I've been doing pt since 2 weeks after surgery.

I've not managed to rest it as recommended. I have two kids and no help. I do use the shoulder a lot. My physical therapist says I actually still have too much mobility in the joint so we are doing weight training to fix that.

The problem is that I'm still experiencing intense pain. There are days that my therapist dents me home with no therapy because the pain is crazy bad. I can't sleep because of pain. My pain medicine does nothing to control the pain. Icing the shoulder was a miracle until about a week ago. Now adding ice makes it hurt more.

I'd like to know if my experience is normal? Do I need to talk to my surgeon? My therapist keeps saying that I'm not that far out of surgery and to be patient. I just thought the pain wouldn't be so severe this far out. Thanks for any answers.
Posted 9/22/2013 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
I had supraspinatus full tear repaired nearly nine months ago. I went thru five months of PT and things improved markedly. However, Since then I've had three cortisone shots for pain due, my ortho says, to severe
arthritis in joint which he saw during surgery. Nothing can be done when cartilage wears out. I take celebrex daily and ibuprofen as needed and ice after golf. The shots last only about a month for my situation.

We are hoping it resolves but it doesn't appear likely. If it stays this bad I'm facing full shoulder replacement. Yuk!

I know this is not encouraging for you but it's my experience. I'm near age 70 btw.
Posted 9/23/2013 2:43 AM (GMT 0)
I've got arthritis in my shoulder, but I don't think its severe. I can move my arm and just about have full mobility. I just have a lot of pain , too.

I felt a lot better a couple days this week so decided to not refill my pain medication. Then I woke up Saturday in lots of pain again. I fell asleep without putting pillows around my shoulder. So I'm regretting deciding to not get a refill.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I had no idea what to expect and may have approached this with unrealistic expectations. Knowing what you experienced helps me not overreact.
Posted 9/23/2013 11:36 AM (GMT 0)
Angelic
Boy you're taking a lot of meds! I wonder if you're having any SEd due to all of those? I had clinical depression 26 years ago starting with panic disorder and tried numerous meds. After depression resolved I still had anxiety which caused tremendous pain like I believe fibromyalgia does . I moved to 120 mg of cymbalta and buspirone and neurontin about 12 years ago and it really stopped the pain and the anxiety but I was always tired. So I'm now down to just 30 mg cymbalta and nothing else. I also hated the impact of cymbalta on sexual function.
I also disliked the benzos like Xanax. They are good for panic disorder but I think they should be stopped ASAP.
Now of course I have prostate cancer! So life has tossed me a grenade.
I would seriously work on weening off meds or at least getting down to what really works. Just my two cents.
Best of luck!! God bless you!
Posted 9/23/2013 12:19 PM (GMT 0)
I'm off most of those medications. Now I only take tramadol and buspirone prn and Flovent twice a day. I don't like relying on medication but I probably need to be back on an antidepressant.
Posted 9/23/2013 12:35 PM (GMT 0)
I had arthroscopic surgery about seven years ago, and I do remember that using the shoulder made it painful and sore. Your inability to rest the shoulder as recommended will almost certainly extend the painful period. Are you icing your shoulder after therapy and as you can during the day? Some people say you only need to ice for a week or two, but I've found the icing painful muscles and tendons helps at any time for me.

Hope you're starting to feel better now. It's a process, and you just have to give it time.
Posted 9/23/2013 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
Angelic_Victory,

Sorry to read of your post procedure pain however, I believe Judy is correct re the icing and trying to rest your shoulder.

I had surgery on my great toe a few years back because of osteo and did not stay off my foot, therefore I paid for it with pain and swelling.  Finally my surgeon put me in a CAM Walker Boot.  That won't work for a shoulder........... redface .

Hoping things get better soon.

Posted 11/9/2013 8:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hello I am new here just wondering if I could get some advice. I had subacromial decompression and bicept tendonesis and a bone spur surgery 10-1-13 and I am still in a great deal of pain. I have been gong to physical therapy since week one after surgery. I have seen my surgeon twice since the surgery and he is not worried about the pain, he mentioned another surgery I might need, something to do with tightening everything in the shoulder so I have another month of therapy before he decides. Anyways my pain level is almost just as bad as right after I had the surgery. I was told to tale anti inflammatory medicine which does nothing. I can not put my hand behind my back at all, not even in a jean pocket it is not that it hurts but it does not go that far. I cant even pull a blanket over myself without causing pain. I ice very often with the rule of 30 on 30 0ff. it has been over a month and sometimes the pain is so bad I cant help but cry is this normal?

