Rotator cuff repairs, labral repairs, acromioplasties, and shoulder replacement surgeries are performed on countless patients every day in the United States. Although rehabilitative protocols differ depending on the surgery, there is one common complaint shoulder patients have regardless of the type of surgery. Most patients are not equipped to deal with the pain associated with sleeping. The following is a list of ideas that our patients have compiled over the years that have helped to get them “over the hump” in terms of getting a good night’s rest.
1. You may initially find it easier to sleep in a reclined position rather than lying flat on your back. There are two ways to do this. You can either bolster yourself from behind with pillows, or more preferably, sleep in a reclining “Lazy Boy” type of chair.
Infinite position power chair recliner
The sure-fire way to avoid pulling a reclining bar is to have an electric control mechanism. We have a few patients and readers who found an infinite position powered recliner chair online. Although it may not fit everybody’s sense of style, this chair (pictured above) is effective and comfortable.
It is also worth noting that as your sleeping comfort improves, it is worth slowly lowering your body down over time until you are back to a horizontal position. Many patients will have to sleep in a semi-reclined position for up to six weeks or longer following surgery. It is worth your while to plan ahead of time and borrow a recliner if you know that you will be having shoulder surgery.
2. Pharmaceuticals can be extremely helpful after shoulder surgery. What some patients do not realize is that different people react in different ways to different medications. If you are not getting any sleep secondary to pain with your current medication, ask your doctor if there are other options.
Breg Night Pillow for the Breg Neutral Wedge Sling
3. Many healthcare practitioners who deal with post-surgical shoulder rehab agree that placing a single pillow under the elbow and hand places the shoulder in a position that allows maximal blood flow to the rotator cuff tendons during sleep. The picture above shows such a position. It is even possible to do this while you are wearing your physician-prescribed shoulder sling.
4. Ask your doctor if it is acceptable to spend some time out of your shoulder sling every day. Shoulder slings are a necessary evil: they do indeed protect the shoulder from trauma while the patient is walking and performing daily tasks. The downside of the shoulder sling, however, is that it places the shoulder in an undesirable forward position that does not help with restoring normal mechanics. The longer a shoulder is kept forward in a sling, the harder it is to get the shoulder to rest in a normal position. This is yet another example of “form following function.” As soon as your doctor allows you to stop using your shoulder sling, burn it.
The Breg Night Pillow for their Neutral Wedge (pictured above) will assist with maintaining proper shoulder position and may help you get a better night’s sleep. View this on Amazon. Note that the product listed is strictly the Night Pillow; the brace is not included.
had severe rotator cuff damages…4 reattachments
in sling and cannot find position to sleep except almost completely upright,,,impossible
i have been told that i will be in sling for a month
q – is this just something i have to accept and get thru? what is the usual discomfort time until i can recline
thank you!
Michael
It may be a month or two before the sleeping comfort improves, especially with the level of involvement of your surgery. Try propping pillows under the elbow and arm to see if you can find a better position. If you have a reclining chair / lazy-boy that will usually help as well.
Dan
I had labrum surgery for my shoulder three weeks ago but it feels fine sleeping without my brace and walking around my house without it on…. Is it okay that I’m only wearing it when I go out in public?
Nicholas
The labral anchors really need a good month to heal in a stable position. Be very careful about taking the sling off in certain situations. I would certainly say that you need to wear it in public and while you sleep. It is probably fine to take it off in the house and when you are sitting quietly etc.., but you of course need to run the idea by your doctor.
Better to be mildly inconvenienced short term in order to have a stable recovery.
I had 4 reattachments this afternoon. Having pains In lower right ribs in every breath. Is there a reason for this and since the surgery was on my right shoulder can I sleep on my left side and not worry about hurting my shoulder?
Thanks,
Ben
Ben
The rib pain probably has to do with your positioning during the surgery. Keep an eye on it, if it doesn’t go away or if it gets worse see the doctor. I would say that you could probably sleep on the left side without doing any damage to the right shoulder, but it may be a bit clumsy especially if the doctor wants you to wear a sling.
Wendy I would normally think that the pain would be on the right side since that is the side of your surgery. Make sure that you let the doctor know that you are having this pain just to be safe.
I had rotator cuff surgery February 10, 2014 and have been sleeping in my recliner up until two weeks ago. I transitioned to my bed. I sleep okay in my bed but I wake up every morning with excruciating pain in my back and my neck. Did I transition too soon from my recliner to my bed and should I have done it not 8 hours all at once? I am considering going to a chiropractor. I am going back to my recliner until I can see my surgeon again.
I am guessing that your back is now accustomed to the reclined position rather than the supine position that your bed provides. Seeing a chiro may not be a bad idea. I would also work on strengthening your back.
Is there any way that you can gradually decrease the angle on the recliner? That might also be a good idea.
Not sure Jan. I just answered the other question that you posted.
I had rotated cuff surgery a month ago, still in the sling. I was shifting my car from park to drive when I felt the most excruciating pain. It’s been over 4 hours and I am still in a lot of pain. Even uusing my fingers to type hurts, how do I know if I messed up my injury.? Any advice would be helpful.
You probably just strained it. Ice it for a few days and let it rest. I would also avoid any pulling or pushing with the arm until you get the “okay” from the doctor. It is a bit early to be shifting car gears with the arm. It generally takes 4-6 weeks for the anchors that the doctor used to adequately heal into place.
If the pain doesn’t get any better in a few days talk to the doc about it.
I had a hold shoulder replacement on the 26 of June. I can’t sleep at night the pain is in my elbow an wrist what can i do about that.?I’m still sleeping in my recliner i can go to sleep thin then i woke up from the pain is that something i should be going to the doctor for?
Iawanda see if you can sleep with less of a bend in your elbow. Try placing a pillow under the elbow and hand like in the photo with the article.
I had massive rotator cuff repair surgery on July 10. I am married to my sling for a minimum
of 8 weeks. i am experiencing sleep disabling pain in my forearm and hand. I usually get about
2 hours and the pain will waken me. I will adjust position and ice, to no avail. I am guessing this is
a circulation (lack thereof) issue. Any suggestions? Thank you.
Sally is there any way to adjust the sling so that your elbow is less bent?? You may be getting irritation of the nerves as they pass through the elbow. A sustained flexion of the elbow will sometimes cause trouble like that.
I had these procedure done
1: synovectomy, debridement of Lalbrum, tenotomy of the bicep tendon, acromloplasty, cop landing of the clavicle of my right shoulder on July 15 and how long should I sleep in a recliner and wear the sling?
Coplaning
Of the clavicle
Raelene it sounds like you had a lot done on the shoulder. You may find it necessary to use the recliner for a month or two for sleeping comfort. Don’t worry about it if you have to go even longer than that.
In terms of the sling, ask the surgeon. He or she may want you to wean off of it slowly.
Marian it might be slowing down the healing process. I would try to avoid sleeping on that side if at all possible.
Just had shoulder surgery, can’t sleep? Hard to do #2, need help.
Can you recline rather than lying down? I would also try to place a pillow under your elbow and arm like in the blog picture. As far as toileting goes, you are probably going to have to figure out how to use the other arm for the short term.
The doc should also be able to prescribe you something short term for sleeping comfort. Ask him if there are any options.
Presciptions don’t seem to b working, can’t go anywhere long. Holiday weekend, need to wash myself, how?
I would see the doc this week to see if you can get something else for the pain. In terms of hygiene, can you sit in a bath tub and use a shower attachment with your good hand with your surgical shoulder resting on something? Is there anyone else around to help you out?
I had a total shoulder replacement approximately 3 mos. ago due to severe arthritis being one of the problems. I’m still having sleeping issues. I have sleep apnea, more noticeable when lying on my back. I’m a side sleeper and I’m now having problems with other shoulder pain. . I’ve been looking at the pillow on shoulderpainatnight.com. to help take stress off sleeping on my side; any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for any suggestions.
Hattye I would recommend sleeping in a partially reclined position. A “Lazy Boy” type reclining chair might place you in a more comfortable position.
Some people with sleep apnea do indeed have a very difficult time sleeping flat. If you don’t have access to a reclining chair, it might be possible to prop yourself up with a bunch of pillows placed behind you.
I’m wearing a sling for a bicep tenodesis and having a hard time at night. I wake up a few hours in to the night with numb pinky and ring finger a cold hand. my elbow hurts pretty much all the time now too. It’s been almost two weeks in the sling and im not sure how much longer I will need. Read your blog about the ulnar nerve but don’t know how I can correct my issue while in the sling any suggestions? I am also worried this will become worse and the numbness will become continual
Cathy I do think that your ulnar nerve is being irritated by the forced bending position of the elbow in the sling. Is there any way that you can lessen the amount of bend in the elbow while in the sling? I would ask the doc if it would be okay to sleep out of the sling, perhaps with a pillow under the arm and the forearm. This is a bit tricky because we do not need you messing up the doctor’s work.
Hi
I had ORIF for a Right proximal humerus fx 4 weeks ago and I’m hoping I can ditch the sling at my 6 week visit. But I reallywant to know when I can drive again. The dr said the PT would tell me but the PT says the dr will clear me. What is the typical time frame for returing to driving after such a procedure?
Thanks!
Deirdre
Usually the bone has healed by week 6. It is really just a matter of what type of strength you have at that point. Most people can drive immediately once they are no longer using a sling. The doctor needs to assess your motion and strength before you get the green light.
I am six weeks post op of rotator cuff surgery that was full thickness tear and a bone spur shaved off PT’s says I can start getting out of the sling but I would like to know how to transition from my recliner to my bed I tried last night and after three hours I was aching and couldn’t get comfortable anymore went back to my recliner. I am still sleeping with my sling not sure if I need too. I am scared ha ha. I don’t want to have to go through this again
Cindy most docs will usually ween you off the sling by week six, but I would ask the doctor to be sure. It may take a bit of transition to get back to the bed. You could maybe try sleeping for a few hours at a time in the bed to build up your tolerance to a less reclined position???
