Rotator cuff repairs, shoulder labral repairs, acromioplasty, humeral fractures, and other shoulder surgeries inevitably require the usage of a shoulder sling as a means of protecting the surgeon’s work and allowing early healing of the involved tissue. I have yet to meet a surgeon who does not prescribe the usage of a shoulder sling immediately following a shoulder surgery.
A shoulder sling will protect the involved arm from sudden jarring motions that the patient might consciously or unconsciously attempt to perform. For example, if a patient momentarily loses his or her balance while walking or while ascending stairs, using the post-surgical shoulder to grab a bannister can easily ruin the surgery.
I have also spoken with patients who have damaged shoulder surgeries during sleep. Although this may at first sound implausible, some people will actually damage a rotator cuff repair as the result of flailing the involved arm during a bad dream. (Pain medication will at times lead to “animated” dreams.) Rolling on to the involved shoulder during sleep will also place undo stress on a surgical recovery.
For these reasons it is a good idea to wear a prescribed sling during the early phases of healing a rehabilitation.
Shoulder sling immobilization comes at a cost
Slings have the potential to pitch the shoulder into an unnatural forward position. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments tend to accommodate to the position that they are placed in, even if they are forced into a position for relatively short periods of time. A forward position of the shoulder tightens the pectoral muscles, tips the shoulder blade into an awkward position, and increases stress on the rotator cuff tendons and ligaments with movements of the arm.
The shoulder also needs to experience the normal, rhythmic swinging movements associated with walking. When we halt this motion for too long, the spine and even the legs can be affected by this forced asymmetry in our motion.
As disturbing as this may seem, wearing a shoulder sling for too long will inevitably place stress on the very structures the sling was initially meant to protect.
Practical tips in regards to shoulder sling usage
1. Ask your doctor what his or her specific protocol is for wearing a shoulder sling. You should also ask your doctor when is the earliest time possible to begin scaling down the amount of time spent in your sling. Do not go against your physician’s orders! I have found, however, that too many patients simply never find out the appropriate time frames and end up wearing the sling for too long.
2. Try to spend some time out of your sling every day in a controlled environment free of obstacles or potential hazards. Allow your shoulder to rest in as normal a position as possible. Use the position of your non-surgical arm as a reference.
3. Realize that there is a psychological hurdle that you must get over in regards to using your arm again. A sling represents protection: It is easy to fall into the trap of wearing it for too long because of the fear of painful and restricted motion.
4. Work on strengthening the muscles that have become weakened from sling usage as soon as your doctor and physical therapist permit such. It is also a good idea to encourage limited and comfortable swinging of the arm with walking. Lying flat on the floor with your shoulders relaxed and your hands folded on your stomach is a great way to gently and passively stretch your chest, spine, and shoulders into a more ideal position.
5. It is not a good idea to stop using your sling “cold turkey.” Gradually wean yourself off the sling. Some people find that removing the sling at home and at the office is a good place to start. The last days of wearing your sling should involve only wearing it in crowds and in public.
6. It is very common to experience neck pain as the result of wearing a sling, even if only for a few weeks. If you are experiencing neck pain, discuss it with your doctor or physical therapist in order to have it addressed.
Note: Comments for this post are closed. To leave a question regarding a shoulder issue, please visit one of our other shoulder blog posts and leave your question there in the comments section.
Bill
My guess is that you will be able to use your fingers to manipulate small objects. I would ask the doctor though, as there are several types of shoulder replacements, some of which may require a higher level of protection than others.
Your doctor will provide you with a sling post-operatively.
Dan
have a bulging disc on left side of neck. I have had 3 shoulder surgeries for torn rotator and tore long bicep off shoulder. guess my question is could this bulging disc be the effects of wearing sling. started bothering me between 2nd and 3rd surgery.
Well, at the very least the sling is not helping the disc, especially if you had been wearing the sling for extended periods of time.
yes first surgery july 2015 sling for bout 10 week 2nd surgery march 2016 bout 10 weeks in a sling, had a mri nov 2016 nothing said then after complained bout it the third surgery was july 2017 bout 10 weeks in sling neck really started hurting in october left side went to see doctor jan 18 this year that’s when i found out bout bulging disc. that’s why i asked if sling could cause this.
Hi Dan,
Thanks for writing that article–I only wish I had read it before I had shoulder surgery (labral tear) in 2010! I was done with the sling about about six or seven weeks post op (I think?)- and mind you, I was probably guarding my shoulder for a long time pre op)- but as a result, I have felt increasingly less physically stable (core strength, posture, etc.). I have chronic low back pain and have strained both my hamstring and my quad this year.
I had always been athletic– running, boxing, climbing, weight training, etc. About six or seven months post op I decided to try dance classes. Dance is my passion; I find it to be a powerful opportunity for self-expression, to say the least.
I’ve tried taking breaks from physical activity, I’ve tried engaging in strengthening exercises and physical activities; I’ve tried stretching, and not stretching, and so forth. When I walk or even stand, I have to think to myself, ‘ok, tighten transversus, tighten rest of abs–not too much-then, shoulders relaxed (this one is impossible for me, and something I so desperately want to improve), bend in the knees, etc. — I feel crazy.
I often find myself frustrated with how hard I have to think to try to stand and walk, let alone dance.
I was wondering if you have any advice for someone who unfortunately missed your very meaningful advice the first time around (ie- I wish I hadn’t been in the sling as long). Thanks for your time.
L
Lauren:
If something up the chain is “off”, it certainly can have an effect elsewhere. It is entirely possible that your lower back issues are the result of a shoulder blade that is carried off to the side or from a learned firing patterns of muscles in your upper back from the surgery.
I would go and find a good PT or osteopath who works with chronic postural and spinal issues. Ask around, and ask several different sources.
Dan
I’m having a right total shoulder replacement at age 33 in a few weeks. I know I’m pretty young for that to be necessary, but unfortunately it’s my only option at this point.
I’ve had three previous shoulder surgeries (one on the left shoulder and two on my right shoulder) as a result of a misspent youth playing goalie for my high school soccer team. As an aside, coaches are probably a lot smarter about training than they were in the mid-to-late 90s, as my coach did my dive training on concrete so grass would be easy…he also professed the “shoulders, hips, shins…body as domino” dive technique to “protect internal organs.” Coach also threw 10-lb medicine balls at various angles from about 2 feet away, forcing reach in very awkward directions to prepare for various types of shots on goal. My shoulders both dislocated quite frequently, and I’d let my coach pop them back in place and keep playing. All that to say…my shoulders have both had a lot of trauma even though I am quite young.
In my right shoulder, I have a torn infraspinatus, torn supraspinatus, several labral tears, no cartilage, lots of bone-on-bone grinding, severe scapular winging, a 2mm bone fragment pressing my brachial plexus, and what my surgeon is calling “end-stage arthritis.”
1. For recovery, what’s my best sleeping option? I’ve been sleeping in a recliner for the past five months because I can’t get comfortable in my bed, but my lower back is starting to be stiff and sore in the mornings, along with my left knee. I don’t want to cause problems elsewhere, but I also want to take care of my shoulders.
2. Compared to rehab I’ve had for previous arthroscopic surgeries to repair tears in my labrum and clean up the joint space, what will recovery look like in terms of pain, time, degree of difficulty, etc.?
Thanks,
Christi
Christi
Agreed, you certainly are very young to be having this surgery. Your soccer training story scared the hell out of me by the way.
I would say that the best sleeping option would be to place a soft pillow under your elbow and draped on to your stomach, like the photo in the shoulder sleeping comfort article. Play with the level of reclining, you may be able to be almost flat on your back. Let pain be the guide. The more horizontal your body, the better it will be for the lower back and other joints.
In terms of recovery, you are kind of unique. I would guess that it will take at least 4-6 months to get to the point of minimal discomfort and returned function. You do need to realize though that the prosthetic used in total shoulder replacements simply are not designed to allow unfettered motion of the shoulder. Your shoulder will likely never move to the same degree as the non-surgical side does. You are going to have to be super patient about this. Follow your doctor’s post-op protocols and work with a good PT.
I had a slap tear surgery, and I was on a sling for four weeks. Today is my second day without the sling and my shoulder is killing me… I can’t walk without experiencing some kind of pain. I don’t know if I’m breaking through scar tissue, or if I’m damaging my surgery…. I am in more pain than when I first had the surgery, is this normal at all?
It is normal to have pain, but if the shoulder is killing you I would temporarily put the sling back on and tell the doctor what you just posted.
Hi,
I had a arthoscopic labaral repair and in 2 weeks after i had of my ligment repaired i have tooken off my sling a couple times during my sleep or going to school. I bearly do any exercise or sports and i was told by my doctor it was a small tear. I just wanted to ask if It was okay to have the sling off even though i dont move my shoulder or arm around as much? When I do move my shoulder or arm it doesnt cause any pain. When I first took my sling off it was a bit sore but after that it doesnt hurt much.
Hazey you should stick to your doctor’s recommendations particularly for the first month. The anchor that the doctor used to secure your labrum into place needs a good 4-6 weeks to heal into place. The sling is a necessary evil for this reason. A sudden forceful movement of the arm could jar it loose.
If you are sitting quietly it would probably be fine to take your sling off, but you really need to wear it when you sleep and when you are moving around. But if the doctor tells you to wear it at all times, then that is what you should do.
I’m scheduled to have my 3rd shoulder scope surgery in 14 months. I’ve been told that I have a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff tears. But I’ve been in horrible agony for the past 3 months and nothing’s worked for me so far. What should I expect with a possible rotator cuff repair? Here’s what sucks, I can’t stomach pain killers at all and I don’t want another block since the 1st 2 caused me more problems.
That does not sound like fun Janae. If the surgeon is going to repair both issues at the same time, the rehab will probably be at least six months, maybe longer. Try to figure out with the doc if there is any other option in terms of pain control during the early phases.
You basically cannot move your arm actively for at least the first four to six weeks after rotator cuff surgery. Strengthening usually does not begin until 10-12 weeks after the surgery. Be patient. Stick to the doctor and the PT’s protocols even if they bore you to death.
