Especially for those of us who already have to deal with shoulder pain, the answer is a resounding “yes.”
As a quick experiment, lie on your side. Think about the positioning of your shoulder as you lie on top of it. Most people will unconsciously position the body so that the bottom shoulder is forced into a forward position. This allows the body to avoid planting weight directly down through the shoulder, which can cause immediate numbness and pain in the arm.
In the long term, the relative forward position of the shoulder joint with side-sleepers feeds into a basic mechanical fault. When the head of the humerus, or shoulder bone, is chronically pushed forward, the joint capsule that surrounds it tends to accommodate to this forward position. The front of the capsule tends to get over-stretched from the bone constantly being pushed forward, and the back of the capsule becomes tighter because the head of the humerus is not resting in a position that places any normal force on it.
The resulting restriction in posterior glide can cause a painful “impingement” of the shoulder rotator cuff tendons against structures that are normally not in the way.
The general consensus of the medical community is that sleeping on your back (face upwards) places a lesser amount of stress on both the shoulder and the neck. I would particularly advise against side sleeping for people who have had shoulder surgery, thoracic outlet syndrome, or rotator cuff tendonitis.
Read More About Shoulder Issues
• What Does a Shoulder Labral Tear Feel Like?
• How Do I Stabilize an Unstable Shoulder?
• When Can I Start Working Out After Shoulder Surgery?
• How Do I Deal With A Shoulder Dislocation?
• Why Won’t My Shoulder Rotate?
• Managing Expectations When Recovering from a Labral Repair
Hi Dan,
Your article was very helpful since I’ll be having rotator cuff surgery in July. I had the surgery on the left side about five years ago, but it was not severe enough to require a sling. This time, the injury is on my dominant side, and I will be in a sling for four to six weeks. I am not worried about pain, but I am concerned about using the computer at work. I will be going back to work in two weeks, and since I’m not sure where my right hand will be situated in the sling, I’m not sure I’ll be able to use the keyboard and mouse. Do you have any tips?
Also, I am concerned about how to wash the good underarm. If I can’t bend my operated arm, how do I get soap or even a sponge on a handle in that spot???
Thanks so much,
Janice
I would appreciate any information.
Janice
If you have arm rests with your chair, that will probably suffice. Keep the arm rests at a level so that they are supporting your elbows as you type.
In terms of washing the underarm, I would sit on a chair and gently place your elbow on a table or ledge so that there is a little bit of space. It should be easier to get a rag or sponge under there in that position.
Dan
I am concerned (a little) about one issue during my recovery from rotator cuff surgery. I am in my six month of recovering from surgery and I am unable to sleep on my back. Sometimes I try to sleep on my back for a little but in less than half an hour my right shoulder is exploding with sharp pain and I have to roll onto my left shoulder. If I happen to roll on my operated right shoulder during sleep, I am awaken in extreme pain and am dealing with pain for the rest of the day.
I know surgery was my only option but am wondering if something is still wrong with my surgery or might this be happening because I am not young anymore? I am a healthy 50 year woman and in good shape so I am praying and hoping my recovery is just slower because of my age. Any thoughts or advice regarding this issue, please?
Jenny
That does trouble me a bit. I would certainly get an opinion from a PT. Sharp pain that far out of surgery with sleeping is a bit uncommon. It may very well be postural, meaning that your shoulder cannot rest when you are on your back because of tightness in the chest muscles.
See a PT.
Dan
Hello,
I had an 80% cuff tear and bone spur removal on Jan. 8th. I wore the sling at all times for about the first 2 weeks. However at my initial follow up, I was instructed that the sling only really needed to be worn to prevent large arm motions (raising arm upwards, pushing self up with arm, etc) and it was OK to not have it on when in a sound environment like at home. Since I was almost exclusively at home for 3.5 weeks, I rarely wore the sling. I would wear it when leaving the house/out in public only. I was then instructed it was safe to return to work, which is a sedentary desk job. That said, at this point I am approaching 5 weeks post-op, and have barely worn the sling. Again, except when in public or uncontrolled environments. All my arm motions have been limited to arm at side, elbow only extending away about as far as it would to pull up ones pants. In fact, the biggest flare I had was when I was wearing the sling, and the ice pack on my shoulder started to slide off… I motioned as if to grab it with the slinged arm. Didn’t feel so great, to put it mildly. Anywho, here I sit, as I said 5 weeks out, sling barely used except when in public, which has been at an absolute minimum. My question is, am I totally fubar’d here, or what? Everything I read says folks should be in-sling almost all the time. I was pretty much the opposite. I did feel as though I was following Dr’s orders, as the sling was worn when in uncontrolled environments, and I definitely did not have any issues forgetting about the procedure and doing jumping jacks, or anything of that nature. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
Andy
Andy I would not worry about it. The sling’s purpose is to keep people from doing stupid things with the surgical arm. It sounds like you did not do anything stupid.
Follow your rehab protocols and you should slowly return to normal function. Carry on!
Thank you for the feedback! To this point it seems my biggest challenge, at least in the PT activities, is muscle guarding. It’s been very tough to just let the arm be loose. Not sure how to get past that part of things. Overall just looking forward to making progress, even if it comes in small steps.
Hi. Happy to have found this site. I had SLAP (type 3) and bone spur removal on 3-18 (from 10-31-13 fall down stairs at work). Had been going to his P/T since for various sprains and cervical herniated discs. Did well there and was left with tear to deal with. Surgeon is excellent, office support not so much. Tons of anxiety leading up to workman’s comp authorization because they sent request 7 wks ahead to car insurance. Had overlapping car accident, kept telling me there was “plenty of time” so never followed up until week before. W/C ended up doing urgent 1-day approval Friday before Tuesday surgery. Anyway…
My husband swears Dr. told him while I was in recovery to take arm out of sling late next day and just very gently be sure I could extend elbow. There was no written instruction. Hospital discharge just said wear sling, remove nerve block when empty after 3 days, remove dressing, clean cath site with betadine and bandaid every day.
Extended elbow that one time then called Dr. office. Nurse said remove ALL dressing and clean as above, DO NOT remove arm from sling at all. Had to ask about steri-tapes. Couldn’t believe lack of specific instructions. Like I’m supposed to know! Had to call and ask about thick pad in underarm – was it just part of dressing or needed for “spacing” of some sort. Never called me back. Decided to replace regularly to help with sweatiness. One steri-tape came off with bandaid, but looks fine. 3 incisions front (tear), 2 back (spur).
Despite tons of conflicting internet info, I decided everybody’s surgery is different and keep arm in sling. Especially showering info. Use complicated trash bag system to keep sling and stitches dry. Only slipped out twice by accident while sleeping – woke to find arm bent in sling position and no pain, hand on stomach, and once slow and deliberate to blow nose properly. Dr. told me weeks before I’d be able to type right away, but that conflicts with no out of sling time, so had boss buy dictation software and muddling through with left hand (I’m right-handed). Figure better safe than sorry.
Getting stitches out 4-2. Nerve block caused shortness of breath (anesthesiologist called next day as well as hospital to follow up). Not gasping, but could only say a few words at a time without breathing. Anesthesiologist block affects diaphragm and was OK. Called my pulmonary Dr. (sleep apnea plus tracheomalacia) to be sure was true and used my CPAP all day. Didn’t like cath removal instructions of “just gently pull it out” so Googled that too. Glad I saw parts about looking for black marks to be sure it all came out. Made me feel better that all was right. Anyway again…
Don’t take oxycodone except at night – have to stay awake to work. Pain is moderate and intermittent – very occasional burning sensation where tear and spur were and at incisions. Not really any swelling at all. Deltoid feels like sore muscle occasionally especially when jockeying for sleeping position. Had constant “burning deltoid” from fall to surgery. Worst is coccyx pain from fall exacerbated by constant sitting or lying down. That and that chiro can’t treat my crooked pelvis until shoulder is more healed. She treats my neck very gently (pre-existing neck, pelvis plus car accident), but coccyx combined with pre-existing and fall – everything is lopsided down to foot pain from that – so hard to get comfortable.
All-in-all, with co-existing conditions, I THINK I’m coming along as expected. Think I may blog about “little crap no one tells you” when all is said and done. Actually looking forward to post-op P/T despite pre- 18 sessions for fall just to be moving arm slightly! Won’t find out until 4-2 when P/T will start. Anything sound out of place to you? Thanks for listening and for your posted info.
P.S. Nurse did say wriggle fingers/wrist a few times a day (inside sling). Had to look up whether fingers should extend from sling too – internet pics showed that a lot! and mine didn’t – but found site that said no. That would mean arm is being pulled across body and maybe wrong elbow angle in sling – should be 90 degrees bend.
Wow, that is a lot of information Kathy. The “thick pad” in the underarm is something that some surgeons might use, although from my experience it is not common. The nerve block thing sounded absolutely awful.
The worst is over, congrats. When you start PT, stick to the protocol that the doc gives you and everything should slowly come back.