If you sleep on your back try placing a pillow under the elbow and forearm like in the article (see the picture). That might be a good transition for you.
I fell and crushed my humerus and the rotator cuff was completely severed off. I had a reverse total shoulder replacement. The surgeon told me I could remove my sling after three weeks. That’s it! No other instructions. My pain is unbearable at times and sleeping is impossible. My husband bought me a recliner but I’m having a very difficult time adjusting to sleeping on my back. I’m 50 and have always been a side sleeper. Any suggestions? I’m feeling so depressed.
Kate I would talk to the doctor about getting the right pharmaceuticals to help you sleep through the night. One thing is for sure, you would not be helping yourself by sleeping on the surgical side.
You could also try placing pillows under the forearm and elbow like in the photo while you are in the reclined position.
Take enough meds and get some muscle relaxer to go with the meds. That seem to help me. But I’m still in pain with therapy.
Oh Lord Help Me!!! Please give me the name of the best sling that I can purchase post rotator cuff surgery.
Katrina if you Google “shoulder sling with pillow” there are some good options out there. I would guess that you might do better with a sling that has a pillow that rests under the forearm.
Try the “Super SLing Plus”
HI- just wondering, how soon can I run after ac shoulder joint reconstruction? Thanks, Bunny
That sort of depends on how much work was done, but running does put a bit or strain on the AC joint. I would wait a good 12 weeks before jogging, but I would ask the doc first.
May 21st I had shoulder surgery, Supposedly, I had two large holes in rotator cuff, my bicep needed to be reattached and bone spurs – the Dr told me before surgery that he would only be making 3 incisions. When I came out of surgery my husband was told that when they got in there it was a lot more repairs that needed to be done …so he had to make 5 incisions. The pain medication is not working neither is the bio-chill….I’m sleeping in a recliner….I cannot get comfortable. Is there anything else I can do to get comfortable? The least bit of movement puts me into tears….
When it is this early medication is usually the main thing used to control pain. If your meds are not making a dent in your pain I would call the doc and ask him or her if there is something else that can be prescribed.
Placing a pillow under the elbow and forearm will allow for better blood flow to the shoulder. There is a photo in one of these blogs that shows just what I am talking about.
Thank you.
Take muscle relaxer with the pain meds. It will help. But you will still have some pain.
I had rotator, labrum repair almost 1 Month ago. Every position seems difficult in or out of sling. Most of pain in my biceps. Also when I awaken arm and neck on affected side very stiff and painful. ..Please Help!
I would make sure that you have a good pain or anti-inflammatory medication from your doctor. I would also see a PT to get some work done on the neck and shoulder. You should hopefully by now have some PT exercises to at least begin to get the shoulder moving.
It also is important that you try to start carrying your arm in a more “normal” position. Seeing a good PT should help to get you some instruction.
How long before I have full use of my left arm?
With most surgeries of the shoulder, expect at least six months before full function is back.
I wold like to say I had rotater cuff surgery(*right side ( on Jun 10th and I started sleeping on the couch 1 week after surgery, and I have no complaints. Is,this unusal? I go to my post op June 29 2015
As long as you are not sleeping on the surgical side I do not see a problem with it Carolyn.
i had anterior + inferior surgery on a torn labrum 5 weeks ago, i still feel sharp pains in my shoulder/collar bone area and my hand, fingers and wrist are very very sore and not strong. is that normal? :( jen
Bring it up to the doctor Jennifer. If your arm is in a sling for a good amount of time that can cause pains like that, as the shoulder does get pressed forward a bit. The weakness in the hand might be due to stress on the nerve bundles that pass through the front of the shoulder. Have the doc assess this.
Hi Doctor:
Here is the result from my MRI:
Biceps tendon: The long head biceps tendon is dislocated medially
from the bicipital groove and extends into the substance of the
subscapularis, reflecting the distal subscapularis tendon noted
above. The long head biceps tendon is contiguous and no biceps tendon
tear is appreciated.
Question: I participate in brazilian jiu-jitsu regularly (it is like wrestling); this injury happened about 3 months ago and it is feeling better. Very little pain, and my shoulder has good motion in all directions. My main problems are weakness (although i am still lifting weights and doing jiu jitsu), and i can’t do some activities like throwing a ball or swinging a golf club comfortably.
My doctor recommends surgery given my activity level (i’m 43 by the way). I know you haven’t seen the MRI, but i’m curious if you have an opinion on whether I should get it done now, or if it’s ok to wait indefinitely. I appreciate your thoughts.
Jason realize here that I am a PT and I am not technically trained to interpret MRI’s like that…….
But…..based on what you said it sounds to me like the long head of the biceps is placed at a disadvantage if it permanently slides off to the side like that. My guess is that you would probably have a permanent loss of strength with the biceps motion because it that is not the most anatomically efficient place. That is not likely to change without surgery.
If you can live with the loss of strength, you would probably be okay. But also realize that high level activity like martial arts where you are grappling will place stress on that shoulder, and I would gather than the position of the biceps might make you more susceptible to injuring the shoulder.
I would get a second opinion from another orthopedist.
I am 2 weeks post op small rotator cuff tear,some bone shaving to get rid of spur and impingement, and work on tendon. Also have lots of arthritis from RA. Only one anchor. PT hurts so bad as therapist passively moves arm to gain range. How hard does she have to push this early
Sam I am conservative when it comes to stretching early on. In my opinion the stretching should only be moderately uncomfortable. If your eyes are popping out of your head with pain, back off a bit and let the therapist know.
Had a grade 3 shoulder surgery (key-hole) few days ago & now have to wear a sling for 6 weeks but it hurts my shoulder blade too much, can I wear a shoulder support instead?..
It totally depends on what the doctor recommends. I would show the doctor a picture of the support and ask him or her if it is acceptable.
Does blood pressure play a part in why it is hard to sleep horizontal due to pain vs. sitting up? I ask this because I find that when I am in a low pain sitting position and take care to keep my shoulder/arm/ etc in same position relative to my torso while shifting to a more horizontal position the pain level in shoulder and arm gradually increases very significantly. The only change I can see to cause the change in pain is an increased blood pressure in these areas due to horizontal vs more vertical????
That is an interesting question. I haven’t ever come across any literature that suggests that. The horizontal position does place a little bit more stress on the anterior portion of the shoulder in most people. My money is on that.
The seated position with the arm elevated like you describe protects the front portion of the shoulder from a passive stretch.
I am having a rotator tear repaired Oct/ 1 Am hopining to be able to sleep in my bed. I have purchased extra pillows etc. and have two recliners to choose from. Is it possible to sleep on my bed with the sling on?
It is totally possible to sleep in your bed, but it is great that you have the option to use a recliner. Some people have no problem sleeping in the bed, some do. I wish I could tell you which side you will fall on Mary.
Mary,
I had the same surgery on September 2nd, 2 complete tears, 1 almost complete, and I chose to sleep in a chair, although not a recliner. The waist strap gave me back spasms so I had to loosen it a bit and the chair with arms kept my arm in place against my body better. I found that unless you have the straps tight against your body, in bed my arm would slip down to the side a little which was uncomfortable. If you prop your arm up on a pillow and try to sleep upright you may be ok. Just remember to start on the meds before the block wears off. Overall the pain wasn’t as bad as I was led to believe. Just started therapy yesterday, I got a long road ahead. Good luck.
Hi…I had a labrum repair on my left shoulder 3 days ago, I find wearing the sling really uncomfortable at night, so last night I slept without it. I slept on my back with my left arm wedged against my side with an extra pillow. However this morning I awoke on my right side with my left arm across my body and my shoulder is really quite painful, a lot more than it was the day before! needless to say I will not be doing it again. In your opinion do you think I may have torn the stitches in my labrum or would it take a bit more doing than that, and if so, would I be aware of when the damage took place, ie. would hurt as and when it happened and of caused me to wake up with a sharp pain? Thanks
Probably not torn, but I wouldn’t do that again. You are likely going to be sore for many days, or possibly weeks because of that. If the pain worsens or is disproportionately sharp I would let the doc know.
Thank you
I had the same experience. How strong are the stitches and anchors? Can they take some pressure?
They in general can take some pressure, but I really wouldn’t mess with them for at least the first six weeks. They do become more secure after six weeks or so. For example, having your arm traction or pulled would probably be too much for anchors early on. I have seen some patients who tried to avoid falling by grabbing on to a railing with the surgical arm. That is too much pressure.
September 30th , I had a biceps tendonecis , a major rotator cuff repair, a clavicle shaving , bone spur removal. I maintained the sling for 5 weeks with minor use of arm since. Therapist recommended no lifting with affected arm.
My problem is as my therapy is advancing, I am having issues bending fingers on hand an d weakness. Along with this is what appears to be a circulation problem, my palm stays red and blotchy, the forearm is also blotchy. I asked Dr about this , he said he could give me meds to clear this up. Your opinion please.
That does sound like a circulation issue. If there is swelling involved in the hand and forearm you might ask the doctor about getting a compression glove or sleeve. I would work on actively trying to make a fist with the fingers several times daily (with the doctor’s permission of course).
If the skin is very hypersensitive and painful, that might indicate something else entirely that the doctor would need to address.
rotator cuff tear,some bone shaving to get rid of spurs, Only one anchor. its been since july, was doing great, now all of the sudden my arm falls asleep at night, waking me up, sometimes in pain. I have done all PT and was released in early Nov., any thoughts?
I am guessing that you are rolling over on to that shoulder while you are sleeping? The simplest solution would be to minimize the time on that side. Try not to sleep on it at all if possible. The mechanics aren’t fun: the head of the humerus usually gets pushed forward and causes pain and restricted blood flow to the arm.
If you are not sleeping on that side, I would follow up with the PT or the doc and find out what is going on.