Hi There,
I am 7 days post op from a arthroscopic shoulder repair for dislocation which included a remplissage procedure. I was told I have 5 anchors in place now in my shoulder. Last night perhaps due to painkillers as you mentioned in an earlier post I had a dream that caused swat at my ear thinking there was a spider and I did so of course with my repaired arm. I was wearing a sling at the time but it was certainly a fast jerk type response and woke me straight away with sharp pain. My shoulder didn’t move very far at all, the arm wasn’t flailing around and i’d say most of the motion was from my elbow down but I’m concerned now about the potential of having done damage to the repair. The pain went away immediately after the incident but I wonder if I need to be concerned or wonder what symptoms would be reason to consult my doctor on this and what potential next steps would be considered if any.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts..
Jason it does not sound like you placed enough torque to jar those anchors loose. What I would expect is for the shoulder to be very sore for a while. If you did tear an anchor it would likely be manifested with sharp, unrelenting pain.
I would ice it a bit and take it easy. Let your PT and / or doctor know what is going on.
Thanks Dan,
I appreciate you taking the time to get back to me, very kind of you. I’m not having any sharp unrelenting pain so I guess I’m in the clear. Due to my procedure I’m not due to begin any PT for a full month so I have a few weeks to go in the sling. If you have a suggestion of someone in NYC I should see for PT I would certainly try to follow up with them. I am an avid ww kayaker and want to have the most successful return to paddling I can so I plan to take my PT very seriously..
Thanks Again,
Jason
I had a rotator cuff arthroscopic surgery to take care of a slap, rotator tear and removing a 14mm cyst. I am now 9 days post op and feel incredible. The cyst was causing nerve damage and not firing the 2 muscles in my back adjacent to my shoulder. I get little pins and needles feelings in those muscle right now and have so much pain free range of motion in my shoulder that I am worried I am going to mess up what’s been done. I was a pretty heavy weight lifter, but have been out of the gym for almost a year due to job responsibilities. Should I be worried when I take my sling off and have a wide range of motion w/o pain that I am going to damage all the good that has been done? I don’t see my Dr. for another week and was told I would be in the sling for six weeks, but at this point I almost see no reason in wearing it… Any input is appreciated and I think it’s great that you take time out of your schedule to respond to people in here! Thanks in advance!
Wear the sling in public and when you sleep (at least). You don’t need people bumping in to you and some people do thrash a bit when sleeping. Remember Jeremy that it takes a good 4-6 weeks for the anchors to heal down in to the tissue, so even though you feel a good amount of relief there is risk involved with active motions early on. Better to be safe than sorry! Stick to the MD’s protocols.
I’m a little past 3 weeks post op for rotator cuff repair and go in for my next follow up on Monday. I’ve been in my sling the entire time and I’m looking forward to the day PT starts, I’m getting antsy being confined!!!
We have a family vacation planned for mid Aug to a beach resort in Jamaica. In your experience, will I still need to use my sling, and what kind of limitations should I still expect?
Deanna
Deanna I do not think that you will need to be using a sling by then. Your arm may still be a bit weak, so lugging heavy suitcases should be pimped off on your significant other. Use the term “medically necessary”.
Thanks. My husband has been a gem helping me in so many ways since surgery, I’ll have to remember the “medical necessary” response for future use. LOL One other question,
I’ve been sleeping in a recliner since surgery, in your experience when is one able to return to a normal bed, normal sleeping position?
Thanks again
Hi, I just recently had surgery 4 weeks ago today to tighten the tendons/ligaments in my shoulder and woke up in the recovery room in a big, bulky sling they called an immobilizer. I have an appointment to meet up with the doctor that did my surgery in 2 weeks. When we asked how long I have to have the immobilizer on, I was told 6 weeks. I have to be in the immobilizer nonstop unless I am showering, at physical therapy, or changing my clothes. Other than that, I keep it on and don’t use it much as I can keep from. I haven’t taken my pain meds one time post-op and therapist say I am doing well on my range of motion. My question is, when I go back to the doctor in 2 weeks, will they let me out of the immobilizer completely or will they put me in a normal sling? (The padding and straps come off of the sling/immobilizer)
-Maddi
Maddi I am guessing that going off the immobilizer “cold turkey” may be a bit much, both physically and possibly psychologically. The doc might put you in a simple sling and tell you to only wear it during certain times or with certain activities. I would pick your PT’s brain about exercises to start that will help the process be less abrupt. With the docs permission, it is also a great idea to practice some walking with a bit of arm swing.
I had surgery about 2 weeks ago on my labrum. I had a 2-10 a clock tear and 7 anchors to repair it. Just recently my school was having a challenge on how fast we could throw a football. So I did it but not with the arm I had surgery with, I did it with my good arm. I had a slight pain in the one I had surgery on though. Then It disappeared. I don’t think I did anything to the point to where my anchor broke. But if I did would I be able to feel it? And also would it just be cause I’m not used to that range in motion?
IF you dislodged an anchor it will typically cause notable, persistent pain. You probably didn’t damage it, but I would stay away from anything that requires quick or forceful motions for a god month. As always, it doesn’t hurt to check with the doc if you are concerned.
I had the labrum bankart repair but on my fourth week of being in a sling I fell over on my front I was still in my sling so I didn’t reach out but I did bang it quite forcefully do you think this could of damaged my repair to the shoulder or my course me to not fully recover?
You probably just strained it a bit. It was a good thing that you were wearing the sling! If the pain does not start to ramp down I would certainly see the doctor, at the very least let him or her know what happened.
But will stringing it damage the repair at all or just course me a bit of pain?
Probably just more pain for a period of time, but like I said it can’t hurt to run it by the doctor. He might want to see you to check it out.
Hi I had the labrum repair about 7 months ago now I still have pain in it and it is not too strong still light weights I get sharp pains in it after exercise on it an overall just dosent feel like my normal should but I really want a full recovery as I live an active life style I was wondering if there were signs to look for to help see if full recovery will happen or if there are any signs that it may not fully recover
Liam I would work gradually and carefully towards better strength in the shoulder. Once you have full strength back the pain levels should decrease to the point that it should be hardly noticeable. It may very well take several more months to get there. Be consistent with the strengthening, and as always make sure that you allow a day or so to recover between workouts.
I’m having labrum repair surgery this Monday. The pain that is usually over the top of my shoulder and down the front has also started to travel up the right side of my neck and down the back of my arm. Thanks in advance
Lance the repair should ultimately help with much of that pain, but I am wondering if the neck pain is more of a postural compensation that you are having because of the shoulder issue. Once this is all said and done, you should have your PT check your posture and spinal alignment to make sure that everything looks good.
Hi,
I had arthroscopic rotator cuff repair six weeks ago tomorrow. I had a surpraspinitus tear sewn up and a biceps tendonesis plus some cleaning up of the labrum. Recovery has been going well and I started passive PT last week, with all feeling good. Then yesterday — while wearing the sling — I reflexively pulled my operative arm back after touching something burning hot. It was definitely a jerking motion and I have been sore since then. I’m heartsick to think I might have re-torn something or dislodged anchors. I am feeling a bit of burning sensation. I have another PT appointment tomorrow. Should I lay off for a bit? Please tell me it just needs a little rest and some ice . . .
Thanks.
Tell the PT what happened. At six weeks that repairs are probably fine. The most likely scenario is that you inflamed the tissue a bit from the sudden motion. I would take it easy for a few more days and if it is not getting better I would talk to the doc about it.
I had labrum repair surgery on February 20, about 16 days ago. I had a tear from about 3 PM to 9 PM, requiring about six anchors. I took two weeks off work, meaning I didn’t go into the office, however I did work from home on my laptop. By day 12 post-op, I took the sling off only when I was lying propped up in bed on the computer. By 14 days post-op, I’ve been keeping it off pretty much all the time because I can’t stand it and it gives me a rash and hurts my neck. I mostly try not to use my right arm, but have accidentally done so a few times causing some pretty jarring pain, but it usually goes away within 10 minutes. I went in 10 days postop and surgeon said I did not have to wear the sling all the time but that I should wear it “walking around and when standing” to support the shoulder, and that I only needed to use it for about two more weeks. The shoulder feels fine if I just keep my hand in a hoodie pocket and don’t use it. My question is how do I know if I’ve re-injured it? For example, my elbow hit the knob in the shower making the water really hot, and by instinct I shot out my right arm to turn it down and then felt like it was going to fall off. It throbbed for about an hour after that but got better after I iced it. I’ve done something similar a few times since then, causing acute pain that usually went away within the hour. I can’t reach behind me at all, or have my arm reach out to the side, but sometimes I forget and then my shoulder reminds me. Am I causing damage? Should I suck up the rash and the neck pain and just wear the sling?
Usually when an anchor has pulled, there is disproportionate pain that is constant in nature. They things that you described do not sound like they would dislodge an anchor, although it certainly can increase the overall inflammation of the shoulder.
If the doc said that it is okay to ditch the sling, then it is up to you. If you feel that wearing the sling prevents sudden movements of the arm then it might be of use to you.
Hello. I had labrum surgery on my left shoulder, 4 anchors. At 2 weeks post op i fell with my sling on. I know im being paranoid thinking i have damaged something. I didnt have any pain when i fell and i still dont have any pain from the fall. I guess my question is, if i were to have damaged my surgery wouldnt i be in a pretty good amount of pain? I wouldnt think i could wreck the surgery without having a intense amount of pain. thanks and sorry for the paranomia,
You would most likely be in a lot of pain. Don’t sweat it. Good thing that you were wearing your sling.
You could always go and ask the doc about it if this is indeed driving you crazy.
I had a bicep tenodesis seven days ago. I have a sling to wear. I was scheduled to go back to the dr 5-7 days after surgery but it turns out he is on vacation and I won’t see him until 15 days after surgery. Do I need to stay in a sling until the first visit or can I ween off of it sooner.
I would wear the sling until you see him. Most docs will usually have the patient wear the sling for longer than one week anyways.
The dr at urgent care thinks that I tore my rotator cuff and put me in a sling. He doesn’t want to order a MRI unless it doesn’t get better within 3-5 days. How long would you suggest I continue to wear my sling for? Also, I’m wearing it to bed, is that ok?
Thank you,
Laila
It should be OK to wear to bed. The length of wearing the sling depends on what the doc says, but I would say at a good week.