Sorry so long but I'm 21 and in the military so I know that the more info the better. Please someone help.

My pain is.... it starts in the collar bone area and is a very strong persistent ache then it moves to the front of my shoulder and goes all the way down to my elbow.
Posted 11/9/2013 4:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, I'm now three months out from my surgery and still have some pain. I finished pt but still can't reach my arm fully behind my back because of pain.

I'd recommend telling your dr that this method of pain management isn't working. You have to stay ahead if the pain. Take your medicine on a schedule, don't wait for it to hurt! Ice started making my shoulder hurt so I began using heat and that helped. Talk to your physical therapist about the pain, too. They know methods to help ease it.
Posted 11/15/2013 2:14 AM (GMT 0)
Hey everyone, i am new to this, saw the page on google and though i would give it ago.

I am f 34, last week I had open surgery Arthroscopic Subacromial Decompression and removal of a load of calcium, had my bone shaved and muscle cut, this was a week ago and i am in soooo much pain, i knew the surgery would be bad but this is awful!

Has anyone under gone a similar operation?
worst part is having the sling on an extreme pain in my elbow, is this due to the sling or the operation, i did have slight pain before the op in the elbow, but its bad, hurts with the sling on an worse when it is off.
whats the general healing time?

if anyone can help?
Posted 12/28/2013 11:35 PM (GMT 0)
All I can say is that shoulder surgery is a ***** but so is arthritis pain. I had RC repair one year ago and now have such bad arthritis pain that I'm facing complete shoulder replacement. I feel for anyone with shoulder pain.
Bob
Posted 1/14/2014 12:04 AM (GMT 0)
My surgeon said that shoulder surgery is the most painful of the joint surgeries. It's going to hurt a lot for a while. For me, it was a gradual decline in pain. Now, 5 months later, I still get the occasional pain but it's bearable.

Talk to your surgeon about your elbow pain. If it's the sling then they can get you a different one. I have a pinched nerve and that creates elbow pain. Whatever it is your dr needs to know. For now, use ice on your shoulder ! That was the best for me at first. Don't wait til you're in pain until you take your pain medicines. It's easier to control pain than to try and catch up to it. Get lots of rest and do your pt. Your physical therapist may know other ways to help with your pain.
Posted 1/15/2014 11:47 AM (GMT 0)
So I scheduled total replacement of rt shoulder for April 1st. I now have pain in left shoulder also, but not like the right. Hoping that the pain from bone on bone at the GH joint will be gone after I get a new shoulder joint. I note in my most recent MRI that I now have a small tear in biceps tendon which is the area where I had most pain pre and post RC surgery so I need to ensure that the biceps tendon is addressed during total shoulder surgery. At age 70, shoulder arthritis is a real pain! Until I get this fixed, golf is out.
Bob
Posted 2/15/2014 7:55 PM (GMT 0)
Update:

I had total shoulder replacement on January 21st, moved up from April 1st. So I'm now almost 4 weeks out and doing well. No more arthritis pain and good flexion but only 30 degrees of external rotation which is normal for this point. I hope to be back on the golf course after 12 weeks post op. I'm glad I had the TSR and wish it had been recommended in Dec 2012 when I had RC, labrum and AC joint repaired. I'm not in any pain except after PT and I'm being very careful about wearing the sling an doing PT at home. I apply ice after PT if I have pain. I'm sleeping pretty normally with the sling, which I'll have for six weeks total, the same as I had with RC surgery. This recovery is a bit faster than RC surgery.
You simply must not use that arm until the repair has healed!!!! You cannot rush this recovery!!!

Bob
Posted 8/25/2014 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
Hi

I (23, f) had a shoulder arthroscopy & some clavicle bone removed/repaired about 5 days ago (due to RSI, repetitious work practices). I was wondering what experiences other people have had in terms of pain & recovery. I feel as though I should be up and running around but it's too painful not to take endone, however that leaves me cognitively walking in drunk lines! so I cannot do the activities I want to do! I am usually a very active, busy person so the inability to perform tasks or complete my uni work is driving me absolutely up the wall.