My son had his second labrum repair in march 2015 which resulted from sliding into base. The year before he has the first repair with laser and it was a failure. He is now 10 months post op and had his shoulder opened up for the repair and an anchor put in and slowly back to lifting about 65 to 70 lbs and goes to gym with a trainer 3 days a week. He cannot play basketball or any contact sports yet as his arm is not ready and the huge fear of re-injury. It is very hard to say the least. he tried to pay ping pong today for about 10 minutes and did not feel pain at first but about 20 minutes later he said he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.
is this worrisome? We are both very upset. I cannot believe it actually as he was not playing that crazy at all. What do you think?
I think that if this is a new activity it is entirely plausible to have some sharp pain afterwards. I would bet that if he did the same thing again in a week or so the response would still be there, but it would likely be less. Don’t freak out.
Having a second surgery adds a huge amount of rehab time. I have seen young athletes who had a second labral repair who took a full year to start up with their sports. Even then it was a very gradual phase back.
Talk to the doc if the longer-term trajectory is not positive. Improvements are usually seen month to month, not week to week generally. Little set backs happen, particularly with challenging the should in new ways.
It has been going on 10 weeks after rotator cuff surgery. Shaved some bone relocated bicep 3 screws sewed some other tears. Six weeks in sling passive . 4 weeks so far stretching no weight. Good range of motion with help and a lot of pain. My question is I still have a lot of pain mostly at night in the joint. it aches deep to the bone.Tried different pillows in different spots but after sleeping for about 3 hours it wakes me and won’t go away till i get up and stretch it . Then i can get about 45 minutes till it does it again. Is this normal? Taking a pain pill sometimes helps a little but not always. I can’t take nsaids because of some heart meds i am on. I am very active 58 male who is trying to get well by summer advid surfer and golfer also walk 4 miles plus, 5 times a week.Lack of sleep problem and pain is slowing my rehab down. Any advice? Will it get better and I just need to suck it up and give it more time?
You may have better luck sleeping if you sleep in a recliner for a few weeks David. I have found that when patients can control the angle of inclination that they are at it tends to help. It definitely sounds like you had a significant amount of work done, it is common for patients that we see here at the PT clinic in Washington DC to report similar symptoms. Once you are cleared for gentle strengthening that should also help with the shoulder stability and overall comfort. I am guessing that the doc won’t clear you for that for at least another 2-4 weeks. You are getting there, hang in there for a bit longer.
I have had two rotator cuff surgeries, the first was 8 Feb., 2016 the second 13 June 2016. Along with the rotator cuff repair there are a few other repairs made inside each shoulder.
Post surgery, I slept reclined for about a week only to find this position even more uncomfortable. I done away with the 45 degree angle wedge & laid flat on my chest with no problems.
By my 6th week for the first repair I had full movement with almost no discomfort at all. I wouldn’t call it pain. My Physical Therapist put me about 10-12 weeks at 6 weeks.
Now my second shoulder is working out the same way, hopefully by week 6 I’ll be pain free in this shoulder as well. After one week I lost the sling since it caused more problems than good.
Granted, everyone is different I excersised my shoulder everyday in fact I washed dish’s, washed cloths, just done everyday choirs even worked on repairing my Dodge Cummins broken rear wheel stud. Of course I was careful but I did use the arm to a point to where I felt a bit of a sting, that was as far as I pushed the shoulder.
PT is important, as is doing PT at home too.
Remember everyone is different & I do not suggest anyone follow what I do unless you are will to suffer consequences if any occur. Limits is key.
Thank you for this very complete and fact-based description of your recovery. Details are important and you’ve given them to us. I’m having shoulder surgery in two weeks and can’t decide whether I should get a reclining chair or not. Your experience is great input.
I would go with the recliner. You may not actually need it, but better to have it there in case.
I would say yes. I borrowed one and try my bed, couch, and get the most sleep in recliner.
i just underwent ORIF surgery a week ago for a fractured shoulder. i get a shootinng pain in my chest when I sneeze and a jab when i take a deep breath. Is there reason to worry?
Most likely your rib cage is stiff, and the intercostal muscles may be a bit strained as well. Realize Anmole that I am not standing in front of you to evaluate you, so I will always recommend that you tell the doctor about it.
Try to stay out of a forward slumped posture with the shoulder, this can at times contribute to the whole stiffness in the ribs issue.
Had arthroscopic repair of tear this Tuesday. On Wednesday I found this while searching for a way to sleep more comfortably. I really appreciate all the questions and comments. I have come to the conclusion that I will sleep as I can. So I am watching a lot of tv and playing my games on my cell. I wanted to share the tip my physical therapist shared with us yesterday. I have a ColdCare unit that I am practically addicted to. She told us to purchase the small, 8-oz water bottles and freeze them. That way we don’t have to keep throwing away water and overwork the ice maker. We bought a 48-pack at the store and keep about 20+ in the freezer at any given time. The ColdCare unit takes about 5. Now we don’t run out of ice from the ice maker anymore, nor do we need to buy bags of ice. It is also easier, because we don’t have to lug the unit around, empty the water, fill it up with ice again, then lug it back to the bed. My husband just switches the thawed bottles for frozen ones. I spend most of the day and night with the cooling pad on my shoulder and the machine only gets a break during the refresh.
Thanks for the input!!!! Some people swear by the Coldcare cuffs.
I had surgery on 9/15/16 to repair a labral tear in my left shoulder. When the doctor/surgeon went in, he found I also tore my rotator cuff 75% of the way. I am using a game ready ice machine and love it!! I too replace frozen water bottles instead of depending on ice. It works miracles!! I go in tomorrow to hopefully get my stitches removed, they are not the dissolving kind. Can’t wait to get rid of them, as they tend to snag on my shirts.
Everyone raves about the “Game Ready”! I think I am going to get one for the clinic.
I had labrum surgery on 12/8/16, we have a polarcare ice therapy and I’ve been using it constantly. More just at night now but it was getting a break only during changes for fresh ice and water. It’s incredible for pain relief and my three kids have all had knee surgeries (ehlers danlos is the culprit) and their healing time seemed to be greatly reduced using it! The gel ice packs in the sleeves they send you home with are for one bulky and heavy on a surgical site and two the cold doesn’t effectively get through all of the packing and dressing to reduce swelling. Insurance companies no longer cover them stating they are ineffective, which boggles my mind!
I am 6 weeks post op of my shoulder surgery. I had a tear & cyst. The doctor said that it was much worse then he thought. I’m having problems sleeping. I slept on the recliner for 4 weeks but then started having pain from my shoulder to my neck & back pain. I then tried the bed using pillows, towels, etc. The pain is so awful that I haven’t had a decent nights rest in weeks. My doctor suggested to start taking my pain meds before bed. That seemed to help a little, but I wake up several times in pain & have trouble moving my arm when I awaken. This seems to be hindering my recovery and makes my pt quite painful. Any suggestions?
Ease of the PT for a week. If you are being stretched too aggressively that might be contributing to the night pain. I would also try putting a pillow under the elbow and against the body as in the blog article. In terms of the pain meds, some people react better to certain medications. Ask the doc if there is something esle that you could try maybe????
My Dr wrote me a prescription for a recliner rental, does anyone accept that?
I am thinking of just purchasing a chair for my upcoming surgery next week ..
Any Ideas?
Roy
If you call your insurance they should be able to tell you if they at least partially cover the chair rental. I think that it would fall under “durable medical equipment”.
I underwent ORIF surgery for a distal humerus spiral fracture a week ago. I am not experiencing severe pain but while trying to sleep I wake up with pain in my shoulder. I have tried sleeping with arm sling on and off but same problem with both. Any suggestions or recommendations.
Fractures definitely ache for a while. You may experience that for some time. You can talk to the doc about pain medication at night, or you can experiment with pillow positioning or the angle of inclination of the bed / chair that you sleep in.
I had arthroscopic shoulder surgery and can i sleep on my operated side after two weeks or can i sleep lying on my front?
I would not sleep on the surgery side. You are probably better off with lying on your stomach, but ideally lying on your back is the safest.
Hi Dan,
I had rotator cufff keyhole surgery 3 weeks ago now following a tear (1cm long) and and I remove the sling to sleep because it makes it easier to stretch my right arm in a sling all day long. I know the recommendations are to keep my arm in a sling for 4-6 weeks so just wondering if that could slow down the healing process or cause problems?
Thanks,
Rod
Being out of the sling won’t slow down the healing process, but there is an increased chance of damaging it if you jerked your arm suddenly while you are sleeping.
You mentioned “Lazy Boy ” chair is there any particular model type you recommend to buy. Or any particular” lazy boy” features / benefits that would make sleeping / recovery easier to sleep comfortable.
Thank you .
I would say that any reclining chair should work provided that it is comfortable. The type of reclining chair I suppose totally depends on your body type. I would call the manufacturer and ask them which model might fit your body type the best. Arm rests are necessary, and you would want the chair to have adequate head support.
I am 9 weeks out of rotator cuff and labrum repair, very tight, they had to take part of clavicle!
I started PT x 2wks ago three x a week. I am in constant pain( muscle spasms) and pain radiating down the arm. I cannot sleep, setting or lying for longer then a couple of hours, and that is only with pain meds.
I am so tired and run down. I feel like a rubber band stretched to the max.
I would try to sleep reclined like in a Lazy-boy with a pillow under the elbow and forearm. The clavicular resection is going to add some time to the whole process. Hang in there, you should be pulling out of it slowly.
I am 16 weeks out of my second labrum surgery. I have began to play soccer frequently but only shooting sprinting and plyometrics. Is this okay 16 weeks out. Also when is the normal time to begin body weight exercises and more intense running?
If the doc cleared you I wouldn’t worry about it. The more intense running I would guess could be started perhaps 2-4 weeks after the current exercises that you are doing.