Four weeks ago, I had pretty extensive arthroscopic surgery to repair full thickness tears of the supraspinatus and subscapularis tendons, a partial thickness tear of the infraspinatus tendon and a tear of the anterior superior labrum. Many anchors were used during surgery. From Day 1 after surgery, my biggest problem has been sleeping. Naturally, I’ve been sleeping with the sling on, mostly in a recliner. I only seem to have been able to sleep for short periods, waking up in pain or discomfort. I roam the house throughout the night trying my bed, couch, other chairs…to no avail. It’s been a month of sporadic sleep of 4 to 6 hours a night. Today I was allowed to remove the sling all together – this coinciding with my first day of PT which was only compiling info and previewing my therapy plan. My therapist had some thoughts on sleeping, suggesting sleeping in bed with a body pillow to support the injured shoulder or continuing in the recliner keeping my arm hanging at my side as best as possible. I am sending this to you at 2;30 AM, so obviously none of the suggestions are working. It is even more painful than trying to sleep in the sling. Any suggestion? Should I go back to the sling just to sleep, as my arm feels more secure sleeping in it, even though the strong pulling on the neck is uncomfortable? HELP!
Bob you certainly had a lot of work done, and it does sound as if you have been doing the right things in terms of positioning.
Some people can get over this initial distress of disrupted sleep through pharmaceuticals. This falls entirely in to the realm of your doctor. I would talk to him or her and see if you can have something prescribed to help you sleep more comfortably.
Lol I feel you same on this end its been a week & 1/2 for me
I’m a 77 year old with torn rotator cuff who wants to continue playing golf. If I have surgery, wear the sling and have p.t.; or, dont have surgery, wear the sling, for the same length of time and have p.t. what is your guess as to he outcomes after, say three months?
Ren the last person that I saw who was your age took a year to get a decent recovery from RC surgery. She did not get back full active range, but certainly enough range to swing a golf club.
I would opt for the PT first to see what type of outcome you get. You may recover enough to be able to play some golf. It does depend on how much of the rotator cuff is intact. If you do PT alone I would assess your range after about 2-3 months and see what kind of range and strength you have.
I fractured my humerus in 3 places at the top 22 days ago, two follow up xrays show it is healing very, very well. My concern is it feels better out of the sling and i have a constant desire every 20 secs to move my lower arm or rotate my arm to relieve the stiffness, I dont want to wreck things by going too early as I am 49 as its still brused and its my right arm.
I have been walking and putting the fins on and doing a 1km or so in the pool with the spare sling on , water feels so nice and supportive.
Peter be careful with doing too much movement, clear it with your doc. It does normally take a good six weeks to get full boney healing.
It does sound like things are going well!
Hi.Had arthoscopy on rt shoulder last Wed to repair tear and remove bone. No probs w/surgery. Was home about 10 hours when I got up and fainted. Stayed I’m Hosp for 36 hours..
Dr said I fainted due to.extreme pain. No cardiac issues. Etc. I’vre been home for 4 days. I have developed a very bad friction rash under my surgical arm (in arm pit area), as well as on my torso, under my breasts. Is this heat rash or From combo of wearing this sling and heat rash. Been taking oxy 5/325 (2) every 4 hours. I temp stopped in case it was a reaction to the oxys. I have taken my arm out of sling while sitting and watching TV to air my skin out a bit. Having issues sleeping w/ it on,as it is not comfortable. My Dr apt is on Fri, 1+ 1/2/days from now. I’m guessing I should put the sling back on after a couple hours, since it’s been just 7 days since the surgery. Tear was 5 cm. So not big. Any thoughts? Thankyou
Sorry to hear about that Tracey. A small percentage of people do tend to get rashes from the sling and / or from the constant contact of the arm against the side of the body.
Ask the doc about getting out of that sling when you are sitting quietly. If you can convince him it might be a good idea. Some docs will also allow patients to start with “pendulum” exercises early on. That might also be of use to you, but again ask him about it when you see him.
Hi I had a mini open rotator cuff repair on 17th April. I have two questions firstly is the sling I’m wearing to stop me from using the arm or sudden movements that would damage the repair rather than comfort and secondly is it ok to take my arm out the sling if I’m sitting in a chair and if so should I support it on pillows. It’s still painful enough that I’m having to take naproxen and codeine and I’m worried that I may have done something’s of the repair when taking my arm out the sling for showering.
Many thanks
Caroline
Caroline
The sling is mostly there to keep you from using your arm with sudden movements, as you may have guessed it is not used for comfort (most people hate the sling).
In terms of taking the sling off, get the docs permission. I for one would not have a problem with you out of the sling when you are sitting quietly, but it really is the doctor’s call. Pillow positioning would also help if you do in fact get out of the sling.
I had open surgery GA and nerve block on 14th March 2015.
Full thickness Supraspinitus tear, Amacromial decompression, ? bursur removal, torn bicep and repair to deltiod muscle.
Due to reaction to Morphine I was given other painkillers. Sling 24/7.
Pain was unbearable and had to return to Hospital.
Problem 6+ weeks is bicep pain on movement/exercises.
Physio exercises painful but some areas of shoulder seem to be improving, albeit slowly.
I feel as I’m experiencing pain in my bicep what’s going on ?
What is going on is that you had a huge amount of work done.
You are likely going to have a fair amount of pain for a few months to come. The thing to look at here is whether or not you are making a little bit of progress from week to week (not necessarily day to day). The biceps is likely very weak right now as is the supraspinatus. They attach to the shoulder very close to one another, so pain in that area is to be expected.
Stick to the doc’s protocol in the mean time.
Thank you for your reply.
I’m at a loss with the physiotherapists here telling me to wait and ask my Consultant on 10 June what he has done. Yes they have had a letter from him to plan my exercises but here in the UK it is not their job to say anything to enlightening the patient of their operation.
I’m afraid I must be very patient with my recovery.
Hi Oct 31,2014 I had soreness between my arm pit and my shoulder after an MRI I was first I was told I had a rotator cuff capsule sprain. I’ve been I physical therapy for the last 6 month. I still have the pain on top of new pain that’s now in my shoulder capsule and in the back of my arm. I just got an MRA the results is I have labarum and cartilage tear. Did physical therapy made my condition worse. I was using stretch bands and weights for my physical therapy. Pls help me.
I doubt that strengthening had a bad effect on the shoulder. I would however hold off on any more strengthening until the soreness calms down a bit. I would ask the doc what the next step should be. You may benefit from an injection given that PT does not appear to have helped.
I had shoulder surgery on April 23rd, will not see the doc again till next week. Can I take the surgical strips off at this point? The PA said wait till they start to come off themselves. In PT others are asking why I still have them on. This being a holiday of outdoor events I would like to remove them.
Serena the steri-strips are there to protect the scar when it is closing. I highly doubt that your scar lines are still open one month after the surgery. Docs and PA’s always say to let them fall off on their own, but sometimes the adhesive is so darn good on those things that they will stay on for way longer than they need to be there.
Having said that, I am not allowed to tell you to take off the strips because I am not your treating therapist. I would bet a dollar though that your skin is fully healed.
I had same problem,went to derm for cream ,but wrapping my arm in aTowel with ice packs really helps youll get used ti cold ,good luck
I will be 4 week post op on my shoulder surgery tomorrow. I had two tendons of the rortory cuff repaired.
As I was leaving the surgeon office I tripped going up the steps and fell on my surgery shoulder. I am unsure how much I landed on my surgery shoulder. It would be on my lower part as my arm was in the ultrasling!
I don’t have any new pain. Pain level is as it was before. Nothing feels different nor hurting more when I do my excierces.
Am I worrying for nothing or could I messed up my repair???
It was probably a very good thing that you were in the sling Ange. My guess is that you didn’t mess anything up, but you should check with the doctor regardless. I would expect there to be an increase in pain and stiffness for a while.
I had a labrum repair four weeks ago. I tried doing some movement exercises two weeks after the surgery. I am in constant mild pain and my shoulder occasionally pops. Is there any chance I might have injured my surgical repair?
It depends what you mean by “movement exercises”. If it was un-weighted gentle movement you probably just inflamed the shoulder a bit. Talk to your PT or doc about what you should be doing specifically in each phase of your rehab. Our article on labral repair does outline a protocol, but some doctors use different protocols based on what work they did.
Hi there,
Was wondering if I could have a bit of advice also please,
I had an open capsular shift 5 weeks ago today, been in an immobiliser sling since surgery and was told in hosp no physio for 6 weeks, only hand wrist exercises.
I do feel safe with my sling but my elbow and wrist is in agony, I take it out and support a cusion underneath a few times a day but as soon as I bend my elbow again I feel like my whole arm hurts. Is this normal wearing an immobiliser or has something not went quite right?
I see my constant for the first time since surgery I n Friday and I am going to ask if I can have the sling off and physio early, I also have an important event I am going to in 10 days, if I did get the all clear to come out the sling on Friday, would it be ok to go out in public without the sling or is there a longer period that you are supposed to weane yourself off it?
Thanks for reading and any help would be greatly appreciated.
Amanda
The elbow and wrist pain is an unfortunate consequence of wearing that sling. I would bother the doc about getting rid of the sling early. The total amount of time in the sling is really up to the doc and depends on what his or her protocol is.
I would also ween off the sling when you get the okay to do so (maybe over several days). You can try walking short distances without the sling, but if the shoulder gets sore I would still wear it for longer bouts of walking.
Hi Dan,
Had my first physiotherapy appointment today and not much to be said. Just to remind you I had a paralabral cyst removed and a anterior labrum repair (3 anchors).
I have a few questions, when it says on websites or papers provided for post op labrum rapier patients that you can’t do certain things until however many weeks post op, for instance, it says that at 12 weeks you will be able to lift your arm overhead, my question is, is this a “you shouldn’t lift your arm above shoulder height because it could damage the rapair or you won’t be able to until around 12 weeks? Basically, is it that shouldn’t be doing it or I won’t be able to do it due to pain and stiffness? My physiotherapist today told me it’s purely capability and that it would take a lot to damage the rapair and he emphasised “a lot” he said it would take full on blunt impact or falling from great height onto the operated shoulder to damage the rapair and doing simple things like using my operated arm to have a shave wouldn’t do any damage to the repair, is this in your opinion true? I’m 17 days post op, how easy or hard is it to damage the repair?
I’ve been told to just continue with pendulum exercises and was told it isn’t essential to create the movements passively. I mentioned to my physiotherapist that I find myself actively creating the backwards and forwards, side to side and circular motions actively and he said that it was fine and rocking my body wasn’t essential, your opinion? Also I have to do the hand, wrist and elbow exercises whilst I’m wearing the sling.