Sorry, I tend to be very wordy. LOL! So basically, everything seems right to you? 1. Types of pain I’m having (mostly that pulled-muscle deltoid sort), 2) keeping arm in sling at all times even for showering despite what websites say, 3) fingers not extending past end of sling, etc.? 4) Was it a mistake to extend arm that one time? As I said, ambiguous and/or unwritten instructions. If I were to have damaged the repair, I’d have lots of pain, right? I’ve only had carpal tunnel surgery about 25 years ago, hence my “nervous Nilly-ness.”
Hi,
I’m a 63-year-old male. I had a complete tear of one of the rotator cuff tendons while lifting a bicycle high overhead and forcing it onto a bicycle rack.
During the rotator cuff surgery, the surgeon also did some work and repair on the tendon from the bicep to the rotator cuff. How common is this?
Jim
That type of injury is more common than you may think. Our tendons lose a bit of vascularity as we age, so sometimes with heavy overhead motions the supraspinatus tendon in particular is a bit vulnerable. The long head of the biceps attaches right next to the supraspinatus, so one injury often piggy backs on the other.
How much force does it take to undo a labrum repair. I’m 5 days post op and am in the sling of course. My dr told me the repair was done where the biceps tendon attaches to the shoulder. Today, without thinking, I started to Greg a gallon of milk from the table. I was reminded of my injury by some minor pain and stopped immediately. The pain also stopped and I currently have no pain. Do you suppose I ruined the repair and how much does it take to ruin it. I want to do this recovery correctly. And am being more cautious.
It takes a fair amount of force to dislodge the anchors that the surgeon used, but it does occasionally happen. If you merely started to grab the milk and didn’t actually go through the entire process of lifting it and moving it, you are most likely fine.
A sign of tearing the anchors is a huge amount of pain that it constant. It doesn’t sound like what you are describing.
I had surgery last week and Ive been starting to go without the sling at home and during class (Im a math teacher and I need to be able to write!)
I have noticed a lot of pectoral soreness after spending most of the day out of my sling. This was something that would occur pre surgery too, so Im a little worried about that. Is it just because of my arm having to compensate for a torn cuff pre surgery and now a healing cuff post surgery? Is this a common complaint that should dissipate as I rehab?
Damon if the pectoral soreness is only present when out of the sling, it is probably your body’s reliance on that muscle as a stabilizer for your shoulder. The shoulder tends to go into a forward position when it is perturbed, and the pectoralis is one of the muscles that draws the shoulder forward. It should slowly go away as you get stronger. Stick to the doctors rehab protocol and obviously talk to him / her if the pain intensifies or doesn’t lessen.
Hi
I had shoulder surgery (right shoulder) a week ago. I cannot sleep in a recliner due to my disc injuries, and i cannot sleep on my back due to breathing problems, so I sleep on my left side. I sleep with my sling and my arm mostly surrounds my belly during sleep (unlike the picture).
any suggestions?
That is a tough one. You may just have to go with what is most comfortable for you Hadi. It may help to place a thinner pillow between your arm and your body, but I wouldn’t put the pillow any higher up than the elbow. If you check out the other shoulder article on sleeping shoulder comfort, the pillow position of the reclined person could be adjusted to your side position.
Hi doctor,
I had tear the tendon on right shoulder.
Had Rotator cuft repair & anthroscopy surgery 4,5 months ago.
In last couple weeks I feel the movement on my arm & shoulder getting stiff & I cannot raised my arm as high like use to be.
Now I had been have pain on left shoulder (good shoulder)
I still go to physio 2 days a week, but doesnt have any improvement.
What is next thing doctor can do for me ? (Please I need your oppinions)
I had been back to work since 2,5 months ago in really light duty (im working in food services public hospital). Im on compensations injury from work.
Been such alongtime in pain & recovery, make me stress.
Really big thankyou for your help.
Kind Regards,
Surjati Mc Kay
You may have what is called a “frozen shoulder”. I would ask the doctor about this: he can do some tests to see if this is the case. A frozen shoulder will cause a loss of range of motion and stiffness with pain. This type of thing is very common in the months following a surgery. I wouldn’t be too worried about it, they tend to go away after some time.
I am 6 months post op from the bankart surgery but I still feel pain and achenes in the shoulder and catching an popping in the shoulder and shoulder blade is this normal or should I not be feeling this at this stage? Thank you
There is probably some residual weakness in your rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers from the surgery. It is not uncommon for people to feel like you do six months post-op. I would stick with a strengthening routine under the guidance of the doc and the PT.
It has been three years since my Labrum surgury. I started to swim “free style” at the “Y” and found I very quickly developed sholder pain. I don’t beleive I tore my Labrum again but I am very concerned. It feels a bit like my shoulder did before my operation. The pain does decrease considerably after a few days recovery but I am getting a sense of instability. What can I do?
I would see a PT and get some advice in terms of what needs to be strengthened. Free style swimming requires ideal strength in a bunch of muscle groups. Even slight weakness or dysfunction can cause problems.
Had bicep pain from working out at gym @ age 59 … after a year of uncomfortable pain went to surgeon … had rotator cuff surgery (gone v.v.bad) …the day of surgery … 4 attempts for arthroscopic resulted in a nightmare … was cut open, stiches on outside AND inside … in bump out slip for 12 wks … had frozen shoulder and nerve damage in right hand … went to Boston for help … had ultra sound injection 13 months later with new surgeon …all seemed well. One year later was rear ended in expressway … anchor screw became detached .. have detached bicep and permanent nerve damage in right arm … one year later I am completely different adjusting my activities … had incident where my good arm (left) was pulled and now have hole in left shoulder … am in PT … inability to lift arms over my shoulders … scared, trust my PT …. 2nd opinion surgeon in Boston repeatably told me to never have surgery on left shoulder due to conditions on right side (nerve damage, detached bicep, etc) Now with a major tear in left shoulder and new damage to right side … I am grateful for the PT I am working with. Not sure what you can say? I SAY ALWAYS GET A SECOND OPINION!!!!!!!!! I know having a liberal medical insurance …. $19,700 for a sore, lingering bicep … was over kill … ALWAYS GET AN UPDATED MRI AND A SECOND OPINION
Amen Ellen!
Hello, my name is Lauren. I just had my 4th shoulder surgery to repair my labrum and tighten my capsule do to extreme joint laxity. This was my second surgery on my left should. I had a very bad dislocation back in September and it was actually by far the worst one my orthopedic has ever seen. I was given the same type of imobilizer I had with the past three. It is one with a foam block, strap around my waist and another around my neck. This time I’m having some weird things that are happening since surgery/wearing the imobilizer. When Itake it off for periods of time it gets a tad better. My right hand (not the arm I had surgery on) is tingling and abit numb. The timgling is in both my thumb and the tip of my pointer finger. It is stronger in my finger and my thumb is basically completely numb. I have had two dislocations of my right shoulder since my last surgery. Could the injury or compensation with my right arm be aggravating and old injury from one of those dislocations or could this all be from the slimg irritating nerves and muscles in the right side of my neck?
Lauren if I had to guess I would say that the sustained elbow flexion that the sling is putting you in is the cause. One of the nerves may getting a bit clamped. I would ask the doc if you can rest the arm with the elbow in a normal, or straightened position.
Approximately 3 weeks ago I had labrum surgery which involved having 8 anchors installed to repair my labrum. I am following doctors orders as part of my recovery, I am curious to know if I do anything to harm my surgery or damage the repair- will I know it? I’m scared that I will screw this recovery up and not know it for along time to come. Thank you
Chris you would normally have to do something very abrupt to the shoulder, like fall and try to catch yourself with the surgical side. Anchor tears usually feel like sharp, disproportionate, constant pain.
Having said that, we see TONS of physical therapy patients here in DC who are post-op that have varying levels of pain that I would consider normal.
Hi dan could u give me some advice!
I had anchour points put in my shoulder think in the front! I didnt really get told what was happening as he wasnt sure what the damage was but he told me he had done something when i woke up but then wentam nearly 3 weeks post op.
But when in my sling and im walking about i get the odd jolts! And get constant aches! But when i dont wear it i dont get nothing! Which i thought it would be the other way round!
They told me to start doing pendulum excercises after 2 weeks
Which i can do well
My arm and were they went in is still slightly bruised.
Is this NORMAL!!?
Would i still feel the odd jolts!
I wear my sling every night when i sleeps also! And sleep on my back.
Many thanks lewis
Lewis having jolts like that are common after a surgery like that. I would wear the sling according to your doctor’s instructions. Ask the doc if you can gradually decrease the amount of time you are wearing the sling. Hopefully you won’t have to wear it for much longer.
The bruising is probably normal as long at it is going away.
Thanks dan!
I also keep getting a lot of clicking now im getting more movement from my pendulum excersises!
But im also guessing thats normal too cheers!
Hi Dan Baumstark
On the 22nd of January I had a arthroscopic right shoulder labrum repair, 3 nearly 4 weeks ago to this day.
Everything was fine in regards to pain and retaining my movement as of two days ago, when I subconsciously without my sling supported myself to sit down on a bus rail (pole)… whilst resting my shoulder from wearing the sling all day…
As a result I’m feeling a slight uncomfortable pain, not excruciating but apparent.