A long time ago as i child,i had a shoulder injury which made me use a sling .I was in a hotel far away from home in 2011 and noticed my arm came out of my shoulder,a friend keyed it back and I was fine .this reoccurred the next year and I found the experience extremely painful.I visited the doc this year when it happened again and apart from the pain pills he put meon a sling which i found uncomfortable and dropped it after a few days,the doc also advised that I should avoid some form of rigorous exercises and positios for my arm which I do.my concern is that the occurrence this year is more frequent and even at times I wake up in pains with my arm dislocated during the sleep.
I’ll appreciate an advise from you please.
If the shoulder is dislocating with this amount of frequency, I would visit an orthopedic surgeon. Surgery may be a good option to stabilize it. I would also consult a physical therapist and see if conservative management keeps it from dislocating. This would involve specific exercises that you would have to do on a weekly basis long-term.
Hi, me again ? I am now in the 5th week since my humerus injury. I am still sleeping in a recliner but now my left leg is getting edema and swelling up, just above knee to ankle, very likely from my being sedentary (but am moving more but it hurts my arm to constantly stand or move just to get rid of the edema). Could I get into a bed now, which would likely help the edema? Would my break be starting to heal enough to not risk more injury by lying flat, or the process of actually getting to a lying down position, plus all the getting up and down at night going to the loo? I don’t think I can stand the recliner too much longer with the swelling in my leg. Seems like if it’s not one thing it’s another, the domino effect. Thanks for your help, Dan. Much appreciated.
I think that you should be able to lie flat at this point. For comfort I would maybe place a pillow under your elbow so that the head of the humerus does not jut forward.
Thanks for your help and your time.
Hello, I am one week out of surgery for a 90% cuff tear and bone spur removal. I have been sleeping in a recliner and am up and about a lot during the day. I have minimal pain in my repaired shoulder so I am almost off pain meds ( 2 oxy) a day. However I am waking up in the middle of the night with my “good” arm cramping from my shoulder to my fingers. I do not see my Dr. For another week and pt the day after. I take a pain med when the cramping pain wakes me up but that only lasts a short time. Any thoughts? Thanks
That is a bit strange to be cramping that amount. I would call the doc and let him or her know that. It very well might be the positional changes that come from sleeping in the recliner, but better to be safe about it.
I’m 6 weeks out of my second labrum surgery and I’m having tons of pain in my neck/shoulder blade. It’s mostly microfacial pain, any tips on easing it?
If you are still using the sling, ask the doc if you can ditch it. I would also have some massage work done on the shoulder blade area and neck. There are postural exercises that would be a good idea to do as well, but I would recommend that you get them in person from a physical therapist.
3 weeks ago I had surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, torn bicep and to remove a bone spur. At my 10 day follow up I mentioned that my fingers were going numb so they adjusted my sling a bit which helped for awhile but in the last few days I can feel pressure on the nerve in my elbow and numbness in my fingers and hand. Also my hand is cramping. I’m a petite 68 year old lady and wish this immobilizer sling was smaller. My doctor said no PT until I see him in 3 weeks. He did not recommended that I let my arm hang down and do small rotations as I’ve seen in youtube videos. I realize every case is different and will follow his instructions. However I’m concerned that my elbow won’t be able to straighten out later. Just wondering what to do about the pressure on the nerve in my elbow. The pain isn’t bad I use ice packs and extra strength Tylenol during the day and one oxycodone at night. I’ve been sleeping in a recliner with a pillow under my arm and I loosen the velcro and unbuckle the neck strap when sitting and sleeping. Thank You for reading this.
Your nerve is probably easily irritable because of your petite size. If you were my patient I would probably tell you to spend some time out of the sling to give the nerve a rest. The more the elbow is flexed, the more it irritates the ulnar nerve. If you are just sitting in the recliner it would most likely be safe to take the sling off. But as always, I am not in the business of giving advice contrary to a prescribing physician over the internet. You need to convince the doc that you will be safe out of the sling and get permission.
Thank you for your reply. I’ve been tempted to remove the sling while sitting and place a rolled up towel under my arm as instructed to do when taking a shower. I think I will call the doctor tomorrow.
I had a massive rotator cuff repair surgery including reattaching both upper and front tendons, repairing a tear in my back tendon and attaching both upper bicep tendons, removing several bone spurs, and some arthritis clean up in my shoulder joint. This was completed by arthroscopic surgery and a 4″ incision in my upper inside arm to attach the bicep tendons on October 26th. I am going to PT twice a week, and follow up with my surgeon this week for my 6 week post op appointment. All in all my recovery is going better than I ever expected given the 70% failure rate for massive tear repairs and the horror stories I heard and read about prior. My major problem is not sleeping on a regular schedule. Some nights I am anxious and cannot get comfortable either in a recliner or in bed. Other times I sleep 2-4 hours at a time, and other times I crash for 8+ hours. I cannot see me being to return to a work schedule with these sleep patterns. I am curious what I can do to improve the quality of my sleep and have it be on a more regular schedule? Also I am curious when patients are typically released to return to work? I am 57 years old, and I am a LPN in a primary care physician office full time which does require reaching overhead for samples, supplies, etc. and I am not even close to being able to do that yet. However, I am anxious to return to a “normal routine”. My second concern is when can it be determined if my surgery was a success as the failure percentage rate is high? Your thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated.
I would guess that the jury will be out on the surgery success until about one year post-op. In terms of sleeping, I am hardly the pharmacology expert, but the doc should be able to give you something to get you over the hump? I will also tell people to tinker around with the positioning in terms of angle of incline, or perhaps putting a pillow under the elbow and letting the hand rest on the stomach as in the photo on the blog.
Return to work for this type of surgery I would guess would be at least 3-5 months.
I tore both labrum and rotator cuff.what is the recovery time.
If you have surgery, 6-12 months.
Hi sir I had a right shoulder surgery over 70 days but full of pain I can’t do pt also any solution
I would ask the surgeon what exercises are acceptable to do at this time. I am going to guess that you should be cleared to do range of motion. You could start with the pendulum exercises (in the exercises, shoulder on the website, the password is “patient”.)
Hi..I had shoulder surgery to remove two spurs, repair two small hole, cleaned the ligament up, reattached and they shaved some off my clavical.
I only had three physical therapy appts. and was told I could do it at home. I had two follow up visits with the PA, first visit an x-ray was done to check ligament and 2nd appt. at three weeks they released me. The only instructions were to only light lifting for three more weeks. No one has even looked at my shoulder, I removed the steri-strips..
Now at 4 weeks I have started having pain/soreness in the rotator cuff and clavical area. I don’t know what to do. Any suggestions? Or is this normal? Thanks
I just love the lack of information we all get in our outstanding healthcare system……….I am sorry that you were treated like that. It happens all too often. When someone shaves of part of your clavicle, it hurts and aches for some time. I would guess that this is within the normal response. Shoulder surgeries in general take many months to heal up.
For the first eight weeks, I would generally stick to passive and active-assisted motions. Pendulum exercises, light isometrics, gently walking your hand partially up the wall are good ideas. I would find a good PT and have this all clarified, with timelines for when to start new exercises.
I had shoulder surgery 8 weeks go joint cleaned and bone shaved I’m in agony still , pain killers not working was told when I had surgery recovering time was 6 to 8 weeks was told last week it’s now 6 to 12 months !!! Is it worth paying for a private scan to see what is going on
Whoever told you the recovery time was 6 to 8 weeks should have his or her head examined. 6 to 12 months is the norm for most shoulder surgeries. I would at least see a PT and get some basic ideas for things to be doing, and getting another doc opinion is always a good idea.
I am 6 weeks out from posterior labrum surgery with three anchors. I weened out of the sling in the 5th week even sleeping without it. I still wake up in the night with aches down my arm. I havnt been taking pain meds and have been doing standard passive rom exercises 3-4 times a day, pend. swings, ex rott ect. I figured im far enough out to not require pain meds and wondered if the night pain is normal at this stage. Walking out of the sling feels abnormal. I sleep on the couch on my back and good side sometimes and sometimes the recliner. Any suggestions and is my situation normal for this stage?
Kind regards, kim.
A significant percentage of people do have a difficult time with sleeping comfort for many months following this type of surgery. I would maybe tinker with the pillow placement under the arm while you are sleeping (see the blog photo). This pain should slowly subside over time. There might be some sort of pharmaceutical alternative that you can discuss with the doctor in terms of getting good sleep. I am not an expert in regards to that, you would have to talk to the doc about it.
I had labrum repair surgery that was almost a complete tear the whole way around, from about one o’clock around to twelve o’clock as well as two ligaments tightened and reanchored as well he found a tendon just hanging on by a thread so that was also repaired and anchored. I’m almost four weeks out-surgery was 12/8/16- but not allowed to do any exercises yet other than bending the elbow up and down and moving my wrist and fingers. I only saw the pa at one week for suture removal and he gave me the instructions to do those few things as well as taking the immobilizer off twice a day and allowing my arm to go straight at my side. When I put the immobilizer back on I experience pain in my shoulder from the small amount it’s moved out due to the immobilizer contraption. Is it normal for the restrictions due to the amount of repair and is that pain normal when putting the arm back in? I use the polarcare ice system at night to help with pain, I’m still sleeping in a recliner and do wake up a few times at night from pain still.
With almost a full labrum tear like that, I would say that pain like you described would be normal. You need a good six weeks of relative inactivity for the anchors to heal into place. You will have a weak shoulder as a result that will take considerable time to build. Hang in there! No pun intended.
I had Shoulder replacement about 3 weeks ago Iam doing Pt that was giving to me when I was in the hospital my arm is still swollen will it go down when I start. Pt
In a few months it probably will. Replacements do take quite a while to recover. Stick with the doctor’s rehab protocol.
Would a recliner be beneficial after shoulder replacement surgery? I am schedled for one in 2 weeks and want to be prepared
Hmmm. The recliner is usually quite beneficial for the rotator cuff and labral surgeries, but it very well may help you out as well. Believe it or not, I don’t think anyone has ever commented on this in regards to shoulder replacements. If you want to be proactive about sleeping comfort early on it is probably a good idea.