I’ve been sleeping without the sling my physiotherapist was happy with that also. Hell I’m game with his relaxed approach because too much stuff to worry over gets my anxiety going but I just wanted another opinion. What would you recommend to a 26 yo lad who’s had my surgery and is 17 days post op?
I really want to be ahead of schedule in 4 weeks time as I’m off abroad and don’t want my shoulder surgery to be too much of an issue, I’d love to be able to get dressed perhaps not without any pain but more the worry that certain movements could damage the repair, specifically putting my t shirts and polo shirts on, I expect there to be pain and stiffness but will it be normal or a sign I shouldn’t be doing the activity, I’d like to blow dry and style my hair in the evening as well which will mean holding a brush in my operated arm (right arm also dominant arm) and hairdryer in my left arm to style, should this be avoided or will it just be hard to do because of pain and stiffness? At this point I will have been out of the sling for a week and it will be nearly 7 weeks post op, I’m coming out the sling 5 weeks and 2 days post op and going abroad exactly 7 days later. Anyway, I’ve gone on a bit lol.
Best wishes,
Ricky.
The 12 week arm overhead is more of a timeline of when you should be capable of doing that. having said that however, I would not try to lift your arm overhead until at least 8 weeks, because there is a danger of damaging the shoulder early on.
Shaving should not ruin your surgery. It takes about 4-6 weeks for the anchors to heal into place. Keep that in mind.
In terms of the sling, I would recommend sticking to the doc’s protocol.
In terms of the hair thing, play it by ear. If you can do it with only some stiffness and without sharp pain that is great. I would not push through anything sharp. Wait and see. You will survive.
Hi Dan,
Thank you for getting back to me, it’s much appreciated.
So I’m 18 days post op, at this stage what would you have a patient of yours doing exercise wise? At the 6 week mark when I’m out of this sling my PT said he’d give me different exercises to do as I’m only doing pendulum exercises for my shoulder and the normal hand, wrist and elbow exercises to combat an possible stiffness as a result of wearing a sling. Is this where you’d have a patient of yours be at this stage?
I can’t wait to get rid of this sling but I’m also feeling really anxious it’s making my already asymmetric shoulders more asymmetrical.
I didn’t think that I’d be doing PT at all post op let alone months. It’s a catch 22 for me, PT could help me realign my shoulders but it also places a tonne of focus on my shoulders which causes me a great deal of anxiety as a result of suffering with body dysmorphic disorder. I’m doomed if I do and I’m doomed if I don’t. I think one day I will be able to commit and engage properly in PT but at the moment I’m finding it really hard because my anxiety is very far from under control.
How long does PT last post op? When will I be able to just not worry about doing daily exercises?
Best wishes,
Ricky.
The exercises are typically very boring for the 1st month. Pendulums, passive ranges and such. I also have them do some sliding of the hand on the table with the other arm on top guiding it.
Pt can last anywhere from 2-5 months post op, depending on how everything is going. You can stop worrying about exercises when you have no pain, normal motions, and you can do everything that you want to do. Even then I would still probably do some gym exercises from time to time to maintain.
This is a useful site. Thanks, Dan. I wanted to speak to the body image issue. I’m just starting physio for my broken arm, but I had physio for knee issues a few years ago at the same place. I found the environment incredibly uplifting. There were some young sport folks, some with serious issues, some with less so, but all very keen and doing some of their exercises in the office. There were some drastically injured people of every age, but again, they were trying. There were some very frail elderly people. But, again, doing their best. If your physio office doesn’t seem a safe place then (a) you need to think about whether the source of your not feeling safe is within you, or (b) you should get a different PT.
Wise words Jill, thanks!
Hi Dan,
Me again. I’m 5 weeks 1 day post anterior labrum repair, 3 anchors in total. If you remember I also suffer with anxiety and since the surgery I’ve been all over the place, freaking out about if I’m doing exercises correctly, if I’m not doing them enough, if I’m being to aggressive when doing them, like swinging my arm too much during pendulums. I’m coming out my sling on Friday, 2 days away.
I have a few questions I hope you wouldn’t mind answering. Firstly, I usually only manage to do my exercises twice daily, just pendulums and external rotation to just past neutral, is only twice a day good enough as its all I can fit in? Secondly, I have on occasion woke up laying on my side (my operated shoulder) and become extremely anxious not because of any pain but just the pure fact I’m worried I might of damaged something by laying on it, this happened this morning, I woke up was laying on my operated shoulder, on my side, no pain at all but my anxiety took hold and I started to freak out, is it safe for me to lay on my side/operated shoulder? Do I have nothing to worry about now that I’m 5 weeks 1 day post op and little to no pain? Third question, are popping and cracking sounds normal when doing pendulums? It’s not happening every time I do them but when it does I’m wondering if I’m doing something wrong or if I’ve damaged the repair somehow or if I’m being too vigorous and swinging my arm too much, is it possible to damage anything doing pendulums? Does no pain mean everything is healing properly? My fourth question is, how much longer are pendulums a necessary exercise, I see my PT for the second time Friday and hope that I can scrap pendulums, they’re becoming boring and don’t feel like they’re doing much at all anymore, ideally I wish I didn’t have to do anymore exercises at all but I know it’s mandatory, I just hope that I’ll have a fresh exercise plan that doesn’t include pendulums because I’ve done them soley for over 5 weeks.
I really need some peace of mind, since the op I’ve barely used my right arm except for washing and exercises, I stopped wearing the sling in bed after 7-10 days but have been extremely strict and slept on my back, I’d say from week 4 onwards I started laying on my side, my non operated arm on occasion since it it no longer made my operated shoulder ache but still I tried to stick to laying on my back as much as possible, over the last 3-5 days I’ve accidentally laid on my operated side on occasion without thinking, probably because I’m half asleep and it doesn’t hurt at all to lay on it, am I technically safe to lay on it in bed now? Lastly, would I know if something wasn’t right with the operated shoulder? Would I know if I damaged the repair? Would it hurt a lot? Would it take a lot to damage a anterior labrum repair? Ive been extra safe but am still ultra paranoid as I don’t want to go back under the knife, I already regret having the surgery because of all the hassle it’s caused.
Sorry for the long message, I hope you can find the time to answer all my questions.
Kind regards,
Ricky
If you are not having pain with the sleeping positions, I wouldn’t worry about it. It sounds like things are going well. I would in general try not to sleep on the surgical side, but if it doesn’t hurt, you are probably fine.
Stick to the PT’s advice in terms of exercise frequency. It would be really difficult to damage the arm doing pendulum exercises at this stage.
You should also run these questions by your doc and PT Ricky. I am happy to tell you what I think, but realize that I have never seen your shoulder.
Hi Dan,
I started some new exercises, one being crawling my arm up the wall as high as I can. I did it today and really pushed myself, I think a bit too much. I’m 2 days away from being 6 weeks post op, anterior labrum repair (3 anchors) I feel today, when I crawled my arm up the wall I pushed myself a tad too much and I’m worried I may have damaged something, I’m sure I heard a strange sound when what I deemed was an over reach whilst crawling my arm up the wall. Would pushing myself a bit too much and crawling too high cause damage or is it unlikely 6 weeks post op? From what I’ve heard, once those anchors are in place, it will take a tremendous force to dislodge them and ruin the repair? What’s your opinion?
Just crawling up the wall, highly unlikely that you tore something. You would have to do something requiring a lot more force. Don’t sweat it. give a few days to rest and talk to the doc if necessary.
Your questions are getting shorter Ricky, this must mean that you are improving! Congrats.
Hi Dan
I can’t thank you enough for your prompt replies. It’s not easy getting hold of my orthopaedic surgeon, the NHS here in England is extremely busy and I can’t just request an appointment with him, nor can I even get him on the phone, he works a private practice and for the NHS so he’s not got the time, my next appointment is September 11th, I have PT again in 3 weeks, a few days after my return from Turkey. Your my best source for reassurance and info if I’m honest.
So even crawling up the wall and really reaching high, maybe pushing a tad beyond comfortable isn’t likely to have caused any damage to the repair? I’ve gone from pendulums for 5 and half weeks, straight to more intense/active exercises. I expect pain a tightness with these new exercises as it’s still early days but I’m worried I won’t know the difference between normal and acceptable pain and “oh shit, did I push myself too much?”
Is it highly likely the labrum is now healed in place and highly unlikely instructed PT exercises, even if pushed a bit too hard at times would re tear it? I’ve heard that a labrum held in by anchors is stronger than a perfectly healthy one, true?
Regards,
Ricky.
I highly doubt that pushing the end range of the wall crawls re-tore the anchor. I wouldn’t go doing that all of the time because it may inflame it.
Will the anchor heal stronger than before, I am not so sure about that. I think that you are referring to bone / fracture healing.
Hi Dan,
Again, thank you for your response. It’s me all over, trying to push things to the limit when doing exercises. I don’t know why I did really reach up high whilst crawling the wall with my op arm, I had it basically completely vertical. The sheet says to climb the arm as high as possible but I’m still scared I pushed myself a bit to much. I’ve been so protective of my op arm and to do something silly like that has really freaked me out. I don’t want to go back under the knife again and really hope that all is well with my op shoulder. So just for clarification, you don’t think that a wall crawl, even if I went a tad beyond comfortable range could re-injure a anterior labrum repair (3 anchors) at basically 6 weeks post op? Also, how would I know if I had injured something? And, what sort of things could re-injure a anterior labrum repair at this stage in recovery?
Cheers,
Ricky.
Hi. I’ve had arthroscopic surgery a week ago to remove bone spurs and remove damaged cartilage. My doctors instructions were to use the sling “as long as you feel you need it”. I haven’t been using it for the last few days. I am moving my shoulder and arm fine and not a terrible amount of pain. I have noticed that walking causes an incredible amount of pain. If I walk a few blocks I need to sit and rest, and my shoulder feels immediately better once I sit down. I was just wondering what the reason for this would be?
I would use the sling for walks at least for another few weeks. Your shoulder muscles are so weak right now that they cannot control how the ball rests in the socket. The result can be a strained or sharp pain feeling.
Hi, I just dislocated my shoulder almost a week ago and i try to move my arm like up or to the side and it seems stiff. Should i be able to at least move my arm or should i leave it in the sling.