Do you reckon I have damaged the shoulder procedure or just irritated it?
I would appreciate if you could give me some advise
Thanks
Rhys
Most likely just irritation. It usually takes more of an abrupt, hard jerking motion to pull anchors. You may feel it for a week or two though. I would back off of the PT exercises for a few days to allow some healing. You can of course always talk to the doc about what happened if you feel that things aren’t going in the right direction.
Hello I had labrum surgery 2 weeks and 3 days ago it is feeling pretty good and already have a lot of motion back. Do you think it would be safe to sleep without the sling. I’ve slept In a recliner all but two days since surgery and when i try to sleep in my bed I just can’t get comfy with this awful sling on.
Kasey I would stick with the doc’s recommendation. Some people thrash when they sleep. If something flukey like that were to happen to you it would be good to have a sling on.
I just had rotator cuff surgery a little over 5 weeks ago. My doc says its ok to have my sling off off and on during the day. Well I had my sling off an accidentally picked up a small cereal sized bowl with my repaired arm and then I quickly realized what I was doing and put it down. I didn’t feel any pain at all, but I am worried I could have ruined the surgery. Am i just being paranoid?
I also wanted to add that when I have been sleeping my shoulder has twitched/shivered/spasmed and it popped and one time it actually woke me up cause it hurt. Should i be worried about that or is that normal?
Highly unlikely that lifting a cereal bowl would dislodge your surgery at five weeks.
I would not sleep on the surgical shoulder if you can all avoid it.
How long after surgery for a complete rotator cuff tear with anchors should I avoid pulling myself up three steps onto a bus for?
Tanya I would conservatively say a good 4 months at least. You need a good bit of strength to do that.
Back in August I had Arthroscopic surgery for a severe rotator tear from a horseback riding incident. I remained in a immobilizing sling for 4 weeks then did 8 weeks of physical therapy with no improvement. The Dr. and I decided he should scope it again and as suspected the sutures to the anchors were all undone,so he did a second repair.This time the tendons had retracted back even more so he was unable to get them to pull into the last position so he anchored them in a different spot. I was in the sling for 6 weeks this time and after 4 weeks of physical therapy with no progress he decided I possibly had frozen shoulder. I went in and had manipulation under anesthesia done and then 4 weeks of deep tissue massage therapy. Still with no progress,so back in for another surgery.This time it was arthroscopic also but when he say it was detached again he went in surgically. He made the repairs along with breaking up all the scar tissue. After 3 and a half weeks in the immobilizing sling he told me I didn’t need to wear it and I was scheduled in 2 weeks to start therapy again. I’m concerned that he took me out of the sling awful soon this time and I’m wondering if something in the therapy or something I’m doing is causing the repairs to undo.I never feel the excruciating pain or anything abnormal when they do come apart.
Hard to say what is causing the anchors to dislodge. I would take this route super, super conservatively. Keep all of your movements very basic and do not do any aggressive stretching. I would make sure that you are seeing the best PT around, someone with tons of experience.
I would also get a consult from another surgeon if things don’t happen to go well this time around.
Dear Dan,
I am 7 visits into hand therapy and am not happy with the progress of my treatment. I have had no luck searching the internet for help on this question and thought I would send you the question. How valuable would having another Hand Therapist work on the issues? I mean I am interested in switching from this PT to another PT with Hand Therapy experience. I know you do not know the specifics of my case but could you offer any guidance in how to evaluate a PT?
Needless to say I do not think I am making significant or meaningful progress with the current PT and I am not sure the current PT is exactly sure what would be the most effective method to fix my problem.
Javier is your therapist a CHT (certified hand therapist)??
You could always go on to the national database and find another CHT. If you google “find a CHT” it should direct you to the right place. You could also ask a few of the orthopedists in town who they use for hand therapy. Most orthopedists usually keep a list of providers.
I had arthroscopic labrum repair surgery one week ago today on my right shoulder. I am in sling with no pain sitting still. However my shoulder has occasional twitching/spasms during the day. Five days post op, late at night I had a mental lapse and used my right hand (in sling) to plug in my ice therapy machine and applied some pressure with my right forearm, which was still in the sling. If any anchors dislodged would I be in more pain or felt anything. How much pressure to dislodge labrum anchor? I am really paranoid. What does anchor dislodging feel like?
It would likely take much more pressure than what you described to dislodge the anchor, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. You would also be in a large amount of constant pain.
Hi Dan. I had arthroscopic shoulder surgery last Tuesday (14th April) to repair a SLAP tear. Only one anchor was placed during the surgery. I have experienced very little pain since the operation and have mainly been sitting on the sofa for most of the days. I have been performing the prescribed rehab exercises each day.
My issue, however, is that last night, my operated arm jerked/flailed quite forcefully during a dream. The pain woke me up, but I was able to fall back to sleep fairly quickly with no pain medication. I was wearing my sling at the time; however, the sling I was given is very basic (no waist strap, side cushion, etc.). From what I can remember from my dreamy state, my arm attempted to extend at the elbow (almost like a tricep pushdown or karate chop), but happened in a jerky manner (I must note that my forearm wasn’t able to extend because it was abruptly stopped by the sling, but still jerked with enough force to cause pain). I cannot be certain that it didn’t externally rotate. I have experienced an increased amount of pain today, yet still haven’t felt the need to take pain medication. I have little to no pain when resting my arm on a cushion whilst sat on the sofa. My rehab exercises are slightly more uncomfortable/painful today, but I am still able to complete them.
I am quite worried that I may have ruined the repair/dislodged the anchor. I have tried calling my surgeon, but haven’t been able to get through to him. I am not due to see him for another two weeks. I’d really appreciate your opinion on this.
Many thanks,
Will
If the shoulder is just a bit sore I wouldn’t be too worried about it. A jerky movement like the one you described would certainly make the shoulder hurt, but it doesn’t sound like that would be enough to dislodge.
Your shoulder will probably be sore for a week or so.
Par for the course in most cases David. Sharp pain is a different boat, so if that happens let the PT and doc know.
thank you
more of a dull ache
hi it is now 9weeks post op pain better but it seems the phys ther exercises , particularly rotating the arm away from body with elbow at side, has caused a bit of a new grabbing non painful sensation at front of shoulder. comes and goes . sort of like something moving upwards toward skin surface upon exertion. any concerns? ty david
I would ask the PT about it. That range of motion is usually a bit tricky, if it is painful I would steer away from that and focus on other more tolerable stretches.
not painful at all–it’s described by others as a ‘catch’ or grab-PT guy says it is weak bicep tendon but not concerned
Andy the doc would probably want you to keep the sling on until you see him again, but you should call him and ask.
Thank you very much for the answer.
3 1/2 weeks after rotator cuff surgery I lost my balance but grabbed the towel rack with my good arm to keep from falling. Although my arm was in my sling I still jerked my injured shoulder which did give me a sharp pain. My doctor said to wait and see if I pulled out my anchor. It has been 5 weeks since my surgery and I am still in a lot of pain when my physical therapist has me extend my arm out very far. Is this normal? I do not see my doctor for 3 more weeks. When I had my MRI initially, the sleeve they put me in made my pain 10 times worse, and the pain never got better before my surgery. Can an ultrasound show if the anchor is out or do I have do do the MRI?
I am not sure if an ultrasound will definitively tell if the anchor has pulled. It does not really sound like you did enough to pull an anchor based on what you said. Most people will just have an increase in pain for a few weeks after jarring it. Let the arm rest for a few days.
I would ask the PT to back off a little bit in terms of stretching until the shoulder calms down a bit.
I had surgery May 21st on my left shoulder for a small labrum tear. I was told to do the pendulum exercise and basically what amounts for a unweighted bicep curl when sitting down as my only exercises.
My question is this I was also told that I could SLEEP on my right arm at night but when I did this for the only two nights I tried it. My arm slips forward and out the front of the sling partially. Like my elbow isn’t touching the back wall of the sling.
While it does wonders for me being able to fall asleep I seem to wake up more stiff in the joint than before, and today my arm has this pulsing throb every 10 seconds or so small pain maybe a 4 or 5 on the pain scale but enough to notice it.
Could I have done anything in my sleep to pull one of my 4 anchors out? and if I did would I absolutely know it or would it be a small enough pain just to kind of notice it?
Anyways thanks for your help.
William if you can tolerate it, it might be better to sleep on your back.
I doubt that you did anything to mess up the surgery from sleeping on the non-surgical arm, unless if you are the type of person who thrashes around violently. In sixteen years of practice I have only heard of that happening once, and it was from someone who was having night terrors.
4 weeks wearing sling is coming to end, when Dr said I can stop wearing it. I have taken it off for showering, changing clothes, minimal PT as directed, when sitting still with arm by my side on pillow. All seems to be going well, some discomfort at times, mostly first thing in morning, ice helps a great deal. Do I stop cold turkey on my “release day” or wear the sling occasionally and if so, when, thanks. The day of my “release” will be my 3rd PT session.