Five weeks ago I fell hard, causing a dislocated shoulder and non-displaced fracture of the head of humerus on my left side. The dislocation was reduced in ER four hours later, and my arm was placed in a sling and body binder for 4 weeks. During that time I slept sitting in an armchair, as it was way too painful to lie down. Since having the sling removed I have tried to sleep lying down, either on my back or on my unaffected side, but wake every couple of hours with pain that runs from my shoulder across my clavicle, as well as deep in my upper arm. My upper arm is swollen and, although I have started doing strengthening exercises, I cannot lift my upper arm from my side. During my 3 visits to the hospital (the first for emergency treatment, and 2 subsequent outpatient appointments) the doctor only looked at my X-rays and did not do any physical examination. The doctor told me (at my final visit at week 4) that I did not need follow up physical therapy and that I could now use my arm and shoulder normally, but within pain limits. I am a 62 year old woman and concerned that I may have damaged ligaments and muscles and maybe the rotator cuff, because 5 weeks after the accident I am still having constant pain in upper arm, shoulder, clavicle and scapula, very restricted shoulder and arm movement, as well as difficulty finding a comfortable sleeping position. I am still putting on a sling for periods when I’m walking a lot, as the weight of my arm drags my shoulder down, causing more pain. I am currently living in an Asian country, where doctors are not comfortable referring patients to another doctor as it may cause them to lose face. Do you think that my symptoms are indicative of the need for a second medical opinion, or are they just normal for a simple dislocation and fracture?
Fractures hurt and ache, often for a very long time (I know from personal experience). You are still in the early stages of recovery from this. My guess is that your injury is going to take up to a year in order to fully recover. I do also agree with your comment on other structures being injured in the shoulder. The ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissue structures likely all took a bit of a beating. Be patient and consistent with this process. Once the x-ray shows full healing I would start gentle exercise (like the pendulum exercises) to tolerance. Light functional usage of the arm is encouraged.
I would think that a PT consult would also be a good idea. You will get through this Kay, it is just going to take some time.
Almost 7 years ago I dislocated my shoulder and re injured it falling down stairs and other things for a 6 month period from initial injury. I got a full thickness partial tear of the subscapularis. The supruapinatis has a slight tear. I rehabed and got good range and strength back, threw lousy though. Three wks ago I Somehow tore my subscapularis. All the way off. The bicep tendon moved out of the grove medial. Supraspinatis torn a little and bone spur around acrominalclivicular. I got a cortisone shot. He said no sx. Why can I have my subscapularis repaired ?
If you are not doing high level activities with the arms, you may very well be able to rehab it enough to do what you want without discomfort. I would certainly cease any throwing motions or resisted motions at the shoulder level or above. Having a second surgery for the same structures will usually have a less ideal outcome that the first.
I had labrum repair, bone spurs, tears in tendons and ligaments,bicep tendon moved and reattached. The army couldn’t find what was wrong for years. Now that I have had the surgery about 8 weeks ago. At the 6 week mark the surgeon told me to expect pain for approx another 6 weeks. I am looking forward to not having any pain. It has been years with getting very little sleep and just made everything difficult. The surgeon and the physical therapy doc are pleased with where I am as far as movements. I am looking forward to having some kind of quality of life but am scared of reinjury. Is this common or is injury to the other shoulder common for compensating the injured shoulder. I have tried many ways to sleep but nothing works for more than an hour or so. Hoping that will start to ease up here soon and sleep will become normal again.
Have you tried sleeping in a recliner? A lot of people who had your type of surgery get some much needed relief from the reclined position.
I have rotater cuff surgery coming up. It is the right side and my recliiener electric button is on the right side, so that won’t work. Thought about renting a dual loveseat recliiener or a hospital bed,which would be better? Also will Medicare cover hospital bed rental?
Can’t you just adjust the chair while standing next to it as needed? It might be a bit of extra work on your part, but it would certainly save you the time and effort of getting another chair. You would have to call Medicare to find out if they would cover another recliner or bed.
I am 7 weeks out from full thickness tear rotator cuff and tendon tear surgery.. repaired with anchors , excised bursa..I am going to PT twice a week and the pain is intense during manipulation–progress is slow –I am athletic and usually handle pain very well— Not this time –I am doing exercises at home 2-3 x’s a day also –I have not started strength exercises .. just passive movement- Doctor and PT think I need to be put under for a complete manual manipulation -and arthroscope to make sure repair is holding – I am horrified this will set me back– they think it will help with my mobility progress– your thoughts ?
I think that maybe you are doing too much. Sometimes if the range is pushed to aggressively and too frequently, the result can be an actual increase in inflammation and stiffness. If you were my patient I would probably back you off and work only on gentle stretching for a few weeks to see how your shoulder tolerates this.
Thank you for your reply — I also brought this up, and was told if no exercises are done to discomfort level ( stretching and feeling the pull ) that it could result in “frozen shoulder” which is very hard to recover from— I would love to take a day or two off from the exercises and pain, or tell the PT to take it easy– but do not want to get frozen shoulder ….so the lesser of two evils is in your opinion easing up on stretching to discomfort ?–I am heating before exercises and using ice after-
Granted this is just my opinion, but if a frozen shoulder is going to happen, it is going to happen. Causing trauma to the shoulder in the form of aggressive stretching may actually bring a frozen shoulder on rather than prevent it. I am sorry that you are getting conflicting advice here. Some docs just take a different standpoint with these things.
Hi I had rotator cuff repair and bicep tenodesis done 4 weeks ago today. I been experiencing pain since op day but the last 2 weeks have been more painful than the first 2 weeks. I have followed all post op instructions PT twice a week, sleeping on a recliner, ice for 20 minutes every hour still , take arm off sling at least 3 times a day for elbow wrist and hand movement taking naproxen ,acetaminophen and oxycontin 10mg er every 12 hours to help sleep but nothing helps sleep more than 2 hours straight. I know I’m supposed to expect pain after surgery but is severe acute pain normal at 4 weeks after? Not being able to sleep for 4 weeks? And how long before pain gets easier to handle and be able to have a good night sleep? How long this severe pain lasts?
There is huge variability with this. Some people take longer than others to get the sleeping comfort back. I would keep the doctor in the loop in terms of how things are going. Usually by about six (6) weeks the pain is under control for most people, but I have seen people who are irritated for 8-12 weeks.
I am 45year old female. I had orif shoulder for proximal humerus surgical neck fracture.
I am 8weeks post op and can elevate up to 120 forwards n sideways. Struggling to rotate past 70 in arm by the side. Physio thinks I am doing OK…. I am not too sure. As range progress doesn’t look the great to me…. Not doing any strengthening yet either…
You are doing great for eight weeks post-op. The strengthening can be slowly phased in with the doctor’s permission. This usually occurs somewhere between 8-12 weeks. Be patient, you are getting there!
I had an Labrum and bicep repair and it’s 5 months after my surgery. Is it okay for me to sleep on that shoulder? Slept on it last night and I’m having minor pain that I never had before.
Ideally you don’t want to sleep on the shoulder because that positioning tends to push the head of the humerus forward. This shouldn’t re-tear the work you had done, but I think that it is a general irritant. Sleeping on your back is better.
Okay thank you, When should the pain go away and how would I know if there was a tear ?
The only way to be certain is to have a diagnostic test done by the doc (MRI etc.). I would ask the doc if he or she thinks that you need one.
I am approximately 3 months post ORIF to treat right shoulder dislocation and proximal humeral fracture which occurred following an impact fall. I was also diagnosed with radial palsy. While I can definitely see improvements related to PT and acupuncture, I continue to deal with numbness from the top of the arm, wrapping along the back of the elbow, down to the pinky. My biggest challenge remains sleep deprivation, and not because of insomnia—aching, heaviness, and cramping regardless of pillow support, or body position. My concern is that the 3 screws and washers placed in the shoulder may be impinging on nerves. What is your opinion on removal of this hardware?
Fractures do ache, and given that you had an ORIF, I would expect it to ache quite a bit. One thing that you describe does seem a bit strange, the elbow to pinky numbness is more indicative of ulnar nerve issues than radial nerve issues. If your arm is being kept in a sling with the elbow flexed that might be causing some of that numbness. I would ask your doc about it.
Once everything has healed up I would assess how the lower arm is doing in terms of numbness. An x-ray would be helpful as well in terms of seeing how the screws look. I don’t think that any decision is normally made in regards to the screws until at least six months after the surgery. The exception to that would be if the screws were causing loss of strength in the muscles of the forearm or hand. That is tricky to figure out because of the radial palsy.
Well I am going to try this since it’s so hard to find info anywhere online about my condition. March 11 of this year for the first time in my life I broke a bone. I fell of my horse when he got spooked and landed on my left elbow which drove my Humerus bone into my shoulder, & shatters my humerus ball. They called it a 4-part proximal humerus fracture, displaced & I tore my rotator cuff. I thought my elbow had to be broken also because I had emense pain & swelling there. After seeing an orthopedic surgeon the following Monday he recommended surgery with a possible partial shoulder replacement. That Friday I had the surgery & he used a cadaver piece to fill in a gap somewhere but was able to save the bones using sutchers & the normal plate, bolts etc.
I went back to work about 4 weeks post surgery. My job involves a lot of typing and sitting for hours at a time. Besides the fact I have carpel tunnel in both wrists, by Friday of my first week I was in excruciating pain because of the position I sat in & I’ve been having trouble sleeping (of course) on top of that. No matter if I’m in a recliner or in bed with a dozen pillows, I can’t get the pressure released from my shoulder or elbow area. My hand, wrist & elbow goes numb & my shoulder blade feels like it’s on fire at times.m, even if I take a Percocet. I go back for a checkup this week and as much as I hate the pain meds (nausea) I feel I have no choice; otherwise I am in tears at times, which is weird considering I didn’t cry when I broke my arm. Recovery has been much worse for me for some reason.