It will likely be very sore and stiff for at least 3-4 weeks. I would use the sling per the doctor’s instruction. There are also certain motions that you should be really careful to avoid early on. I would touch base with either your doc or a PT and make sure that you are doing the right exercises at the right time.
Hello, I had a SLAP operation on August 18th. I wore my sling 24 hours a day. 10 days after my operation, I saw my surgeon and he was very pleased with how I was healing. He told me to wear the sling only in public and that later that week I could try driving a little with someone in the car. But I’m concerned because all the information I read online indicates people should wear a sling for several weeks. My doctor has an excellent reputation but I’m concerned as I’ve had more pain during the third week of recovery. Perhaps it’s part of the healing process as his nurse told me or perhaps the pain meds aren’t working as well because I’ve adjusted to them. I just hope I haven’t done something wrong.
Janet in all likelihood you are going to have some pain associated with the gradual return to normal usage of the shoulder. I would wean off the sling gradually over the next several weeks. I for one think that wearing a sling for too long causes more problems that it is worth.
Right now your rotator cuff muscles are super weak, getting the arm out of the sling and in a normal postural position will begin to start to recruit those muscles. Some soreness is to be expected with this. If the pain is too sharp you can always follow up with the doctor.
Hi there,
I received an open shoulder stabalisation 25 days ago on my right shoulder and am experiencing popping and clicking sounds with certain movements. i also believe i may have subluxated my shoulder during sleep but am not 100% sure. I have followed my directions thoroughly and i sleep with my sling on. Im just curious if the popping/clicking is normal and if i did suffer a minor subluxation have i completely ruined my op.
Popping and clicking are normal. If you subluxed your shoulder while you slept it probably would have woken you up with extreme pain. What you are describing sounds pretty normal to me given the surgery that you had. You can of course have the doctor evaluate it if that would ease your mind.
Hi! I fell one week ago and dislocated my shoulder and had a small “chip like” fracture in my humorous bone of my shoulder. My shoulder was reset and the bones look like they are lining up for healing so I have been in a sling. The problem is that I’m in more pain now then the couple of days after it happened. While in the sling it feels like the muscles are hanging (even though it isn’t too lose). Also I have a ton of elbow pain (and small bruise). The area is still slightly numb as well. Lastly when I take my arm out of my sling to do an exercise that they gave me where I pin my arm against my body and lift my arm slowly up and down horizontally, I can’t bring my arm back up, it feels “dead.” I’m in a ton of pain (even with Norco) and I’m concerned that something could be wrong with my elbow and/or nerve. I thought I would ask you before paging my Dr. Thank you!
I would ask the doc to be safe. Realize that fractures ache and hurt a whole lot. Add the dislocation and the bruising and soft tissue injury, and it is not surprising that you are in a lot of pain. I have seen many cases as well where the full brunt of the pain does not hit the patient for at least a week after the injury.
I would back off a bit on the exercises for a day or two and see if that eases it a bit. Hang in there. You will get through this, but it will definitely take time.
I fell directly on my shoulder 3 weeks ago. I wore a sling until seeing the orthopedic surgeon (3 1/2 days). I have a fracture of the proximal humerus that did not require surgery. I was given a sling with an abduction pillow and told to wear it for 3 weeks (except to shower). I did this for 2 full weeks and then only wore it with actvity And sleeping. I need to move my arm. I work as a dental hygienist and cannot rusk forearm stiffness. The abduction pillow makes my shoulder ache. I went to wearing a dhoulder wrap support and do not do any lifting, pushing, pulling etc. How essential is it to wear an abduction pillow, is it going to make a difference in my healing after 3 weeks? I am to start PT now. Does the abduction pillow actually help move a minimally displaced bone into place????
I do not think that the abduction pillow helps to move the bone into place. It probably serves more to have the shoulder in a more ideal resting position for pain management, and perhaps for better blood perfusion to the shoulder for healing.
I fell 6 weeks ago and had to have surgery to fix a humorous avulsion fracture and torn tendons. Two screws were put in my shoulder. I had to wear a wedge type sling for the first 5 weeks at all times and was only allowed to make a fist with my hand for exercise. last week I was moved into a sling that keeps my arm strapped to my side and I am doing pedulum exercises 3 times a day for 10 minutes. Since I started do the pendelum exercise I ache all the time under my collar bone and up my neck on my injured side. Sometimes I ache under my shoulder blade on the same side also. I am to start physical therapy next week and remove my sling. Why do you think I am aching in the areas? From being in my sling so long I have very limited mobility of my arm. It feels like I have an inch wide metal band around my upper bicep when I try to move my arm at all. Do you think I will be able to get full use of my shoulder and arm back? I am worried about it. I am excited but also scared to start physical therapy.
Thank you for your time.
Marcie
You are probably aching in those areas because of the fixed position of the shoulder and the shoulder blade. Immobilization is a necessary evil: you need it to allow healing, but it does a number on the structures around it. All of those pains should slowly abate once your arm is allowed to move more normally. It may take a while to get the mobility back. Stick with the program that the PT gives you once you get started. In terms of sleeping, I would slowly decrease the angle of inclination on the recliner and see what you can tolerate.
Hi. I had Rotator Cuff surgery 4 weeks ago and have worn my sling with abduction pillow since day one. Dr. said 4 weeks with pillow then 2 weeks without it and then PT. Is 4 weeks long enough when I had 4 cm retraction of the tendon and no screws were used to anchor the tendon? I’m nervous about taking the pillow off! And could wearing a sling so long be causing me to have pain in the sternum area? Costochondritis? Thanks
The doc’s opinion rules. I do think that going from the abduction pillow to no pillow before getting rid of the sling is logical. As to your second question, wearing a sling is a necessary evil: it does very often cause some other problems in terms of postural pain. It is entirely possible that the sternal pain is related to the shoulder posture because of the sling. Bring it up to the doc next time you see him or her, particularly if the pain does not subside once you are done with the sling.
Thank you for the response!
Man, Reading all these questions makes me wonder. Iam right handed and had surgery on my right shoulder for a large rotator cuff tear. They did a shoulder block that was supposed to wear off later that evening so I took 1 pain pill thinking I was going to be in major pain. NOTHING no pain at all. I wear my sling when I’m not at home relaxing and I have full range of motion from the elbow down. I’m 2 weeks post op and have been to PT 3 times so far. With the help of the PT I am able to have almost full ROM of the shoulder and still no pain. It kind of scares me because of everything I’ve read about how painful it’s supposed to be. Will I know it if I do anything to screw up my anchor or anything else. I’m sorry for the rest of the people that have had to go through so much pain after their surgeries but I was in pain for 2 1/2 years before I had the surgery done. It finally just got to where I couldn’t lift my arm above my head to do anything. Is it possible to heal to fast and injure something or is my Dr. just that good?
Some people, for whatever reason, just don’t have much in terms of pain after surgery. I would say that you are in the minority. Be glad. Stick to the doc’s protocol for rehab. If the anchor becomes damaged I would say that most of the time it is painful.
The biggest thing that you need to be aware of is that it takes a good 6-8 weeks for those anchors to heal into place. Do not push past your protocol, even if you are feeling great. You are probably not healing faster.
Should I keep sling on or take off after only 8 days?
I would stick with the doc’s advice, but it might not be a bad idea to gradually “wean” yourself off the sling. Cold turkey might be too much. Start with small amounts of time out of the sling and slowly work your way up.
Hi, I had a fall about 5 weeks ago where I landed into a door frame with my arm up because I had tripped. I have a fracture of the humerus head at the greater tuberosity . I saw the dr. about 3 weeks after the fall and he moved me from a stabilizer sling into a regular shoulder sling because he said it looked like the shoulder who was starting to heal because the fracture wasn’t spreading,though we couldn’t see the new bone growth yet at that time. I go back to see him on June 15th. And after that he believes I should be able to start physical therapy. I take my arm out of the sling frequently when I’m at home is it really almost feels better when it’s not in the slang. I have a 3 year old and a 5 year old and I broke the shoulder in my right arm, and I am right handed. So sometimes going through the day I have to use the arm some. I try to make sure I only use from the elbow down, in an attempt to not put strain on the muscles in my shoulder . I’m not having any increase in pain from doing this, however I am concerned that I might overdo it and hurt my shoulder is that a possibility? Is it safe to pick up a certain amount of weight or support a certain amount of weight with my lower arm without hurting my shoulder?
Your concern is valid. I would not lift any weight with that arm at least until 6 weeks after the fracture. Definitely do not try to lift one of your children. To be 100% safe, the doctor should take an x-ray to confirm full healing of the bone.
If you wanted to hold a cup in your hand, that will probably not mess the healing process up, but my motto is always “better safe than sorry”.
i am a 64 year old woman who had degenerative rotator cuff surgery on my dominant arm almost 8 weeks ago (small f – 8-9 mm full thickness tear to supraspinatus). At the same time i had a bone spur removed, some arthritis and some frozen shoulder. As a result I had pt starting third day after surgery to avoid re-occurrence frozen shoulder and have been faithful with pt twice a week and instructed home exercises. I have just started active phase of pt. My pt has been performing passive stretching every session. My range of motion he says is where i should be.
Permission was given to completely ditch the sling a week ago although i had all along had permission to not wear when watching tv.. Nonetheless I am wondering how long the stiffness will be around in my entire arm and hand and in the last week or so have very uncomfortable with some swelling and discomfort and burning/tight sensation under and behind my armpit. I am icing but don’t want to walk due the sensation of my arm sticking to my side along with discomfort which is driving me crazy. The PA I saw for my six week check said no blood clot when he checked (no redness or pain with pressure) and thought more movement would alleviate but I am so uncomfortable I don’t want to move. My pt agreed with the assessment of no blood clot. I have been back in sling without the pillow portion periodicallybut doesn’t help with discomfort.
Can you offer advice? I don’t know how common this complaint is and what i can do.
What you are describing is not very common Gail. If I were to venture a guess I would say that this may be the frozen shoulder in the inflammatory phase. If you had a frozen shoulder, and then you had surgery on top of that, you will most likely have a shoulder that is inflamed and frozen.
If it is a frozen shoulder, it will probably take many months to gradually calm down. I would also not be very aggressive about doing range of motion, because in the inflammatory phase of a frozen shoulder aggressive range of motion can actually make things worse. Keep everything on the gentle side for the time being.