It is difficult to go off the sling “cold turkey”. I would take a few days to ween off of it, around the time of your “release day” or after. Most of our patients use the sling while in public and with longer walks during the weening stage.
I had surgery on my right shoulder on June 23rd, 8 days ago. I initially had the surgery to remove a paralabral cyst but also ended up having a Anterior Labral Repair. To my knowledge, I’ve had 3 anchors. I’m in a pretty pony sling, thank you NHS (I’m from England by the way)
I’ve been instructed to start physiotherapy the day after surgery. The exercises I have been set are as follows #1 clenching fist and relaxing hand (10 reps) #2 elevate wrist and relax (10 reps) #3 rotate forearm back and forth (10 reps) #4 unweighted bicep curl (10 reps) #5 pendulum exercises, rock arm backwards and forwards (10 reps), side to side (10 reps), around in a circle (10 reps) All done on the operated arm only of course. I’m not having too many issues with the exercises and the pain has lessened a lot over the last couple days.
I suffer a great deal with anxiety, depression and body dysmorphic disorder. I’m very worried about damaging the repair but am also very low because I’m limited to using my left arm only. I’ve been told to stay in the sling for 6 weeks, I’m due a follow this Friday with my orthopaedic. Still, I would like to ask you when you think it’s okay to start doing normal things like, shaving with my operated arm, washing properly in the shower with both arms, cutting up food, styling hair etc. I HATE THIS SLING! I’m going on vacation on August 7th, 5 weeks time and I want to be out of my sling completely, I want to swim and not worry about my shoulder. I didn’t think this was going to be such a do ah. I thought it have the cyst removed and be back to normal within a few weeks, I didn’t expect physiotherapy, I don’t want to be doing exercises for a long time as it’s an anxiety trigger for me, long story!
I can’t sleep all night in my sling either, I’ve been taking it off in the middle of the night as I wake up and my elbow and wrist ache from being held in the same position, I’ve been sleeping on my back with or without sling, when I take the sling off in the middle of the night I lay a pillow under my operated arm and let it lay by my side, I don’t move around and when I wake I make sure I stay on my back even though I’m gagging to roll around. Do you think I’ll be able to get out of this sling earlier than 6 weeks and be sling free by August 7th? And be able to do normal day to day things as mentioned earlier. I want to be able wear my new polo shirts on holiday and put them on myself, they’re slim fit, is this a logical expectation?
Best wishes,
Ricky
I think that the pillow thing that you describe should suffice in terms of sleeping comfort. Let us hope that you are not a thrasher when you sleep.
You can plead with the doc about ditching the sling, but it really is his call. At the very least you should be wearing it in public and when you travel. I do think that it is reasonable to be rid of the sling by the beginning of August. You should certainly be able to (carefully) don and doff your polo shirts as well by that time. Don’t freak out, you will get there.
Thank you for your reply :-))
When is it acceptable to start brushing my teeth, preparing and cutting up food, having a shave, washing my self, you know normal day to day tasks with my operated arm? Like I said in my last message, I had mild discomfort and pain pre op, no dislocations etc. and my orthopaedic only performed the op because I wanted the paralabral cyst out because I thought, why not, It could be the cause behind my aching. Before the op I had good if not perfect ROM, the pain was just more of a general aching, that was never worsened by strenuous activities, I just had a regular and annoying ache in my shoulder and down my arm, when out walking and in just general day to day tasks.
Will I be doing physiotherapy for ages? Do you think swimming is something I’ll be able to do when I am on vacation in 5 weeks time?
I would never have thought losing use of my dominant arm would be this annoying and hard. I thought I’d be back to normal at two weeks max. Another thing how long would you have to be wearing a sling for it to cause/worsen shoulder symmetry or will a sling not do that?
A few questions in that message I know, thanks again for you help and advice.
Best wishes,
Ricky
Daily activities such as the ones that you have mentioned are usually cleared by about 2-4 weeks. Take your time doing them and make sure that you are flexing your elbow so that the shoulder is not having to do the work.
PT can last for up to 4-6 months depending on how things go. It totally depends on your progress. You will not be overhead stroke swimming in August, too risky. Wading around in the water should be fine.
Sling wear can change neck and shoulder mechanics within a few weeks. It is annoying but it is a necessary evil to allow the anchors to heal in to place.
Hi,
I fractured my elbow in two places, both fracktures are about 1cm long. I’m travelling around Asia and went to the hospital that had no English speaking doctors or nurses so I want to get another opinion. I was told to wear a sleeve for 3 weeks and proceed as normal afterwards. Since I been reading a lot about it I gathered some information such as that you have to wear the sleeve for 6-8 weeks, that you are not supposed to take it off early or you can do it only for couple of hours a day also that I should do some stretching but that has to be discussed with your physiotherapist that I cannot get here.
My arm is getting better but I would like to know if there are some things I should avoid or should do to help it heal faster.
Thank you!
Vaida it all depends on where exactly the fractures are located. The “radial head” portion of the elbow actually does not need to be in a sleeve for as long as fractures in other areas. Given that we do not know exactly where the fracture is, you can probably stick to the recommendation of the doctor.
background:
im early 40s and had rotator cuff and SLAP repair surgery with 2 anchors in early July. this is my first surgery so i have no comparison or context for progress/pain, etc. my doc told me to stop wearing the sling after 10 days (except to sleep – i am still wearing it to bed) and started PT 6 days after surgery – formal PT 2x a week and doing it on my own twice a day since i started 6 days after surgery.
pt on my own or with therapist include: (1) pendulum, 2) rom flexion w/ wiffle-ball bat, 3)scap retraction, 4) standing ext rot cuff stretch behind back, 5) supine ext rot cuff stretch with wiffleball bat. today marks the beginning of week 4 after surgery and i have achieved greater flexibility and no major pain – although at night my shoulder does begin to throb (mainly from muscle tightness and cramping).
i have talked with 2 people who had the same surgery who said they were in sling for 6 weeks with very limited PT. i want to get ahead of the curve but also dont want to jeopardize long-term health. let my doc know and he and therapist have been proactive about getting out of the sling quickly and pushing (not too hard) my PT.
question: do i still need to be concerned that the anchors will not set, or can i continue this path?
Fred it usually takes 6 weeks for the anchors to heal in to place. Use that as a guide in terms of working the shoulder. According to this timeline you still do need to be a bit careful. You definitely should not be doing any strengthening yet.
It might be a good idea to get a written timeline / protocol from either the doc or the PT.
Hi Dan,
I know I’m only 3 days out of my sling and I imagine that some of the pain I’m in today is just being out of the sling but I’m still really worried I’ve done something bad during yesterday’s wall crawl. My PT didn’t explain the exercises I’ve been instructed to do well enough. I crawled my arm as high was even a non op arm would go. I had my chest against the wall and reached high so high even my upper trapezius took over to elevate the shoulder. I’m really concerned I’ve damaged something. I know I’ve asked already but do you think I’ve just strained something and over did it during the wall crawl or is it possible I’ve damaged something because I’m sitting in my computer chair, both arm relaxed but my shoulder is really aching.
It is going to ache, especially since your activity level has been increased. If you are that concerned about it you can always ask the doc about it.
I spoke emailed my surgeon and he said and I quote
“I think it’s unlikely that you damaged the repair but it’s not sensible to push your shoulder to its absolute limit the first time you come out of the sling. It really doesn’t need a physio to point that out! You should only elevate your arm until it becomes uncomfortable, then stop. It is important to keep the shoulder gently moving and not to keep it in the sling for long periods.”
I can’t contact him anymore as he’s busy and I was luck to get a response at all if I’m honest.
I did some pendulums last night before bed, I was told I no longer need to do them but because I was taking a break from the new exercises I thought I’d see how pendulums felt. Back and forth wasn’t too bad, anti clockwise circle not to bad but the clockwise circle kept clicking and sort of catching and there was occasional sharp pain. I rarely had this when I was in the sling and before the wall crawl incident, is this normal? What honestly is the likely to have happened when pushing my shoulder to the absolute limit during the wall crawl exercise?
Cheers,
Ricky.
Clicking, popping etc are all commonplace. A bit of discomfort and pain is normal as well.
Hi there, I had a slap tear surgery 4 days ago and I accidentally did a little movement on the shoulder. I heard a little noise when it moved a little, do you think I damaged the surgical repair? I feel no pain in the incisions area, just a little discomfort when I touch the scalene muscles and I move my neck. Do you think that discomfort is from wearing the sling?
If it was just a little movement I would not sweat it, especially if you are not having sharp and persistent pain. There are many tendons and little ridges on the humerus bone that can cause clicking and popping noises when motion is introduced.
The sling is a necessary evil. Stick to the doctor’s protocol in terms of wearing it.
If I gently move the joint without moving my elbow, it doesn’t really hurt. I kind of just feel a dull ache in the area
I have never heard of an anchor pulling out from removing a sock. You probably just inflamed it a bit. The doc should be able to assess it and tell you what is up.