After talking with people I’ve learned that this apparently was a serious injury & that maybe I went back to work too soon or maybe I have nerve damage. Full disclosure I haven’t been using my sling but my surgeon said it wasn’t necessary either. Any ideas on questions I should ask my surgeon when I go back for a check up this week? I just want some relief so I can get some rest. I cannot sleep like this & I worry I’ve done something to mess up my surgery. I’m a 39 yr old female, not extremely active but considered to be in good health.
I do think that this was a doozie of an injury. This is going to take many months to recover from, maybe even a year. Going back to work after 4 weeks does seem a bit early. Once the x-rays confirm a decent healing on the bone, I would start gentle PT and manual work to the ribcage, thoracic spine, neck, shoulder, and elbow. That should help with your overall comfort.
My mother is 70 and had a massive tear cuff repair surgery 6 weeks ago.
Doctor today said she’s now OK to drive and sleep in a bed rather than the recliner. Yet, as she normally sleeps on her stomach and moves around a lot, she’s afraid she could move her arm above her head when sleeping and thus rip out her stitches. She misses lying down so thinks she will sleep in bed with the sling.
What approach might you recommend to her, given this situation?
How can anyone in recovery from shoulder surgery possibly sleep in a bed, given the potential to unconsciously move the arm in a position that can rip the stitches? It seems like a dangerous roll of the dice to me. Am I correct, or is there some sub- /un- conscious process that prevents this from happening?
At six weeks she would have to put a huge amount of stress though the shoulder to tear the anchors. I would have her start sleeping on her unaffected side or on her back. Sleeping with the sling is also an idea, but my guess is that this will become annoying to her quite soon.
If the shoulder is placed in a position that causes pain while sleeping, it is normal for the pain response to force the patient to change position. Your mother will probably do just that if her shoulder is in a bad position. I would talk with the doc and make sure that she is not overly sedated when she goes to bed (medication, alcohol), because this can sometimes cause the patient to unconsciously ignore the pain signals.
I had a shoulder arthroscopic surgery in my right shoulder the doctor made
1- Subacromial Decompression
2- 2 REGENESORB biocomposite anchors to fix a partial tear in the supraspinatus tendon
3- remove AC joint fibrosis
4- remove scar tissue from the shoulder joint
5- I start the excersise on the second day after surgery as instructed by the doctor for 3 weeks 3 times per day and icing after the excersise
6- I removed the sling after 10 day as instructed by the doctor
7- I start physiotherapy after 3 weeks from the surgery ( CPM shoulder chair , ultrasonic and excersise 3 times per week, the physiotherapy doctor said that I have weaknes in the right scapula muscles ( it is winged a little bit compared with the left scapula) it comes out from the shoulder cage a little bit also the posture of my right shoulder , my right shoulder comes forward a little bit compared with the left shoulder
I am worried , do I have to be worried or it is a matter of time then everything will be okay
Please advice , I have a picture for my right scapula and the posture of my right shoulder but I don’t know how to send it , can you provide me with an email to send you the picture
Regards
The scapular winging was probably there before the surgery. I wouldn’t worry too much about this until the shoulder has recovered a bit. Long term however, it is probably a good idea to work on strengthening the shoulder blade to idealize your mechanics. It is great that the PT has noticed this and will address it. You will get there, this is just going to take many months of attention.
I am a 62 year old female, 5’7″, 140lbs. Fairly active before surgery. May 1, 2017 I had arthroscopic surgery on right shoulder to repair torn rotator cuff, labrum, bone spurs. Doc used three anchors. Doing pretty well though still in the sling. Have little to no pain in shoulder without pain meds. Slept in a recliner for first 4 nights, then used propped pillows in bed slowly trying to get flatter as my back and neck were hurting (from the sling I assume). My problem is now I can’t lay on my back at all without throbbing in my non surgical side ribs which only lasts a few minutes and excruciating pain in my upper back between my shoulder blades that does not go away. It’s this just a sleeping position problem or maybe something more serious?
It is probably a secondary problem from wearing the sling. The sling tends to draw your upper back and shoulders forward. I would ask the PT (I assume that you are seeing one??) to work on the pect minor, levator scapulae, and subscapularis muscles in addition to the thoracic spine and rib cage. That should speed this along.
Back problems have mostly subsided now at nearly 7 weeks post opp. It helped being able to sleep in a more flat position. I bought a ‘pregnancy pillow’ to support me rather than all those pillows. I live in a very rural area without access to a PT. Fortunately, there are forums like this. Thank you!
I am 2 weeks out from reverse shoulder replacement have ad first follow up with surgeon but no PT was ordered. Is This normal
I would say that this is normal. Nowadays many people who have replacements don’t start PT until 4-6 weeks after the surgery. Some people avoid PT entirely.
How has the pain been since this post? I know I have pain in the back area … by a shoulder blade. I know that it’s because of blow discs in my neck. I’ve already had a surgery for that. The pain was terrible. After surgery, better! The dr. did say that there was more damage below that site. Now, I am going in for shoulder surgery, but have been experiencing that pain in the back again as well as tingling in the hand. How is your shoulder today?? :)
I am 5 days post op. Should I be exercising?0
Not yet, probably too early. Your doc should have a protocol of what to do, and when to do it.
It’s been 5 days since surgery and my shoulder hurts a lot at night even taking pain medication. I’ve been sleeping in the bed with 2 pillows behind my head and pain persist . Not sleeping much at all . Suggestions
That first month can be a real pain to deal with. If you can get into a recliner I would try that. I would also place a pillow under the elbow so that the elbow is subtly propped forward. Does the doc have any other medications available? I am not a pharmacist, but some people do much better with certain medications as opposed to others.
On May 2nd, 2017, I slipped and fell on an uneven ceramic tile floor and my left shoulder took an extremely hard blow to the ceramic tile wall. Though the pain was very severe, and at times debilitating, I didn’t think I had fractured my shoulder. I was out of the country when my accident occurred and I learned a week later that I had suffered a 3-part fracture of the surgical neck of the proximal humerus. I had surgery (ORIF) on May 11th and have been doing the pendulum exercises, moving wrist, and bending arm to reduce stiffness at my elbow three times a day.
Like everyone, the pain did worsen at night and getting sleep was nearly impossible. (Some nights it was impossible). I actually hated to see night come and would stay up as late as I could before trying to go to sleep. I tried sleeping in the recliner, but my neck would ache and hurt me so badly that I felt it was making my shoulder worse. Into two weeks post surgery, my husband bought me a firm wedge pillow…this pillow was/is a miracle for me. I placed a contour pillow on top of the wedge pillow and then on top of that, I placed my memory foam pillow. I have rested and slept more comfortably the past three weeks. Honestly, it’s unreal the difference this wedge pillow has made in my life. I have not taken any of my prescription pain meds for the past two weeks. Several nights I did take two extra strength Tylenol before going to bed. The past three nights, I have not taken any pain meds. I do use a hot or cold compress several times a days and couple times during the night. This really does help with the nagging aches that I experience in my shoulder and arm mostly now at night.
I am still in a sling and I do sleep with my sling on. I only remove it for excercises and sometimes while using the hot or cold compress, I do stretch out my arm while watching TV. I begin physical therapy on June 12th. Though I know it’s going to be very painful, I am looking forward to it as I believe that will start my true recovery.
I do have a question(s): Approximately how long prior to appointment with physical therapy should you take pain meds? Prior therapy, it is best to use hot compress or cold compress? I keep telling myself that I can get through the pain of physical therapy that it can not be any worse than the moment the accident occurred, but reading and listening to other people has really terrified me.
Btw, thank you for this website. There is a lot of useful and helpful information here. It’s very scary when you are going through something as severe as a shoulder injury/fracture and surgery. Sometimes you feel alone and reading other people experiences does make you feel better and lets you know that you are not alone.
I am not the pharmaceutical expert Phyllis, but it does depend on the medication type and the instructions. Some medications require that they be in yor bloodstream for several days to have an effect, while others kick in after an hour or two. That is a question to ask the pharmacist.
In terms of the heat or ice, I would say heating prior to having the shoulder moved around in my opinion tends to help. The one exception to that would be if the injury just happened and there is still a large amount of inflammation in the joint. Hang in there, it sounds like the worst part of this whole ordeal for you is over!
Thank you so much for your reply, Dan. I will check with my pharmacist. After doing some reading, I think if I take 30 minutes prior, I may be okay…I’m praying for that anyway. I will definitely try the heat before going. Thanks again!!
Your shoulder info very helpful! I’m 73, 5’6″, 136 lbs. and had total shoulder replacement here in Vero Beach, Florida on May 24th. I’m doing well. Sleeping in a comfortable recliner, the king size bed is high up, I take an Ambien and do sleep. Stopped pain meds six days ago. I have great physical therapy twice a week. I do gentle arm lifts from the elbow, without sling, twisting wrist,stretching fingers, waving with hand and moving up to “spider crawling ” up a wall or across a waist high counter and small circles with arm hanging down. Not to pain point however. I use gallon freezer baggy, double bagged, 1/2 rubbing alcohol and tap water….freezers to soft bag for shoulder to avoid adhesions and help aches. I use shower chair and spray hand held nozzle. Wear loose shirts and pants. I have live in strong boyfriend who loves to cook! Very lucky! I’m taking sling off, supported by pillow, for short periods, not in a hurry, want to heal, listening to my great surgeon, Dr. Forrest. I want to get back to walking two miles daily on my good two knees, replaced two yrs ago! Shoulder sling and I agree we want to part company in a few more weeks! I’m hoping to have a pain free left shoulder and get back to normal life, trying to be a patient patient! Good luck to my fellow new shoulder replacement people!
Thank you for your post. I am glad to see at 73 you are doing well. I am a 69 (70 in a few days)year old female and was told Docs do not like to do rotator cuff repair on people over 60. I am active and am having this done on Nov 9th. Scared but feeling better reading some posts that are not to awful.