The frozen shoulder was taken care of during surgery and i started pt three days later to avoid a reoccurence. Neither the PT (DPT) nor the PA that Ii saw at 6 weeks mentioned this as a possibility. They both think this is due to increased movement after sling removal with no mention of frozen shoulder. The PT has been doing the passive stretching on me. Anyway just wondering if you agreed with the assessment. Thanks for your input and Ii will check back with you in for weeks when i see the surgeon for 3 month check. Hoping no frozen shoulder as I have already suffered much including three months of pt before surgery was done..
Hello: I ended up having tests for possible blood clot – but none. Saw the surgeon this past week at my request. He says I just need to tough it out and move my hand and arm more – no mention of frozen shoulder and actually my shoulder doesn’t hurt and It seems to have good movement Its my arm wrist and hand causing problems (swelling stiff and discomfort) which he said could also be a “pain syndrome” but he doesn’t think so. He did say this is not expected and i don’t think he really knew what to advise. I have been using my hand more although painful and some reduction of swelling on top of hand but not on fingers. Still have swelling under my arm which seems to come and go. When I wake up in the morning my whole arm and hand is so stiff I want to cry. I take a hot shower with some relief. I will go back and see the doctor in two weeks. Ironically the shoulder itself feels best of all. At that point I will be three months out.
I am wondering if the sling has caused some nerve damage, if so, would this show as swelling and stiffness? My PT doesn’t seem too concerned but says I have a road of therapy ahead and won’t be released at three months. I don’t know what other type of doctor to see if things don’t start to resolve.
You would have to have an EMG to see if there is actual nerve damage. More times than not, slings can keep the arm in a forward position, which places stress on the neck and peripheral nerves.
I would have the PT work on your neck, ribcage, and arm in addition to the surgical protocol for the shoulder.
The pillow from my understanding is there to place the shoulder in a place where the most amount of perfusion of blood to the joint can occur. Not using the pillow will not necessarily cause damage to the surgical anchors. It usually requires a very jarring type motion to damage the anchors early on.
I had an open surgery on my right shoulder when I was 17 years old back in 2001. The healing process was difficult, but thank God after one year of recovery it hasn’t popped out.
Recently about a month ago, I had this arthoscopic procedure done. I had a Hill sach, bankart, and slalp repair. Don’t know how many anchors I got but the pain wasn’t as bad as the open surgery I had on my other arm.
After the operation, I was told to do this pendulum excercises after just 2 days of surgery. I wore the sling for the first few days but took it off due to lack of circulation. Prior to my surgery, the Doc said to keep the sling on for at least 4 weeks, but I could take it off as long as I keep it in that sling held position.
When I sleep, I couldn’t wear the sling due to discomfort so being that I am a still sleeper, I slept with my arm in that sling held position.
After my 2 week post op follow up, my p.a said that I needed to wear the sling for another 4 weeks. She did however said I could keep it off around the house as long as I don’t wing my arm like I am doing the side lateral raise or front deltoid raise movements.
My question is, what is the sling really for? Is it to prevent the arm from moving the way it isn’t suppose to? Should I be worried that the anchors or sutures loosened or tore out because I really didn’t wear the sling?
In about another week, I will have my 6 week post op follow up. I am suppse to get approved for physical thearpy when I go. And also be cleared of not wearing the sling. I do keep the sling on when I go out, but when I get home its off. Now I am wondering if this whole ordeal is in vain.
Should I be worried about my arm not healing or the anchors and sutures being loose or torn out?
The sling is basically there to keep you from doing a sudden, jerky movement. For example, if you fell the doc would want the sling on to protect the shoulder anchors. In terms of sitting around, I don’t think that there is any particular need for a sling as long as you are careful no to jerk the arm. From what you are saying, I don’ think that you messed anything up.
After a surgery in my shoulder (bankart repair). Can I remove the sling and rest my shoulder while standing up?
I would stick to the doc’s recommendation. Because of the weakness of the surrounding muscles there is less protection for the repair early on. The sling is a necessary evil, particularly for the first month. If you are quietly sitting this is usually not too much of a problem without the sling, but standing is more risky. I would always default to the doc’s protocol.
i had a shoulder seperation 20 days back and was on sling since then. i used to straighten my arm once in a while for sometime during these days. but after waking up today morning i am having a bad pain all over my hand while straightening my arm. please help.
I would perhaps spend some time out of the sling while you are sitting quietly and otherwise not walking around. It may be that the positioning of the elbow in the sling is placing some stress on the nerves? I would also tell the doctor about it.
The doc has a reason to keep you in the sling. I wouldn’t worry about it. My guess is that he wants the AC joint to “scar up” and stabilize.
Thanks, especially for such a quick response. That was the original explanation. I’m mostly confused because it seems to change but not get explained why it changed. I should probably just push more for detailed explanations.
Isn’t healthcare great? For some reason lots of docs don’t adequately explain what is going on with procedures and the rehab process.
I had an open surgery to repair a broken glenoid and ladrum tear. They placed 2 screws in my glenoid and stitched my labrum back together. My question is how long should I be wearing the sling full time and when can I start using it less. It’s causing me a lot oh neck pain and pain in my scapula. I had surgery 4 1/2 weeks ago.
Thanks
It does vary by the doctor’s preference, but I would say that you must be very close to being done with the sling. Most docs will say that it is okay to get rid of it between four and six weeks. I would call the doctor and ask to be sure. I always think that it is a good idea to wean off the sling rather than go “cold turkey”.
You should have the doc check it just to make sure that there is no infection. Usually with an infection the scar lines will weep a bit, and it would have a slightly annoying smell to it. Otherwise, many people will still have some swelling 4 weeks after a surgery like that.
I used to be a surgical tech. A friend of mine showed me a picture of a shoulder reconstruction 3 weeks post op. He asked me on Friday should I wait until next week to see the doctor or go to the ER. The photo I had seen looked like a large sausage 3 inches high red and swollen. I did the right thing right?
I told him to go to the emergency room immediately it look like MRSA
In my opinion it is always better to be safe than sorry. You did the right thing.
A couple years ago I had a repair operation for a complete pec tear. I wore a sling for 6 weeks. During that time I kept my shoulder rolled forward and inward to protect the repair. Now despite going to physical therapy that shoulder still wants to droop and roll forward, and is very uncomfortable for certain activities such as sudden throwing or explosive movements as well as presses and adduction movements. What would you recommend to reverse that forward shoulder roll that you referenced in this article??
Form follows function Don. I would bet that your lower and middle trapezium muscles are long and weak as a result of being on the losing side of the tug of war with your stiff pectoralis muscles. What you probably need to do is train the lower and middle traps in a shortened position. Lying on a foam roller to stretch our the pecs would also be a good idea.
I am due to have arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery to fix a complete tear of about 1.3cm in my supraspinatus tendon of my left shoulder. I’m trying to prepare as best as I can for this. I’m wondering what is the typical time before you can use the fingers on the affected arm? So many daily activities cannot be accomplished without the use of fingers on both hands…
I would say that typing and basic usage of the fingers when the hand is kept near the level of your waist could be done within a few weeks of the surgery. Typing for example is doable a few weeks after the surgery.
I had a bankart repair on my right shoulder four months ago. I have almost full range of motion and it’s just slightly weaker than my left arm. I was discharged from physical therapy this week with the advise to keep doing the exercises for a couple more months to strengthen it and get full range of motion. I wore a brace that had an abduction pillow in it for six weeks as were my doctors and physical therapists orders. My neck has been stiff since the surgery. It is my second shoulder surgery the first one was eight years ago on the same shoulder. What are your suggestions to help relieve the neck stiffness. I am cleared to do any activity now except pull ups and swimming butterfly as long as I start out slowly and am careful.
It really depends on what your posture looks like. You very well still may need to get the alignment a bit better. I would have a fresh set of eyes look at how you stand and sit etc.. Massage therapy can be helpful as well. I would also say that you should avoid reading and watching TV unless if you are sitting entirely upright.
Had 4 anchors put on my left shoulder. Been 11 weeks was thinking going back to work at 12 weeks but job requires lifting and pulling carts around. Should I wait?
I would get some basic strength training in for a few weeks prior to doing that type of work. Most protocols don’t allow for strengthening until at least 12 weeks, so I would maybe delay that for a few weeks and get permission from the doc to start light resistance training.
I love all of the information here! I had surgery a 9 days ago for a dislocated proximal humerus fracture!
Is shoulder blade pain normal from this procedure! So tired of the sling but I do feel protected while walking around!
That is not a fun injury Laura, sorry to hear about that. I would say that referral of pain from a fracture site is common. It is also entirely possible that you bruised your shoulder blade in addition to the fracture. I wouldn’t worry about it, just bring it up to the doc when you see him, or if the shoulder blade pain intensifies.
Thank you for your response!
Most rehab protocols keep the shoulder immobilized for six weeks. I do think that it would be okay to take the sling off once in a while with quiet sitting, but I would get permission from the doc to do so. This would be a decent idea especially because your husband will probably start weaning off the sling at six weeks. I am guessing that he will not get the okay to drive for another month or so. These are all questions that you guys should ask the PT on the first day. He should be picking up moderately weighted objects by June if all goes well.
Thank you for your response. Does the sling come off entirely after six weeks in some patients?
What length of time does it take to have no sling at all after Rotator Cuff Surgery.
Thank you in advance.
It does, but I tell patients that they should wean off as going “cold turkey” can be abrupt and a bit painful.
Tomorrow will be 6 weeks and my husband will be taking off the abduction pillow but will leave the sling on I guess when he is outside. He is worried that someone might knock into him. Do a lot of patients continue wearing the sling as a safety precaution or when is it okay to leave it off entirely and if someone knocks into you by accident nothing will happen with the anchors in the shoulder. After 6 weeks do patients just wear the sling driving or do they take the sling off completely when driving and as far as sleeping are most patients out of the recliner and sleeping in a regular bed?
Thank you in advance.
I myself has had surgery six weeks ago and has had physical therapy for a week now. My question is do I wean off the sling or do I keep wearing it . I really would like not to wear it but I do get some pain in my shoulder and elbow from the physical therapy do I still need to wear it?
I would wean off rather than go “cold turkey”. The strength of the shoulder needs to gradually improve in order to handle the weight of your shoulder out of the sling. Many of our patients prefer to wear the sling in public and with longer walks until the strength catches up. AS always, make sure that the doctor knows what is going on with this process.