I had a full thickness rotator cuff tear, with retraction, repaired, there was also damage to my biceps. The doctor first said 6 weeks in sling befor PT and 8 to 12 weeks in the sling (24/7), 6 months before going back to work. I am at 6 weeks now and saw him today, now he is saying 16 weeks in sling before PT. This sling has the 15 degree abduction pillow, it is screwing up my back and legs. Seems rather excessive.
Greg you had a lot of work done. I would ask him if you could ween off the sling gradually and maybe take it off during certain times of the day when it is safer. I am sure that the doc has his reasons although I agree that it does sound excessive.
Thanks. At first he was saying 6 weeks before any PT and 8 to 12 weeks in the sling. The workmens comp lady didn’t like the sound of that and appointed an RN “case manager” to go to the appointments with me and question the doctor about a rehab plan. Yesterday was the first time the RN was at an appointment, I could tell the doctor did not like the RN being there. In one of the earlier appointments the doctor had said the workmens comp people were always on him about the length of time before PT and returning to full duty, I am wondering if I might end up being a pawn in a war between the doc and the wok comp people. This same doc did the other shoulder about 15 years ago, it was about as bad of an injury, it turned out perfect after the surgery. I know several other people have used him, all have had positive results. That shoulder he had me wait 6 weeks before PT, 10 weeks in the sling and 5 months off work.
Hi Doc. I had AC joint reconstruction to fix a grade 4/5 separation 4 weeks ago.
My questions:
How long does it take for a transferred ligament to “stick” to bone?
Protocol is 4-6 weeks in a sling, it’s been four weeks and the doc told me ditch the sling by the end of the week (5 week mark). My guess was 3 weeks to cement to bone.
Is there any repercussion for using my CA ligament (I mean, it was connected to my AC joint at one point for a reason)?
What is an AC capsul and does this keep the clavicle in line with the AC joint or in the joint? If so, how does the clavicle “connect” with the joint or in the joint with no connective tissue (grade 3 and above, torn ligaments, no connection)?
Finally, does scar tissue forming around the construct (which is a closed loop surgical tape held in place by buttons and a suture stitch to mimick the secondary cc ligament that reduces the clavicle in line to the AC joint) become ligament or something?
My guess is it takes at least 6 weeks for the ligament to stabilize after your type of surgery. I don’t think that there is any repercussion from using the CA ligament.
The AC joint capsule doesn’t really do much to align the bones if the ligamentous structure is shot. Some people who tear the AC joint ligaments can go without surgery because scar tissue from the trauma stabilizes the joint. Orthopedists will just immobilize the harm and hope that the scar tissue sets in. I have seen some however where you can see the mis-alignment after the fact, the shoulder slopes down considerably.
hi i fell and dislocated and fractured my shoulder. This was on Thursday and it has been in a regulat sling sice.
today the doctor saw me again, said it should not need suergery but has given me an abduction pillow sling. This makes my shoulder ache and the weight of it is pulling on my neck the other side. I feel less stable in this sling as well.
should i stay in it or can i move to regular sling??
I would ask the doc if you can move to a regular sling. He may have put you in the abduction sling because of the orientation of your fracture, you would have to ask him. If the type of sling doesn’t matter to him then I don’t see why you shouldn’t try another type if it means that you are more comfortable.
I had a lot of work done 4 weeks ago, namely: Subacromial Decompression, clavicle resection, capsular release and LH Bicep Tenotomy and Tenodesis. I should have started removing my sling by now but a bit of aggressive physio done 10 days ago caused a massive inflammatory response which has set me back. I’m now facing another week in the sling but I have been taking it off in controlled environments and using it to make coffee, using light movements but no carrying. Its important that I try to keep the shoulder as free as possible to aid the capsular release but must be mindful that I’ve also had a tenodesis and the tendon has to fuse to the bone in a new position. I have another physio session on Friday to review. I am at the point where my sick leave is due to expire but I’m not ready to work as I’m still in a lot of general discomfort which is keeping me awake at night. Should I be biting the bullet and stepping up the physio again or let things settle but it’ll mean another week or so off work. I still cannot drive; my arm/shoulder is incredibly weak and I still cannot lift it easily.
I think that PT is a decent idea, but tell the PT to back the heck off in terms of intensity. NO crazy stretching. You are in a tough spot because the capsular release requires some motion, but the tendon work requires the motion to be gentle and mostly passive. If the PT that you used was young, ask for someone who is a bit older and more experienced. You won’t hurt their feelings.
I am 3 weeks post op. Having rotator cuff and bicep tear repair.I am currently wearing a soft sling when out, and no sling most of the time at home. Just mostly resting arm on a pillow. Not sleeping in sling at night. Keeping pillow under arm. Last night while leaving a restaurant the door swung back and hit my shoulder hard. Right in the rotator cuff area. The pain almost made me pass out. This morning at my physical therapy appointment. The pain was so sharp and intense and because of swelling. My physical therapist would not do anything more with me. She said I could not come back to physical therapy until I had seen the doctor and that they had the OK from the doctor to continue. Today is Wednesday I cannot get in to see the doctor until Monday. Should I be worried? Doctors office said if pain gets too intense I am to go to the ER. I’m pretty concerned at this point and in pain.
Ouch. That is going to be painful for a while Mindi. I would ice it and get on the doctor’s cancellation list for an earlier appointment. I doubt that it ruined the repair, but blunt trauma will cause inflammation. If the pain is too much, you could of course get some meds form an ER visit.
I have a broken humures rite below ball joint in shoulder. I’m in a sling past 4 weeks I have tried to straighten my arm to do gentle exercises to straighten the elbow when I get it down abit the pain shoots up under my arm pit, will my arm straighten again ok. I’m jus abit afraid to be honest my elbow isn’t broke jus under the ball joint n pain comes and goes. Jus wondering wld it stay in that position or will it aventually go straight! Any help be gr8 thanks
When the elbow is kept in a flexed position, such as when it is in a sling, it has the tendency to become very stiff. Once the doctor gives you permission to get rid of the sling it will help to begin to straighten out the elbow. I would even ask the doctor if you could start taking off the sling when you are sitting quietly. That would help also, but you do need to be in a safe environment and not walking around. (And the doc needs to give you permission.)
The doc has give me permission to do the exercises I’ll maybe try it off tomara and sit position, I was jus afraid of it staying like that, as weird as it sounds. plus he said it hasn’t healed yet and no sign of new bone. That’s what has really put me off cos I was afraid to make it worse as he hasn’t ruled out operation yet on the shoulder unfortunately. I’m very grateful for ur reply. I was jus afraid it would stay like that cos being in sling.
Nice website and advice. I had rotator cuff and bicep tenodesis 7.5 weeks ago and out of sling for 1 week. Things are going good but had an incident the last few days. I was a passenger in a boat pulling some tubers, nothing crazy, but we hit some decent waves head on. I bounced up and down a few times without hitting anything and my shoulder was sore afterwards. I had been supporting my operated shoulder with my other arm during the entire trip. Can this type of jarring movement affect the repair 7.5 weeks out? What type of jarring movement would it take affect the repair?
Thanks
Usually traction type forces are needed to dislodge an anchor. Having your arm forcibly pulled would constitute this type of force. The bouncing may have caused a little bit of tractioning, but I really don’t think that it would be enough to cause dislodging. Also, by 7.5 weeks the RC anchors are healed into place. You are most likely fine. I would allow it to heal for a week or two, nothing too stressing in terms of stretching or exercise.
I had a 1 x 1 cm tear in my rotator cuff repaired with sutures and a metal anchor. Also had a type 2 acromion excised to a type 1, and 1 cm of my clavicle excised to to deal with bone spurs. Before the surgery, I had no pain and no problems lifting weights in the gym and doing fairly extreme shoulder stretches. Just had some clicking, which got me in to see a doctor.
After surgery, my surgeon had me wear a sling for only 7-10 days (I went the 10). On my post-op follow up at 15 days, he said I could drive, even a stick shift, though I won’t do that because it will hurt. He also had me start stretching my arm behind my back, in addition to the pendulum and pulley stretches that I started as soon as the nerve block wore off. Therapy at a rehab gym will start about 6 weeks after surgery.
My surgeon is very experienced and highly rated, and I’m going along with this program, but it seems pretty aggressive compared to what I’ve seen on the web. What do you think?
I would start with the pendulum and the pulleys. The behind the back stretch is a bit more aggressive, I would start that very conservatively. I would keep the activity basic: if the driving hurts I would wait a bit. It might be better to wait to do anything that worries you until you see the PT at week 6.
I am four days post op for a significant labrum tear. I am having slight mottling on my arm. The P.A. I spoke with today told me to remove the bumper from my sling. The physical therapy office is closed today. Should I remove the bumper?
I don’t think that removing the bumper is a big deal, right? I assume that it should just slip right out of the sling. If the doc gave you permission to do so, I don’t see the problem with it. If the arm feels worse afterwards you can always place it back in.
If you are too freaked out to do it yourself, get some help.
Thank you so much for answering my question! And thank you for this website! I went back and read old posts. I’ve learned more from you than my surgeon, the P.A. And the P.T. Again, I thank you! ?