My mom had rotater repair at 78 after a slip/fall in the snow. Rehab was slow but she never regretted having the repair. Go for it.
Heading for Rotator Cuff Surgery with bone spur removal tomorrow.. Which wedge pillow worked for you? I have no idea. So many options!
I had rotator cuff surgery on my left shoulder on September 28. I still have some pain mostly at night. Like others i can only sleep for like 2 hours at time and the pain medicine dont make sleepy. Any recommendations on a special pillow or wedge to use?
I have found that most people need to tinker with positioning. For me, placing the pillow under the forearm and between your elbow and body worked decently (like the picture in the blog). The angle of recline also can help, which is why we typically recommend sleeping in a recliner.
Hello,
I just had shoulder surgery to fix my labrum, and to reattach my bicep tendon to the labrum. Also had a bone spur removed. I’m post surgery by 10 days. I havent taken the pain medication at all since day 3 after surgery. I need recommendations on how to sleep well. Currently sleeping on a couch with pillows everywhere to keep my shoulder elevated. Here within the last 5 days I have not been able to sleep much at all which is unlike me as I sleep well most of the time. I’m not in pain just can’t sleep.
If you aren’t in pain, you might try sleeping in your bed? I would use pillows strategically to bolster the arm and see how that goes. I am guessing that it is the couch that is keeping you up.
My husband had almost 2 months ago. He is in constant pain but worse he cannot sleep. He can’t get more than 2 or 3 hrs a night. He’s doing his PT and getting his range back slowly. He is doing everything they tell him to do including ice and heat. But the not sleeping is killing him. He is miserable and has no ability to deal with his very stressful job. Everything would be so much better if he could sleep. Any suggestions?
I am not usually a proponent of pharmaceuticals, but in this case it might be useful to talk to the doc about getting him the right medication to help with sleeping. It is a bit “hit or miss”: some meds don’t really make a dent in night time pain while others are more useful. It depends on the individual. Talk to the doc about it.
I had shoulder surgery 6.26. Can sleep in daytime hours but not at night. Pain much worse to where medication that helps during day doesn’t help at night. What can I do? I’m used to going to sleep on shoulder that had surgery.
Get a recliner, most post-ops tend to think that the inclination angle of your body helps a whole bunch. I would also talk to the MD about seeing what other PM medications are out there.
I had shoulder surgery (labrum repair) 6/9/17 so I am almost at 4 weeks. I am still having the sensation of it dislocating, the doctor has not set up any PT and assures me its not going to dislocate. I am supposed to stop using sling in 2 days but my shoulder still feels unstable. HELP!!!
You are in a weird place right now because of the weakness of the surrounding rotator cuff muscles. The post-op swelling and immobilization will weaken the RC and thus make the shoulder a bit less stable. If the shoulder has not actually dislocated you are probably in good shape, it will just take time to get a return of strength and stability. PT btw usually doesn’t start until about week 6.
Just wanted to give an update….
I must say that I have never looked as forward to physical therapy and the pain that comes along with it as I do now. I begin my 5th week of physical therapy tomorrow…I go three days a week. As of June 23rd, I only wear the sling when my arm feels tired and out in public. It is amazing how much more motion I have now than I did on June 12th, the day I started. I have done very little strength training, all has been motion, but that is coming. I do use the pulley and I use the dowel at the therapy center, as well as using both at home. I am reaching higher and higher each day with the pulley…it will not be much longer until my left arm is as high as my right arm. I have really come a long way with the pulley. I am using the dowel while in bed and I can now raise it over my head to the point that I can not see it. My therapist measured me on June 30th and was pleased with my numbers. My passive range of motion: Flexion was 70 and now it is 123. External rotation was at 0 and now it is at 26. I am still doing the pendulum swings, the shoulder shrugs and the “spider crawl” on the wall, which for some reason, I find the hardest to do.
My sleep has improved 90%. I now only use my wedge pillow and my memory foam pillow. It was a major blessing getting rid of all the other pillows. Also, I can now lie on my right side (the unaffected side) and my left shoulder does not hurt. I use a small travel pillow under my arm and it really helps. My sleep will be at 100% when I can sleep on my left side…the side that I normally sleep on.
I am retired, but I do work two days a week…I am happy to say I returned to work on June 27th. I am extremely tired the days I work, but I know that will get better. I am not yet driving so my husband carries me to work. To the ladies, — I can shave under both arms and can wear my bra. When I am at home if my shoulder starts hurting more, I take my bra off. I do not want those bra straps imbedded in my shoulder.
Over all, I am doing extremely well…I am really surprised at how well I am doing. My doctor and therapist both say I am doing great. Any one word of advice that I would give anyone would be PATIENCE, which is the one thing I lacked. You MUST be patient, as there are good days and there are bad days, but soon the good days will out number the bad days!
Thanks so much for the feedback Phyllis!
I think that if you are not having pain with the chair device you are progressing just fine. Let pain be your modulator: Back off a bit for a day or two if things feel sharp.
Hi Dan,
Avery here in Florida now approaching 6 wks post-op repair of complete supraspinatus tear, partial tear of subscapularis and a biceps tenodesis. I am 65 and in very good health but my orthopedist says my supraspinatus was poor quality tissue–tried 9 suture-anchors but could only get 6 in place. So I was surprised he told me to get out of Breg pillow-sling after 4 wks as opposed to 6. Began PT 2X/wk at 4 wks doing the usual passive exercises 3X per day at home, including recent addition of pulley for flexion. Since I have a startle awakening about one hour after going to sleep, and because my tendon quality is poor, I want to protect my repair at least to 6wks during the day and longer at night. Some docs want patients in sling (w/o the pillow) for up to 3 months until active PT phase is complete. One wk ago I actually rolled off my bed onto my surgical side but Xray and Sx suggest no harm, though the buckle on the pillow fractured a rib when I hit the wood floor with rug.
Four questions: 1. Do you concur with my PT that I should stay in sling 6wks given the above, and longer at night since I tend to jump up during bad dreams—and with or w/o the neutral pillow? Recall the orthopedist said to ditch the sling at 4 wks while some say to wear the basic sling w/o pillow til active phase of PT is over at about12 wks postop).
2. My ortho doc advised PT to avoid subscapularis though I assume he meant active for now. Passive shoulder flexion stretches that tendon. 4. When one comes out of sling at night, what should be position of arm—straight along side or across the chest?
Thanks for your response/opinion!
Avery
I would agree with your PT. 6 weeks sounds safe. In terms of the subscap, I am assuming that the doc meant no active recruitment. Passive ranges should be okay as long as care is taken and the range is not crazy. When the arm comes out of the sling at night, I would place a pillow under the elbow and forearm. Take a look at the positioning with our blog article on shoulder positioning. I have found that this position tends to be comfortable for most people. It is kind of a hybrid position between the two positions that you mention.
It has been 9 weeks since rotator cuff /fracture repair L shoulder. How long to wait to be able to be side lying on this side safely?
It is variable. I would say that the anchors are pretty much safe after 6-8 weeks, but the problem after that has more to do with inflammation from placing direct pressure on the shoulder. I would wait for the pain to be almost entirely gone and for the strength to be well on its way prior to sleeping on the surgical side consistently.
Bunnykins here :) I’m 2 1/2 weeks after a arthroscopic bone shaving to be brief.from a rear end accident . I simply want to sleep ,I’m a wiggler. I can’t stay in one position very long. Jeepers creepers. meds have adverse effect on me. From day one I am 5 ft too short sleep in recliner , got in my bed slept propped on good arm and side gradually to horizontal mode, oh my I’ve been up since 3 a.m. now I was asleep my opposite Good side and my hip had sharp pain being on it then somehow wound up on affected side.WIDE AWAKE I gotta rest to recover, I wake the household up. Öő Any suggestion. Once I raised the elbow on a pillow tension creeped into my jaw . Maybe I need a massage these electrical currents are real. .
Pharmaceuticals are not my bag, but maybe you can talk to the MD and have something prescribed to “get you over the hump”? I would also tinker with the pillow positioning until you find something that at least makes the pain decrease. The photo in the blog worked best for me.
I recently had anterior/posterior labrum repair surgery about 3wks ago.and i havepins and anchors.but .i sleep in the bed with my back propped and surrounded by pillows on both sides with my arm resting on my stomach.i don’t sleep well through the night because my arm,wrist and hand are severely stiff and sore,also there’s a burning/pulling sensation? Why is that
There is a lack of strength and support to the shoulder and the arm right now, which is probably contributing to the sensations that you are feeling. The inflammation from the surgery itself is probably also contributory.
I am a 76-year old male and am facing rotator cuff repair surgery in 1 week. I am right handed and the repair will be on the right cuff. I am wondering how I will be able to operate the lever on the right-hand side of the recliner so I can use it for sleeping? Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can give me.
For the first few weeks I would have someone else adjust it for you, or reach over with the left arm if possible. Is it possible to partially adjust it when you are standing up and then sit down? In most recliners, once the mechanism is initiated you can really adjust it by pushing your body back into the seat.
I had surgery for right shoulder torn labrum on Aug 8th. I knew I would be facing the same problem as you with the recliner handle. The day before surgery I drilled a small hole in the handle of the recliner and attached an eye bolt. I then tied about 4 feet of rope to the eye bolt. It took some practice, but I am able to raise and lower the leg rest of the recliner with the rope in my left hand. To get the leg rest down, I hold the rope in my left hand and loop the rope around my right foot and push forward with my foot. It works perfectly.
Good luck with your surgery.
I am wide awake at 4:15 AM, 12 hours post surgery. Why are people tinkering with a right control recliner when the have had right sided surgery? I rented an electric remote recliner. You can buy electric remote recliners as well. Tapped this out with my left hand. Pain is ungodly after nerve block wore off and am on pain meds. I will get this sorted out when the office opens, I am a personal trainer and in great shape. The thought of using my body weight to push a manual chair into position and then clamber out is an awful idea and could lead to falls and injury.