Some patients do wear the sling in public for several more weeks because of fear of getting nudged. I think that for this purpose it is not a bad idea. He should try to wean off in the other circumstances per the doc’s orders.
I am 5.5 out from surgery. No torn cuff. Just calcium removed and a couple of shaved bursitis? Not sure but I think that’s is what it is. I fell coming down a hill a week after surgery. I have had quite a time of it in PT. He said I have gotten worse. I have been taking Percocet but my psycho therapist said( he is a back pain specialist as well as a therapist) Percocet is a recipe for disaster and stop taking it. My shoulder PA said to take it to stay ahead of the pain.
Here is my problem. A couple of days ago I started having severe pain in my upper arm. Constant for days now as it someone is screwing a screwdriver in my arm. My lower neck is burning all the time.When I move my arm I have shocking stabbing pain in my biceps and shoulder as well as in the crux where my breast and underarm come together. I talked to my PA about a week ago and she said I am right on track but since this pain in my upper arm is constant day and night I was just wondering if I should push being scene before my next appt.
I really am at an impass because although I don’t want to take the Percocet sometimes I have been in so much pain the last couple of days I have to. Really though it only makes me tired and so thank god I get some sleep. Please address what you can. Thanks!
The fall obviously has inflamed the heck out of this thing. That is likely partially responsible for what you are feeling. I am also guessing that the posturing of your shoulder and neck from the pain is having a snowball effect. I would have the scapular muscles and neck muscles worked on by either a PT or a massage therapist, that might help. I would also try to hold your shoulder in as normal a posture as possible, maybe start this when you are seated? (Run that by your PT.)
In terms of the pharmaceuticals, PT’s aren’t licensed to give advice. I would arrive at a decision in that matter with the MD or the PA. Getting an earlier visit sounds like a good idea.
Hey Doc-
9-weeks ago today I had my rotator cuff repaired along with a tenodesis for a SLAP tear and removal of some bone spurs. I did not start PT until about 3-weeks after my surgery, and even then, was only doing light stretching to about 90 degrees flexion.
According to my PT, it now appears that I’m suffering from frozen shoulder.
As of today, I’m stuck at about 100 degrees flexion, 10-15 degrees external, and I’m still suffering from severe night pain. I’ve been in this state for weeks now with only minor improvement.
I’m 30 years old and very active (surfing, swimming, boxing, bjj). I’m stretching three times a day, eating very low inflammation diet and doing ultrasound a few times a week. I’m extremely motivated to conquer this condition and get back to the things I love.
I understand this condition will likely increase my recovery time, but for how long? All of the research I’ve done indicates it could take as long as 1-2 years to heal. Am I really look at a 1-2 year recovery?
In addition to your insight about recovery time, I’d appreciate any tips you might have to deal with this condition and accelerate recovery.
Thanks for all you do for everyone dealing with conditions like mine.
-d
If it is a frozen shoulder, the intervention and the recovery depend largely on what “phase” you are in. We do have a blog article on frozen shoulders, give it a read.
I would ask your doc and / or PT what phase you are in. If it is early (I suspect that it might be) I would lay off aggressive ranges of motion. Gentle stretching only. This will unfortunately take some time to work through. The time frames vary widely, but I would guess that you would be on the lighter side because of your age and fitness.
Thanks for the input. Having just had a PASTA repair on a 1.5 cm full tear on my right supraspinatus three weeks ago, I find the post-op instructions confusing and too general. One is “No excessive stretching and no sudden movements”…what does that mean? I assume it means my surgically repaired arm, or does it mean my other arm too? That’s a common instruction found on the web. It would be nicer to have more detailed instructions.
I decided to learn about when the supraspinatus tends to act, and that seems mostly during abduction (say moving elbow away from body) and carrying weight that drags the shoulder down. This suggests to me that the so long as my repaired arm is properly in the sling, then most normal daily movements should be ok. Does that seem right? Are there common mistakes that people make in the first 4-6 weeks?
The one clear mistake I made was to prop my arm on the sink while I was moving some clothes on the ground with my feet. With my left leg raised, my brain sensed my arm as a potential stabilizer and I started to lean in on it. I felt an initial pressure on my wrist which was resting on the ledge (my elbow was at my side) and realized what was happening so put the foot down to take weight off arm. I didn’t feel much/any pressure on my shoulder or pain as I was pretty balanced on the one leg. I suspect there wasn’t a lot of weight on my arm, not like pushing myself off from a prone position. Still, I was mad for days as one instruction is “no support of body weight by hand”. In the end, I reasoned that in the case where my elbow is at my side with just a slight upward pressure on my bent arm from leaning in, this is not what that instruction had in mind so there should not have been a lot of pressure on my sutures. I hope I’m right. What you want to avoid is putting you actual body weight on your hands as when you get out of bed or out of a chair, yes?
I asked my doc how I could screw up the repair and he mentioned falling or inappropriate large passive movements. I suspect again that he must mean a scenario where in really falling, I reach out (abduction) quickly and grab something. leading to substantial body weight on the shoulder. This would definitely be a forceful event, a fast contraction to move the arm and then to stabilized the body weight. Those are the sorts of situations that these general rules are trying to ensure you avoid, right? Thanks for your thoughts
A sudden movement would be trying to reflexively catch an object thrown at you at shoulder level with the surgical arm. Ouch. I have also seen a few people try to grab a stair railing because of loss of balance with the surgical arm. That would qualify also.
If your arm is in the sling, you should be fine with doing most daily activities, with the other arm of course. The whole propping thing that you described doesn’t sound like a big deal to me. If you tore something from that you would have disproportionately bad pain that wouldn’t go away. I also agree with your other comment: trying to push yourself up form a chair using the surgical arm would not be a good idea at this juncture.
That is within reason, but I would start with very, very light resistance, and allow for a day of rest in between resistance sessions. I believe that most protocols start light resistance somewhere between 12-16 weeks.
One week ago i had a R.C surgery at my right shoulder. Accidentally i lift my shoulder very fast ( i didn’t control the move, was unconscious)and then i had a pain like 3 min in my shoulder . No im wondering if this kind of moves can destroy your surgery?
I am 10 weeks out from having shoulder surgery, I had a total rotator cuff tear, a labrel tear, bone spurs and my bicep muscle was completely cut off and reattached, also some arthritis and tendonitis. I have been doing physical therapy for 3 weeks but am having major issues especially when the therapist stretches my shoulder. today I almost passed out the pain was so bad. The therapist thinks I might have frozen shoulder, is this normal and if so how long before I can actually have some relief without pain meds? I see my surgeon tomorrow but would appreciate any info as to I am really starting to worry my shoulder is not going to heal.
If you have a frozen shoulder there is really nothing that you can do about it other than ride it out and wait for it to subside. Having said that, you had a heck of a lot of work done. If you were my patient, I would back you off the intense stretches and stick to what you can handle. You might actually be inflaming the shoulder more by being too aggressive, especially if you have a frozen shoulder. I would see what the doctor’s diagnosis is. If you indeed have a frozen shoulder, aggressive stretching during the early phase of it is not warranted.
That sounds very annoying. Have you tried placing a small, rolled up towel between the strapping and your body?
I’m not a doctor but a patient annoyed by the same thing with my sling. what has helped me is tucking pieces of very soft fabric under the spots that are rubbing. Also, i’ve found that the piece that is supposed to pad between the neck and the sling gets twisted. i had someone tape it in place (on the outside) to keep it from shifting.
If you are not in pain when on your feet extensively then you are probably fine. Some people do like to wean off by wearing the sling when they are walking long distances or standing for longer periods of time.
Thank you Dan for taking the time out of your day to answer all of our questions and is so much appreciated.
I am three weeks post op from rotator cuff tear surgery, Supraspinatus full grade tear, bone spurs, arthritis and major cleanup of the bicep area.
I have been keeping my sling off more than I do on because I have MS with neuropathy, and the sling is causing my hand and fingers to go numb. I am also having numbness in my left hand and pain in my shoulder from overusing it so much. I prop my arm up with Pillow when I’m sitting, and at night I put my arm either across my body or extended with a rolled up blanket underneath and so far in the morning my arm is in the same position.
My question to you is it possible to stretch these internal X suture if it is not in the sling for the amount of time I am taking it off? Am I possibly doing any damage to my recovery? I do wear the sling if I am getting up for walking. The sling is hurting me so badly no matter how I adjust it.
The sling is digging into my back where the strap goes and it’s very painful. Sleep is near impossible even though I take off the sling.
Is it normal to be so uncomfortable at three weeks postop? I ice like crazy
Any feedback would be much appreciated thank you
I don’t think that you are stretching the anchors out simply by removing the sling. The sling is generally more useful in regard to keeping you from reaching out with sudden motions if you were to slip etc.. It is a good idea to wear the sling while you are out and about.
In terms of sleeping comfort, the most helpful thing that patients feel helps them is sleeping on a reclining chair. If you do not have a recliner available to you, the next best thing would be pillow placement. I would also talk to the doc about perhaps getting the right medication to make sleep more comfortable.
I don’t think that it is absolutely necessary to wear that particular type of abductor pillow sling. If a regular sling is more comfortable, get the doc’s permission to wear it and do so.
Dear Dan, Bless you for keeping this blog current. So comforting to know you will respond. I am a 68 Year old active female with bilateral RC tears. On Dec 19th, I am Having left shoulder repaired arthroscopicly first. MRI shows near full thickness incomplete tear far anterior supraspintus with reactive marrow changes in the foot plate, partial tear of the deep fibers of the subscapularis, Biceps tendeopathy and thickening.of the biceps. Degenerative cysts, tenosyynovitis, bursitis and tenosynovitis. High grade tendenosis of the long head biceps tendon. My muscle twerk and spasam painfully with the smallest of motion, like reaching for a tea bag. Can this muscle pain improve after surgery after things are tightened up? I feel like a limp noodle gone rouge,
Both shoulders are twerking and painful. When I reach carefully or do small things, expecially lifting overhead, I have to grab my wrist to lower my arm to avoid pain, is this normal, will surgery improve this? I have been told no movement of left shoulder for up to 6 weeks. Then passive therapy moving on to agressivive therapy. Dr. Stephen Jordan from Andrews Institute in gulf Breeze fl, will be my surgeon. People fly all over the world to come to him. Andrews Institute is highly respected, so I feel good there., any insight would be appreciated, my right should will probably need repair next, can some pt help right biceps pain and twerk like feelings.? . My muscle do not move soomthly. How long before right biceps begins irreversible atrophy.