Went on line see where a lot people purchased ice machine to put on they shoulder after rota8 cuff surgery it suppose to take swelling down and discomfort feeling in shoulder
People have said good things about the “game ready”, or “crio-cuff” systems.
October 20th I had shoulder surgery I believe i had arthroscopic bicep tendonitis procedure. I was advised on leaving the hospital 4weeks in. T sling day 17 I started physio. I was advised I shouldn’t be in my sling longer than 48hours after surgery. This has lead to swelling and a lot of pain increase in my right shoulder / full arm. I went to my doctors who increased the pain medication but could this of caused any long term damage? I’m worried it may have. Recently the hospital physio had admitted not all correct paper work was given at the time of my first physio. I am on day 26 now and still in a lot of pain but have been advised back in my sling last 2days. I do minimal exercises at home to help stretch the arm “swinging motion”. Hopefully the pain will stop soon. Any advice?
It still needs to heal a bit. I would keep the exercises per your physio very simple. Many people will have considerable pain for a few months following this type of surgery. Hang in there.
Thank you I will. Do you think being wrongly taking out of the sling early could cause long term damage? It’s worrying me a little.
Not unless you fell or did something that caused you to yank your arm. Otherwise being out of the sling too early could just cause some soreness.
Hey
I just had shoulder stabilisation surgery and I had 4 anchors put in at the front and 3 on the back? I am three weeks into recovery and I am feeling fine. I just had my first physio appoitment and I could do everything easily without any soreness or pain and I wanted to go further but I couldn’t due to the specialists instructions.
I am 18 and I think it is healed as there is no pain and feels fine, but need to stay in the sling for another 3 weeks when I don’t want to at all. Would a shoulder brace or something be ok to wear do you think? I really don’t think a sling is nessesary anymore. I am getting sick of the pillow under the sling and having to wear this out and in the day and have already started to take it out at home in the day. Do you think this is ok?
Stick to the doctor’s advice on this one Zac. Those anchors take up to six (6) weeks to heal into place, regardless of how you feel. Young people like you probably will heal a bit faster than six weeks, but why take the risk? The number one reason why people pop an anchor is because they feel great and push it too soon. You might be able to get away with taking the sling off when sitting or watching TV etc, but I would definitely wear it walking around etc.. The doc should really have the final say with this, so ask him or her.
Hi doc I had labrum surgery in my shoulder 2 weeks ago for a slap tear type 2 had 3 anchors I recently was laying down and got cold and shivered and really jolted my shoulder hard and yawning I’ve caused some discomfort too my arm is in sling and will be for 2 more weeks I notice sometimes when sitting up or standing up I get a slight click in the repaired shoulder or if I move a certain way do you think I could of re injured the labrum and is this clicking normal ???
If shivering or yawning caused you to dislodge your anchors, that would be some type of new world record and you are to be congratulated (in some weird way). The clicking and pain is normal for 2 weeks post-op, don’t worry about it. Clicking often occurs because the rotator cuff tendons glide over the little boney prominences in the shoulder with small movements. The sling is a necessary evil to protect the shoulder, but it usually contributes to the less-than-ideal alignment of the shoulder. Stick to the doc’s protocol, and wean off that sling as soon as the doc lets you. If you are super concerned as always you should rely on the doc’s assessment rather than mine given that I am not there to assess you. Good luck!
I had a full thickness rotator cuff tear, plus a torn bicep muscle. I had surgery December 1st. I had the sling on for a month. Tuesday the dr said take the sling off. I have been in pain since. I was not in any major pain before the sling coming off. Is this common? I start pt next week. I have to sleep sitting up since the sling came off. Thank you for your time
I usually tell people to wean off the sling rather than discontinue usage “cold turkey”. Your rotator cuff muscles are likely very weak, and the loss of the sling is probably placing a bit of stress on the shoulder. I would perhaps talk to the doc about weaning off the sling.
Thank you so much, this page has more info than anywhere else! I had rotator cuff repair (supraspinatus – full thickness) 4 weeks ago today. I have experienced very little pain until this week. But at the start of week 4 I have started to feel referred pain in my bicep / down my arm both in the day and at night, as I felt before the op when the tendon was torn. I am still in the sling and the only thing I can think of that may have caused it is that I have started turning over onto my non-operated side in the last week (in my sling). Could this sleeping position with the arm moving across my body under gravity be the reason for this new pain and is it likely it could have undone the tear? I can see that you have said popping an anchor would likely require a fair bit of force but I was concerned maybe the anchor is sill in but the tendon may have partially come away instead. Is this type of thing possible from the described sleeping position?! Ironically my consultant is away for another week so shall keep the sling on until then as a precaution until I can speak to him. Thank you!
Rolling on to that side could certainly irritate the shoulder, and so could wearing the sling for long periods of time. I doubt that sleeping would undo an anchor unless if you are a violent thrasher.
Thanks so much for your response I really appreciate it. Hoping that the new pain is just part of starting to take it out of the sling and move it around a bit and nothing else. Just didn’t expect it after a relatively pain free first three weeks. Time will tell! I’m struggling with the exercise to rotate my arm away from my body externally when lying down. At the moment I can only get it perpendicular but not much else when I try to push it away from my body without pain. Hopefully this is also normal. :)
For anyone else reading who may be experiencing similar my consultant said all is fine and the loss of external rotation is down to ‘tethering’ between my torn tendon (supraspinatus) and others around it. Good healing As i understand it has created new tissues which have crossed across the different areas. My challenge now is to get the movement back through exercises. Good luck everyone and thanks again for the advice.
My husband had a full shoulder replacement surgery 6 days ago. Sometimes I catch him with no sling on. I make him put it on then. I’ve read a lot of things but what can I tell him about why he needs to wear the sling. What is the purpose for it other than not bumping it. I’m concerned that he could cause internal damage and not know it. He isn’t reaching or anything like that. He’s just letting it hang at times.
It is mostly to keep the shoulder from doing a sudden reaches with reflexive actions, and to protect it if he were to stumble or fall. He really should be wearing it in public (and per the doc’s orders).
I fractured the humerus on my right arm 3 weeks ago tomorrow. Most of the swelling & bruising is gone. I know it’s healing beautifully as the pain level has decreased a lot. I take off the shoulder sling when my shoulder starts feeling heavy and put it on again when the arm gets tired. I wear it when sleeping. Does discomfort indicate the need to wear the sling? I will see my orthopedic doc in a few days and am hoping to get exercises to strengthen the shoulder/arm. I’ve been doing a few I found on the internet but stop if I experience pain. In case he doesn’t give me a prescribed plan, do you have any recommendations?
Fractures ache. I would expect some level of heaviness, discomfort, or aching for at least several months. I would keep in mind also that the bone generally takes about six weeks to heal solidly. In my opinion the exercises should be held off until six weeks.
I had arthroscopy shoulder repair for full tear. i’m nearing 6 weeks in a shoulder immobilizer sling. now after the 6 weeks is up and the sling is removed do I just carry on as if it was normal like walking, sleeping, eating, getting dressed. do you just stop when you feel pain associated with certain activity. I’m kinda concerned as P/T said cant start pendulum exercises so what do you do with arm once outta sling? just keep it to the side mostly?
also forgot to mention I’m a bad dreamer when I’m asleep. well wearing the sling what and if any damage be done by trying to get out of sling well asleep. I wake up sore as if ive been trying to bust out of the sling like a straight jacket. like shrugging the shoulder n wiggling around ive been sleeping semi reclined in a recliner since day of surgery.
thanks for any comments or advice
I would wean off the sling, going cold turkey is too difficult for many people. Your shoulder is weak, so it will need to gradually support weight as it strengthens. When you are out of the sling you should try to practice having it move naturally, and with a slight swing while walking. I don’t know the specifics of your protocol so please run this by your doc or PT as well.
ok now how about this , well wearing the sling what and if any damage be done by trying to get out of sling well asleep. I wake up sore as if ive been trying to bust out of the sling like a straight jacket. like shrugging the shoulder n wiggling around ive been sleeping semi reclined in a recliner since day of surgery.
i did have a patient who once tore a RC tendon because she had a night terror and rolled herself up in her sheets. She got confused and tried to pull her arms out of the sheets. I don’t think that this would happen with a sling, but I suppose that you could irritate the shoulder if you were trying to get out of it. I would think that being out of the sling at this point while you sleep should be okay, but as always get the doc’s blessing.
You should be able to walk around outside, but that is about it in terms of activity. I would guess that you could coach, but you should rely on your assistants for any demonstrations or drills etc.. I would also run this question by the doc to be safe.
Ok i want just be outside for 2/3 hours so I didn’t know if that was going to be a problem.
Hey Doc –
I am a week out of rotator cuff surgery with a bicep tedonesis for a slap tear.
I was just fastening my immobilizer neck strap and let it slip by accident. I caught the sling with my bicep for just a second or two then managed to get my other arm under the pillow to relieve the tension. No major pain but I’m scared I messed up the surgical site. The bicep was definitely under tension with the weight of the sling on it for at least one or two seconds.