I feel guilty for not working out or studying but I am unable
When did you begin to be able to stop taking painrelief?
How long til it take you to be able to do study type activities or work?

Heeeeeeelp
I think other peoples stories will help my mental attitude
Posted 8/25/2014 11:55 AM (GMT 0)
It took me about 6 weeks to be able to do my normal activities. I had screws and some other things done. The pain was immense. Rest yourself. I pushed myself too hard and my pain lasted longer.

I'm a year out now. I don't have any pain and my range of motion is awesome, according to my surgeon. Do what your dr advised. That's the bedt advice I can give. Rest and ice!
Posted 11/12/2014 4:02 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Im new to this group I had Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery for Burs,tens,and impinged nerve Right side and Ortha also chipped bone to make room for impinged nerve and blood fusion. I had my surgery back in 1-17-14 I have been out of work since then. I did go back and try to work back in May cause the Ortha released me to permanent light duty nothing over 20lbs combined ever. Well when I went back in May I worked four and a half days in the most awful pain you would have thought I was in physical therapy which the ortha only allowed me eight sessions. The lady said I needed more and requested it and he denied it she was concerned about the swelling I still had in my neck and shoulder the ortha only gave me four days of pain meds I had to suffer through that therapy and omg I hate to even think about it. Well any way I went to see HR lady to find out what my new position would be and she started asking my how was I doing I broke down in tears and she seen the swelling and by this time I had notice elbow pain and my arm was twisted and I showed it to her she says oh no hunny you can't stay her and work I'm just afraid your going to injure yourself more so she said you have to go back home and you need to get a second opinion before you can back. The next thing I did was ask WC if I could get a second opinion and of course I ended up with an attorney I asked for another doctor in the beginning because this Ortha was a horses a** and was so cold and all he was worried about was getting me back to work in a week and I saw other people he did surgery on come back and end up messed up and have to go right back out of work. So I'm still waiting on a second opinion since (May 2014) WC has already submitted my case to 5 different doctors and they turn it down and last I heard they had submitted it to the 6th doctor. This is so depressing I miss working I'll never work my old job again I was making good money I was where I wanted to be now all I have is two messed up arms oh for got to mention my left shoulder has bursitis and may need surgery . The twist is getting worse I don't know if it can be reversed my arm looks weird it hurts it sticks from my body in stead of lying up against it inside is almost facing out. I told that ortha it didn't feel right it felt like it was wobbling in a certain spot which was where the swelling is cause it still swells sometime I'm on depression meds. Has anyone out there had these kind of issues with your surgery and with doctors not wanting to take your case and why is that help me someone please reply I need someone to talk to about this have a great day thanks
Posted 3/2/2015 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
ladyleah

If you received any responses or suggestions can you let me know... my son is have a ton of pain after 2 failed shoulder surgeries and the surgeons don't want to do a shoulder replacement they say hes to young but he can't work he can't function ... he needs help and I'm not sure where else to turn.

Thanks,

Posted 3/3/2015 7:40 PM (GMT 0)
Boy, these surgeries and replacements are NOT a walk in the park...for some they are nightmares, that was me a THR in 2010, I ended up with so many complications...what a mess it has been....but NO GROIN Pain.

On the shoulder(s)...I've got two injured shoulders now for about 10 yrs and I'm 76 now, so you can do the math. I do everything to avoid surgery...

about 5 yrs ago I had dextrose Prolotherapy in the right shoulder and got 3 great yrs of relief..... I could use Prolo again but drag my feet as I manage...

But today PRP and Stem Cells injections are saving people from surgeries in many joints....shoulders for sure... These may help those with failed surgeries but good to get a consult on this subject....

The MD here in LA who does PRP and Stem Cells, is on the radio weekends and talks about a failed shoulder surgery while in med school and at that point he changed his thinking and direction of healing.....

jointrehab.com is his site

And there are many workers across the country who do this work.

getprolo.com

gives a listing of prolo workers too.


I'm considering PRP for my knee, it's not covered by insurance...but everything covered by insurance gives us grief...more than not.

Check it out if you can, a consult anyway. J
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