I think that the purpose of surgery in this case would be to mitigate the pain to a very low level (maybe even no pain at all) and restore some function with daily activities (putting things on shelves, reaching at or below shoulder level). I think that this is obtainable, but given your age I am guessing that the rehab process will in total be 6-12 months. You will most likely be annoyed during the first three (3) months or so.
It certainly cannot hurt to try to rehab the other shoulder in regard to the biceps. You might be surprised.
I had surgery on my humerus part of my shoulder 4 weeks ago. Surgeon says I can now take sling off while inside and to start exercises ie tension ball, pendulum circular exercise and curls 3 times a day. After starting these exercises my hand is quite swollen and hurts. I can barely squeeze the tension ball now because of the swelling. Is this to be expected? At the end of the day it gets worse. Also, Is it normal not to be able to straighten out my arm after taking out of sling? If so what is the normal expectation when I can finally straighten out my arm? Surgeon says I shouldn’t start physio until new year and cant drive for awhile.
The sling can cause the arm / elbow to contract a bit. I would wean off the sling with the doctor’s permission. It may take several weeks for the arm to straighten out once you are permanently out of the sling. The swelling of the hand is not typical, I would bring that up with the doc if you have not already. I would maybe wait on the pendulums until you talk to the doc about the hand.
From what you described, it is possible that you could have done something to the repair, but the more likely outcome is that you just inflamed the shoulder. If the pain does not slowly track down I would see the doc about it.
Thank u for ure response !! U make an amazing job here !
What i want to say its that after that move 3 min my shoulder hurts me and then dosent hurt me or something …
I dont know if the doctor can find out whats going on inside in this moment becouse i just had the surgery one week ago so i guess i have to pray that nothing happen untill the rehab its done OR THEre are others solution ? Please tell me what do you think im very concerned about all this !
With respect Vlad!
If the pain was only for a few minutes, you are probably fine. If you tore the tendon again you would most likely have severe pain that would not go away.
Exactly 30 days past surgery for full tear. Had spurs removed RC cleaned up and 2 anchors to suture the ligament to the humerus. Just started PT this week and I’m miserable. Weaned myself off the meds in two weeks (Percocets). A few hours sleep at best and that’s from some mild sleep meds.
Even though I sleep with the sling and have it immobilized, I end up hurting it at some point. I’ve stopped using the sling during the day and I think when I can stop using it to sleep I might be better (belly sleeper with hands over head)
When can I stop using the sling to sleep. I’m sleeping in a bed because the recliner was just not doing it.
That really depends on what the doctor’s protocol is. From experience I would say that most people d/c the sling at about 4-6 weeks? I would ask your PT the same question.
Hello! I am 6 weeks post op tomorrow 2-22-18. I had an acromioplasty, arthroscopic Mumford, bicep tendonesis, total synovectomy and debridement of the rotator cuff and labral. My surgeon told me I have the shoulder of a 70 year old, I am 30. However, I started pt 4 days post op, and have been 2x per week since. I leave therapy and I’m in terrible pain. The night after therapy I’m in a recliner with ice and in tears. I have sharp stabbing pains in the front of my shoulder, one the top of my shoulder. Physio said I should be at 135 degrees but I was/have been in tears at 105.
I have been trying to wean myself out of my immobilizer but the pain is unbearable (when I’m out of my immobilizer is when my shoulder blade pain comes). The instructions I was given are unclear if I need to be wearing when leaving the house after 6weeks, it’s just all kind of a mess. I am diligently doing my home exercises, icing and using ibuprofen. My physio countinually says he doesn’t understand why I’m in so much pain. He will say that he doesn’t feel anything or says everything is feeling great so it should be feeling like this. I do understand it shouldn’t be feeling this way but he doesn’t seem very understanding to my pain. My surgeon is very good and has a great reputation but honestly I’m scared to call and speak with anyone, why I’m not sure but they are all slightly intimidating. I would like to think I have a high pain tolerance but this is crazy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Stop doing your exercises for one week and see if it improves. After the week, maybe just some very light stretching for the following week, but that’s it. I think that the overhead stretching motion may be grinding the head of the humerus into the acromion, which was of course irritated with the acromioplasty. As always, ask the doc about this given that I am not there to assess you.
Since you are eight weeks out, I would say that the chances that you re-tore is quite slim. The more likely explanation is that you just inflamed it. This may take a few weeks to calm down. I would not push it in the mean time, let it rest and heal. Let your PT know of course.
Dan, Thank you for your response. I really appreciate your input.
Mike
Under most circumstances the answer is “yes”, you can remove the sling for dressing and showering. Most people find that they can slide the hand through a sleeve while the hand is down at their side and work the shirt up and over the head. If your balance is going to be an issue, you may want to get a shower seat for showering. As always, ask the doc or your PT because you may have special circumstances in regard to the shoulder.
Thank you so much. That is very helpful.
I’m going for shoulder surgery in the next few weeks. The sling from what I hear is the reason I’m having shoulder surgery. I broke my shoulder on Feb 2nd 2018. I was in a sling for 6 weeks. And back at work for just over a month now. My 2nd doctor says that was way too long. Now I have Frozen shoulder. I was out of work of 2 1/2 months. After surgery I will be out another 1 1/2 months. I’m just reading about this sling . News to me. I don’t ever want to wear one again. I’m so scared of it. It does feel way better with it on but I feel like its going to happen all over again.
This varies according to the procedure, surgical post-op protocol, etc.. I would guess 3-6 weeks? The doc should be able to give you a straight answer to that.
I am going in for a reverse surgery as well ( times 3 )
how long will I be in a sling?
How long after my 3 rd rotator cuff surgery, same shoulder. Do you think I am starting PT to soon after surgery?
That depends on the procedure that the doc does etc., but my guess is that probably a month or more?
I am 2 weeks post op from labrum repair and bicep tenodesis. I have recently started my at home exercises, including unweighted bicep work. The muscles in between my spine and shoulder blade on the operative side have been burning the last few days. Is there anything I can safely do to relieve some of that pain?
Thanks!
Do you know what k-tape is? You can get it at the drug store. Pinch your shoulder blade gently towards your spine, then have someone put a strip or two of k-tape from the shoulder blade to the spine, horizontal-ish. Then let the shoulder blade relax, is should feel as if it is supporting your shoulder blade a bit. I would see if you can find a video online of that. My written explanation is a bit lame.
The sling is to keep you from damaging the shoulder in the event of a slip or fall, it really is not ideal for shoulder positioning.
That’s what i thought. Thank you so much.
Hello Dan. I am located in SE Asia where I find it difficult to sometimes get concise answers from the medical community, thus I am so glad to have found your website and blog. It is a great resource for people with shoulder issues like myself and I thank you.
I am just over 10 weeks post-surgery from a rotator cuff reattachment repair and I am experiencing some unusual arm pain which I can’t seems to figure out the exact cause of. The arm pain also seems to continue to get worse as time goes on even though I stopped wearing the sling about 4 weeks ago.
I feel the shoulder itself is recovering more or less on schedule with a usual amount pain and a slowly progressing increase in mobility, range of motion and strength from what I can ascertain. But the arm pain seems untypical and is in addition to the shoulder pain. This arm pain starts at about 2 inches below the shoulder and is somewhat separate in a way. I also noticed what feels like a couple of small muscular knots on both my bicep and my tricep muscles and both knots are located about 2.5″ equidistant below the shoulder that was operated upon. The knots seem to have developed while I was wearing the sling.
The arm pain typically starts, and is at its worst in the morning when I wake up. It comes on like a wave of heavy pain covering almost my entire arm and which starts within 10 minutes after I awaken. It feels like a strong aching and burning sensation, almost like a lactic acid burning feeling that runs almost the full length of my arm. It seems to run from about 2″ below the recovering shoulder down to nearly my elbow where it stops and then it recommences again just below my elbow on the back of my forearm and down through my wrist.
After a few weeks of trial and error I seem to have figured out at least how to relieve most of the pain by putting a hot water compress on my arm immediately after I wake up and moving it up and down my arm and applying the heat to various parts of the arm for about 20 minutes. This normally gets rid of 85%-95% of the pain, but if I don’t use the hot water then the pain often persists most of the day. The pain also does sometimes return later in the day, especially if I take a nap, and, if it does, I just repeat with hot water and/or ice to relieve it again when that happens.
I don’t think I have a DVT or any nerve damage, but I can’t be sure. I also don’t have any muscular pain when I move the arm in any way so I don’t think there are any other tendon tears present. I did also have a small lipoma removed from the back of my arm just below my tricep (during my rotator cuff surgery), but I doubt this has anything to do with the pain. Perhaps those knots in the arm muscles are part of the source of the pain, but I am wondering if some of the external rotation physical therapy movements done on me initially have perhaps caused some minor tendentious (tennis elbow) in the back of my forearm which is now also contributing to the lower arm pain.
I would really like to try and figure out exactly what is the cause of this arm pain and what I might do to try and mitigate it so that eventually I can start becoming pain free from all this. Thank you again.
Whew! That was a long read Marc. My main thought here is that referral pain from the shoulder will not go below the level of the elbow. This must mean that something else is in play here. I am wondering if one (or more) of the nerves have been irritated from the sling wearing or the sleeping position. The radial nerve may traverse very close to where that cyst was removed. That might be worth having that checked out. Tendonitis is typically an over-use phenomenon, so having the armed ranged by the PT should not cause something like that.
Hello,
3 months ago I had labral repair and bicep tenodesis. PT was put off until the 6 week mark. I am going on my 4th week of PT and have just barely passed 90* PROM (started at around 55*). Therapy consists of some light strengthening and a lot of painful manipulation. After 4 weeks of PT would you say100* PROM is acceptable, or should I be concerned with the progress?
Thanks
That is not bad. Realize that some people tend to lay down a bit more scar tissue than others, so there is a wide range of progress from person to person. You might actually find that the ranges come a bit more smoothly if you lay off the heavy manipulation a bit. Stretching is of course good, but in my humble opinion it need not have to feel like you are being assaulted when being stretched.