In your experience, is this something to be worried about? How much tension/pressure can you really place on the shoulder joint or bicep after these surgeries?
Thank you!
Most likely not enough stress to do anything. It usually has to be a considerable traction or jarring force. If it doesn’t hurt disproportionately you are probably fine. You can always talk to the doc about it as well.
Awesome – thanks so much for your quick answer! This thread has proven to be an amazing resource for someone just out of shoulder surgery.
Two quick follow-up questions:
– I also realized my bicep is very numb- even when I take it out of the sling. I believe this has been the case since the surgery last week. Is this is something to be concerned about or is numbness of the bicep typical of bicep tenonesis?
– All of the literature I’ve read tells me to NEVER, under any circumstances, lift my arm or flex my muscles during the first six weeks after rc surgery (+ bicep tenonesis). I’ll continue to heed this advice, but I’m only human! Sometimes instinct kicks in and you just can’t help but move your arm (even when it’s restrained inside a sling). So, in your experience, how often do patients damage or ruin their RC repairs due to movement after surgery, and how often do they encounter “minor setbacks” as a result of such movements?
Thank you again for your help and insight- they’re truly appreciated.
Damaged RC repairs are actually rare. The minor set backs however are way more common.
I have heard of the biceps numbness in the fashion that you described. The numbness sometimes is superficial because of a small sensory nerve that is cut just under the skin. If it is a deeper numbness I would at least let the doc know about it.
I had surgery 8/10. The plan was capsular release and bursectomy. In the recovery room I was informed that the capsular release was not done because the capsule looked good, however, it was discovered I had a large focal defect to the humeral head. The doctor did the bursectomy and I am to follow up in the office on 8/17 to discuss treatment options. The pain and range of motion in my arm is exactly as it was before surgery (which is a total disappointment). I find that the aching is far worse in the sling. Do I need to wear it 24/7 even though I did not have the capsular release only the bursectomy?
Based on what you said I would think that the sling is less necessary. The doc may have a rationale however, so I would be sure to run it by him or her when you meet up. The apin by the way will probably not change for a while because of the inflammation caused by the surgery.
Thank you.. I had a bicep tenodesis and mumford procedure last year for a bicep tear and impingement, part of the aching in the sling is that bicep asking to be stretched. I will run everything by the ortho tomorrow and hopefully be emancipated from the sling for good.
i fractured my scapula in a road bike crash. the doctor didn’t recommend surgery and said one month in a sling. after 5-6 days the sling and all parts of my collarbone and arm in contact with it/supporting its weight became so painful that the only relief was to remove it. any subsequent attempt to put it back on was met with intense pain within 20min of wearing, and now i have intense pain across my collarbone at the contact points where the sling met the collar, feels very pinched at collarbone near sternum and collarbone near shoulder. as days go by since i stopped with the sling this pain lessens but only slightly. i stay in the house and am mostly laying in bed or sitting still and i keep the shoulder immobilized with a scarf tied around the bicep and torso (fitted, not tight) and sleep on my back with the affected arm on a pillow. i don’t use the affected arm for any task and am very conscious of resting, eating very well, keeping shoulder immobile, and staying very hydrated. i never had much pain in the fractured area and still experience almost none apart from soreness and fatigue in the muscles surrounding it. should i be alright this way? any help appreciated as i’m living quite remotely in the mountains in italy, so receiving care is quite tricky. also, any hints for how long off the road for an injury of this type? thank you for any help/guidance you can provide!
You know that I am not supposed to give you any advice that is against that of your doctor, but, you probably would be fine with your current set-up. The sling is really there to protect the arm if you were to fall. If you are more comfortable out of the sling and are very careful about things you will probably be fine. I would however let the doctor know what is going on with the discomfort and get permission from him to discontinue the sling.
will do and appreciate your help in this very much. cheers!
I used to have numbness in left forearm and towards the wrist in morning after waking up and it used to go away soon. But one fine day I woke up and the numbness/tingling has not gone away since. Almost 3 weeks now. Light tingling and numbness continues through the day in the forearm towards the wrist. I have noticed it increases when I sleep on the left side. What is the correct posture to sleep because I have seen lying on the back through out the night is impossible for me and gives lower back pain?
Please tell correct posture for sleeping on side.
I have got done physiotherapy-IFT for 2 weeks. It greatly improved the situation. But after leaving it and again sleeping on side the problem is back.
The answer to your question depends on where the nerve is getting pinched. Based on what you said it could be at the level of the elbow, wrist, shoulder, or neck. I would have your PT give you an opinion on that and make recommendations for sleeping posture.
I’ve had surgical repair of my shoulder two weeks ago (circumferential (360°) labrum tear with SLAP II (repaired with pushLock anchors), GLAD lesion, partial supraspinatus tear type Ellmann II-III, biceps tenodesis and a tear in my infraspinatus repaired). Despite the extensive surgical repair, I seem to have much less pain and limitation than “normal”. I am a very active person, good muscular conditions. Because I had much more pain and swelling when wearing the immobilizer, my doc allowed me to go without it after one day. Since then, we basically agreed that I am allowed to do whatever feels ok – i.e. no pain or uncomfortable. I’ve had 3-4 days with lots of pain, in particular at night, but since then it has improved so fast that it seems scary. I can actively lift my arm almost all the way up (to my ears), I can drive a bike, sleep on my repaired shoulder and do basically every normal daily activity. I am not allowed to lift weight or move my arm against resistance. It feels fine, really. It is just so not the way it normally is – my physician and my PT are very surprised as well and a bit unsure about how much they can allow me to do (e.g. that I do not support my whole weight on my injured arm – which I must avoid consciously since it does not hurt anymore). Now, have you ever had such a case? Might I have such little restriction because it was not properly repaired or I’ve already somehow damaged the repaired structures? It just seems to good to be true.
I would not lift my arm up like that, even if it feels okay. In my opinion it is too early to put that type of force on the anchors and the biceps tendon. Remember the six week rule of anchor healing. Some people do fall into the trap of having no pain and pushing the active / resistive component too quickly.
You are going to be bored and perhaps frustrated, but the timeline here should be passive ranges only for the first 4 weeks. For the amount of work you had done I would typically extend that to 5-6 weeks. I don’t think that you have re-injured anything.
Ok, thank you for your opinion! I’ll try to be patient and sit on my stationary bike for another three weeks. Definitely bored, I miss my weightlifting and gymnastics training a lot, but obviously, there is no point in pushing too much. Hopefully the ROM does not decline in the next three weeks.
I would always do the conservative management first. You very well may be able to strengthen the shoulder so that pain is not an issue in the long-term. I do also think that whenever an ortho recommends surgery, a second opinion is worth it.
Would you recommend going to another orthopedic surgeon odor a second opinion or some other doctor?
I always think that a second opinion is a good idea.
Hiya doc i trapped my never in my should about to weeks ago and I’ve had pins and needles in my finger tips since what can it be or what can I do i stuffed with Agoraphobia and the Doctors revised to come out and see me
I am not 100% sure exactly what you mean Ellena. From what I can gather, one or more of your nerves have been stressed from the shoulder injury. I would avoid sustained bent positions of your elbow and shoulder until you see the doc about this. I would also avoid sleeping on that side.
Hi Dan,
this is awesome to have found this forum! and a current one!!!
I had rotator cuff and bicep tendon repair on Oct 19th. Started pendulums 2 days out and PT 2 weeks out.
this is 2nd time ive had this type of surgery, last time left shoulder 2010 this time right.
Therapist said all is going well. Sling comes off in 3 days but i’m leaving it off at home as much as possible now. i’ve been sleeping in bed sitting up with sling but trying to sleep without it on my side with pillow between my arm and hip, but its hard and ive been ending up in the recliner. feeling pretty sleep deprived! My body is really trying to build up scar tissue! Pt hasnt been fun. its really painful when he stretches the arm. I’m taking oxycodone/acetaminaphine. I cant take ibuprophen etc.. i have one kidney so for headaches etc i take Naproxen, which does nothing for the shoulder pain. trying to get off off the pain meds asap but right now i kinda need then :( i’m doing home excersises and pulley. i’ll be leaving on a trip for 17 days Dec 2nd. my Therapist is giving me things to do while im gone but im really concerned . any specific excersises you can recommend for this time? ill be starting pt again when i get back. it will be about week 9. So appreciate your time! typing left handed so sorry for the puntuation errors lol
Thank you!
I do really like the table sliding exercise as shown in our exercise link (I believe that it is shoulder exercise #14). It can start out passive (using the other hand to assist) and you can work your way up to more of an active component of moving the arm. By the time you are on vacation you should be progressing to a more active exercise. I would run this by the PT to make sure that this would be okay.
Hi Dan,
I had RC shoulder surgery on 10/26/17. This is my second surgery on my right shoulder. I had 3 torn rotator cuffs and after the first surgery, 2 of them re-tore, thus leading to the second surgery. I know the forum is based on sling duration but I wanted to pose another question if possible.
On Thanksgiving day (11/23/17), 4 weeks post surgery, I experienced a very bad fall and fell on the right side of my body. Ever since then I have been experiencing back pain and what I believe to be pain in the back of my shoulder. Since then I have been icing the back of my shoulder and taking ibuprofen and my prescription Percocet. I fell wearing my sling and I don’t believe I hit my shoulder but I definitely know I fell on my back and rear. Again, the impact was on my right side of my body which is the side I had surgery on.
I am going to call my doctor’s office tomorrow to schedule an appointment. My question is, after 4 weeks post surgery are the tendons securely intact? Could a tendon re-tear without necessarily moving the arm? I am really hoping that everything is okay. Also, if something happened to my shoulder would the pain be unbearable?
I realize every case is different but just want to get your opinion. I fell with the sling on and as far as I remember my arm did not move. If it wasn’t for the sling I’m sure I would have involuntarily moved my arm due to the nature of the fall.
Thank you!
It wil typically take six (6) weeks for anchors to fully heal into place. The fall is within that window, but since you were wearing the sling my guess is that this saved your shoulder. If you flailed your arm or otherwise grabbed on to something with the effected arm I would think it much more likely that you re-tore something.
You are certainly going to be achy for some time, probably a few months. I do think that it is a good idea that you are seeing the doc this week.
Dan,
As I’m sure you read regularly – it is great to have this forum up with new info on shoulder trauma. I am at week four (on Wed., 12/6/17) of a non displaced fracture of the surgical neck of the humerus extending into the greater tuberosity where there is comminution and mild displacement.
I had x-rays at day 1, week 1, and week 2. Next x-rays at week 6 (12/19/17). No surgery advised at this time (yay!).
Questions are: Would it seem logical that, if 12/19 x-rays show positive result, immobilizer could come off? Just wondering if I will get to potentially celebrate Xmas immobilizer free, and be able to drive. And, as an avid half-marathoner runner, when may I be able to get the running shoes back on and participate in racing this distance again?
Best,
Jessica
The typical window for boney healing is 5-6 weeks. If you have osteopenia or some other complication this could feasibly take longer. Given your fitness level I would fully expect for the next x-ray to show full healing. At this point, the doc should recommend discontinued usage of the immobilizer.
In terms of the running, that will probably need to be a slow return to mileage. If it were me, I would start with treadmill work a few weeks after you are out of the immobilizer (and with the doctor’s blessing). Good luck!
I had a slap tear due to an auto accident, the accident was end of august but the surgury not till Otober. I was very sore but not in pain, started PT and then tokl 2 weeks off from being really busy at work. I had much discomfort laying on my side. 2 weeks ago I laid on my side and heard a loud pop. i dont feel any different from before that. but should I go back to doctor.
If it was not followed by pain it was probably just either your shoulder joint adjusting or some scar tissue breaking. To be safe it is always a good idea to let the doc know what is going on.
I have been having right shoulder and arm pain for the last 4-5 months, not so bad at first but slowly getting worse. I have had daily pain. daily (2-3 x/day) Ibuprofin has helped, but not no much any more. About one month ago I was finally diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff via an MRI. Physical therapy for 2 months (starting late November 2017) did not help; a subdural injection from q pain specialist in the 5-6 cervical disc area did not help (I also have compressed nerves in the 5-6 area), and a cortisone injection from my surgeon did not help. So we decided I needed to have surgery. I have been putting it off for a while because my boss at work had prostate cancer surgery and won’t be back until at least Feb. 19. I am getting questions from our church Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) (I am a church secretary) and need some answers and/or advice. My surgeon said I could return to work after 2 weeks, but now the SPRC wants to know what kind of sling I will be in – a standard sling or one that will hold my arm away from my body, making computer usage virtually impossible. (It’s funny – I didn’t know we had doctors on that committee!) What advice/information can you give me? Thank you so much for this blog, it has been very informative and helpful thus far.
My guess is that it would be a sling that keeps the hand relatively close to the body, perhaps with a small cushion between the arm and body. In any case, most people are able to do some computer work after 2 weeks as you are in a relatively safe position with your arm. You might even be able to get permission to remove the sling while working after two weeks.
I would also keep in mind the the keyboard and mouse need to be close to you. It is not a great idea to reach half way across your desk, especially after RC surgery. Good luck!
hi
i had a slap repair surgery on my (left) hand about 3 month ago and my shoulder is functioning very well
, i have mostly prevented my self from sleeping on the left side this 3 month ( maybe i had slept on it 2 or 3 times just to test it for a few seconds) , this morning before i wake up i turned on the left side and i heard a kind of a very very light clicking sound without any pain , do u thing it is the slap ?
i think i should mention that i always have this sounds and clickings ( even very very harder and more audible ) on the right shoulder when moving it and also when sleeping on it and since there is no pain i dont consider it harmful or bad.
thanks for reading my cm
If it is just a clicking noise I think that you have very little to worry about. The rotator cuff tendons have a tendency to do that when you change position. If this clicking hurts I would definitely talk to the MD about it.
I had a SLAP repair just over 4 weeks ago and managed the incredible pain with mostly ice and low order painkillers after the first week. I was told physic would see me after 4 weeks to see if the sling could come off. I have worn it very day , 24 hours barring a few mins to get washed and dressed.
The physio I saw last week has removed the sling completely and given me a whole range of exercises including pushing my arm out to the side with aid of a stick. However I am in much more pain than before now, mostly I think from being immobile for a few weeks but I am concerned about the cold turkey approach to removing it and am wondering if I should have been weaned out of it instead.
I am not seeing the surgeon for another 3 weeks and am worried about doing more damage. I had 3 anchors inserted to restore the bicep muscle and stabilise the shoulder. Do you think I should be doing this pushing out with a stick to try and hit 90 degrees so soon or should I be leaning back to the sling for a bit. I am eating the strong painkillers again :(
I think that your pain provides the answer. I would pare down the exercises a bit. See if you and the PT can find a few ways to accomplish a similar stretch without causing as much pain. I have found that sitting at a table and doubling the good hand over the surgery side hand and doing gentle assisted range of motion (maybe with a towel under your hand to lessen the friction) is a bit more tolerable. We have it in our media tab on the website. Feel free to check it out and ask your PT if this is doable.
I broke my scapula in a bicycle accident three days ago, and it will be two more days before I can see a doctor. At the ER, they gave me a sling, which I have been wearing during the day. But it I’m finding that having my arm raised all the time is causing spasms in my bicep. Do you think it is OK to not wear the sling at home, as long as I keep my arm at my side? It doesn’t hurt at all to use my elbow or wrist, or to rotate my humerus (in order to type for example). The break is in the main body of the scapula, not in any of the “complicated” areas like the acromion or coracoid processes, etc. Thanks for your help!
Ugh. Those types of fractures are quite rare. Theoretically you should be able to hang around the house without having to wear the sling as long as the arm is comfortably by your side. I would be careful sitting in chairs that have a rigid back (like maybe dining room chairs) as they might dig into the scapula. I would definitely wear the sling when you are out and about. As always, the doctor’s orders trump everything!
Hi,
Had right side proximal biceps tendon surgery Aug 20/18. Sling used at all times except shower. Pain has been very minimal if at all, until last night after attempting to lay in bed vs. recliner. My shoulder let me know this was not going to work with immediate discomfort, so I went back to the reclined position immediately.
Although I had my sling on and did not move my shoulder voluntarily, I experienced pain all night, and feared damage. The pain is gone now (next morning).
I have been using my right hand for simple tasks (no pressure actions just simple) but always careful. Sling always on.
Have I simply over exerted?
Most people cannot tolerate the fully supine sleeping position for some time after this type of surgery. I highly doubt that you messed anything up form what you explained. I would stick with the recliner for a while and slowly pitch the angle back.
Hello,
First thank you for this site. Shoulder surgery is no picnic, so having a forum like this is very helpful.
That said, I had surgery two weeks ago to repair a full thickness tear to the supraspinatus tendon—with anchors, and to fix a labral tear with the biceps tendon partially torn as well.
After 8 days my doctor told me that I more or less only have to wear the sling when outside. So I have inevitably been doing small movements with the shoulder at home, especially trying to get to sleep, and once I reflexively move the arm out a little to catch my falling iPad. The shoulder as well as the bicep has been a little more sore. But today I did something that worried me a bit more. Getting into bed I lost my balance a bit and ended up first putting my good arm out onto the bed to balance myself, and as my body weight shifted the other way, I the ended up reflexively using my bad arm to stop myself from falling over…which I immediately did anyway (just onto the bed) as that arm gave out with the pain. So I definitely put some of my body weight on it but not all of it obviously. I hurt quite a bit in the moment that I did it. But it seems to be back to being at the same level of soreness, maybe a little more, as before—nothing excruciating. Just wondering, like so many people here, how much I have to be worried that I’ve compromised the good work of my surgeon?
Thank You!
I would get that sling back on and see the doc about this. From what you described it sounds like you didn’t mess anything up terribly, but better to be safe about this. Remember that the anchors don’t fully heal into place until about 5-6 weeks.