I just had shoulder surgery on 8/15 and am in the same situation. I simply went to Home Depot and bought a 2 foot piece of 1 1/2 inch PVC pipe and slide it over the handle. I can now reach over with my left hand and recline the chair.
That is a great idea, thanks for sharing that Matt!
I had the same concern and issue. We ended up buying an electronic recliner controls on right and for the first three/four weeks others (husband and daughter) had to adjust the chair for me to get me in and out of the reclined position. It was mostly a pain for them especially week one where I was taking pain pills every four hours around the clock or when I need to go to the restroom in he middle of the night. Luckily, the recliner is in our bedroom so my husband or daughter could assist me. By week four/five, I could maneuver enough to reach the controls using my left hand as I was still in the sling. You’ll get there, but you’ll need help for sure the first several weeks. Good luck! I’m going into week 7.
I have just had shoulder surgery 2 and.a half weeks ago on my right side I am right handed my husband got the code going to the left side so I can reclaine it myself the code should just slide to the other side easily. I then sewed a big curtain ring on the arm part wsy down to hook my remote on. It works just fine.
Hi Dan,
I have written you before on this blog—I am now 9 wks post op supraspinatus/subscapularis repair, biceps tenotomy/tenodesis and distal clavicle resection with acromioplasty, now out of pillow-sling at 6wks, and hopefully approaching the end of my passive and assisted passive PT (end of 6th week of anticipated 8). Two concerns: last week (wk 8 post op) my PT started me on standing biceps flexion with green Theraband but instead of stopping at 90 degrees went the complete range of flexion–next AM I was locally sore presumably at the tenodesis site—skipped a day and then did same range with red Theraband QOD for total of about 2-3 times until today when my PT corrected me on proper ROM. I was not sore but did feel some small clicks about 2/3 through the ROM. I am hoping I did not do harm to the tenodesis site. Second concern is today my PT started me on supine assisted passive abduction with cane—the abduction endpoint was a tight/slightly painful but riding the cane back to my side was VERY painful and tonight the anterior top of my shoulder hurts with slight movement or the jolt of walking. I am assuming just now beginning this new exercise can cause this—is that the case? I already have mastered most of the other common exercises though still working on external rotation in abduction. I would appreciate your comment on both but esp. the last item.
The abduction exercise can catch part of the humerus bone into the shelf above it , which can be locally painful. I would cut the range down and let it rest a bit. I don’t think that at this point you did anything serious to the shoulder. The biceps clicking is pretty common. I would keep the resistance light and slowly work your way up under the supervision of the do and the PT.
Thanks Dan. I had my arm extended off the side of the PT table and wonder if that ‘sagging position’ caused the pain as I moved the arm back to the tabletop (what you suggest or stretching the anterior capsule just beneath my sensitive portals). Still have that dull ache anteriorly which is exacerbated when I walk or move the arm certain ways—I plan to let it settle down and check with my orthopedist day after tomorrow which is my 10 wk post op checkup before resuming that one routine—meantime back on Tylenol after having been off for awhile.
I am 10 days post op right shoulder rotator cuff repair. I am afraid to use my right arm/hand at all, thinking I may tear the stitches. How cautious should I be to prevent this from happening? Is it easy to tear the stitches?
In most cases, you can use your hand as long as the elbow stays by your side. You can ask the doc to provide a list of do’s and do not’s as well. NO jerky motions, no lifting of your arm (yet), nothing active in respect in to using the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder (pulling, rowing, pushing etc.).
You can probably sleep on the non-surgical side. I would make sure that there is no sharpness with that position, and make sure that the sling is secure. Pillow placement might help as well. As always, run it by the doc.
I am an 84 year old female facing shoulder replacement surgery. I am going to a highly recommended and respected orthopedic surgeon but I still very concerned about my age and the recovery rate for the more elderly. Can you supply me with some feed back from other patients 80 years of age and older.
Thank you your consideration.
It will definitely take some time to recover from this. I would get a recliner chair, as this may help quite a bit in terms of sleeping comfort during the first few months. You are probably going to just need to allow the first several weeks as healing time. I would also have somebody available to help you out with basic tasks for the first month or so (showering, cooking, etc.). The level of pain is highly variable, it is entirely possible that this will not be very painful, just annoying.
Hello, this is Susan in Tallahassee. I’m sleeping in bed 9 days after rotator cuff surgery. I am wearing a large sling with a foam insert to keep my arm from falling to my side. My question is, what is the most comfortable sleep position? Should I still be sitting up (as in the recliner)? Is sleeping on my other side alright? (This large bulky sling sits atop my hip–not great, but not too bad). Is it alright to loosen up any straps for a little more flexibility shifting around in bed?
I’ve read the posts about using pillows. Maybe I just need to find a comfy spot and lodge a pillow under my forearm? Thank you very much.
It really does depend on your level of comfort. Many people will be able to adjust to side sleeping without a problem. I would tell my patients that they can adjust strapping as needed given that the sling is really there to hold your arm if you were to fall or make a sudden thrashing movement.
Hi Dan. I’m 61 and very active and fit. Work out 5 days a week along with golf and yoga. Having shoulder surgery next Wednesday after falling at work. Both the suprispinatus and infraspinatus are detached and started to retract, subscapularis is frayed, bicep tendon torn, and having acromioplasty and usual arthritis removal. My question is how do you feel about cryotherapy and TENS units for pain management after surgery rather than prescription pain killers? Had rotator cuff repair in my other shoulder 2 years ago and thought the pain killers caused more problems than they helped. Once I got off them I did much better.
Really appreciate your great advice and enjoy reading other peoples journey
Yes, and yes. Neither of the two modalities that you mention have any bad effects to my knowledge. Once in a while you hear a story of someone who places ice on a knee for too long and end up with a foot drop because of the proximity of a superficial nerve. I guess what I am saying is that you should not be using ice 24/7.
There are some good products out there that have great shoulder cuff attachments for icing. Two names that come to mind are “Game Ready” and “Crio-Cuff”????
I would make sure that the electrode placement with the TENS unit is approved by the PT or the doc.
Hello,
My name is Julia
I hand a large repair and clavicle cleaned up. It was the 4 screw repair. I am 7 weeks post op and working with my pulleys and am doing pretty well. I still have a lot of aching at night an I don’t sleep well. The worst thing I have is a catch feeling in the top of my should and there feels like a sharp knot on the top of my shoulder it is at the sight of my scar. Could this be a screw edge or more likely an adhesion??? Should I be concerned or is this a normal part of the healing?
Thanks
It is probably scarring in the Acromio-clavicular joint around where the doctor worked. I would totally expect this type of thing to happen early on. An x-ray should tell us if the screws are sitting in place correctly.
Highly unlikely that you damaged the anchors based on what you said.
I think that either would work, it really is a matter of individual comfort. Most people find the recliner sufficient.
Is that a specific product? I am going to assume that you are talking about generally using pillows. If it helps you to sleep and the doc is fine with it, go for it.
I had rotator cuff/bicep tendon surgery on 9/14. I sleep on my right side or stomach normally. It is impossible for me to sleep on my back, which I have been forced to do since the surgery. I can sleep on my left side for short periods of time before my back hurts. Once it starts hurting and I wake up sleep is pretty much over for the night. When can I sleep on my right side again? It is important to me.
The timeframe is highly variable, but I would say that it would be for a minimum of three months, possibly longer. I did see a special pillow online that places the arm through the pillow without loading weight on the shoulder. It is called the “Medcline Advanced Postioning Wedge”. It might be worth checking out?
I am 62 years old. I feel blessed to have inherited an electric recliner “lift chair”. Since I’m on my second rotator cuff surgery/ second side, I think that using a manual recliner lever would be too much for me since my first shoulder is still gaining strength. It’s been a lifesaver. I also use a wedge pillow that I bought at Walmart and I love it! In fact I noticed that the neck pain I had for months before surgery has disappeared with the use of my wedge pillow in bed. I prop rolled towels on the sides so my arms are lifted to the same height as the wedge. I get good sleep although at 1 1/2 weeks I am still using pain med to sleep.
Thanks for the insight Suzanne!
I’m a 51-year old woman, and I’m having rotator cuff repair surgery next Monday, so I came here while doing research on what to expect. I’m getting worried now, because I don’t have a recliner or a wedge pillow. I suppose I can order the pillow on Amazon, but what other tips do you have for sleeping after surgery.
Also, I’m still a bit unclear on how long my recovery will be. My surgeon said that if “all”they have to do is clean out the bursitis and break up adhesions, it might be just a week before I can go back to work; however, if they have to stitch up the partial tear, I could be out for two weeks or more. I teach school, so I hate to miss too much. Can you give me a sense of what my recovery might look like? Thank you!
Regardless of what the surgeon does, I would take two (2) weeks time off. (Surgeons very often tend to not have an appreciation of recovery times.) In terms of sleeping, I would at least try the pillow positioning that is in the blog article. Some people have little to no problem sleeping, others have to try different things. I do generally recommend a recliner.
If the tendon is repaired, rest and passive range of motion only for the first four weeks. After four weeks you can generally start to initiate some very basic exercises. Active lifting of the shoulder / arm generally does not start until eight (8) weeks post-op.
I had anterior decompression of the left shoulder with rotator cuff repair on 10/6. Was cleared for pt at 32 days. My question is how much longer will i have to wait until i can lay on my left side again?
That is highly variable, but I would generally say that it would take at least 4-6 months before many people can tolerate substantial pressure on the surgical side.
My son had a 95% tear of the left labrum and had surgery 11/15. Although he is doing great throughout the day nights are still very tough. Last night he could not get comfortable. He switched couches and recliners several times and he finally fell asleep around 5 a.m. What can I do to get him a good night’s sleep? I have done a lot of reading but can’t find a solution that works for him.
Thank you.
During the early part of this process, the doc can often prescribe something that will help. I would ask the doc about this directly, keeping in mind that some people react to a certain pharmaceutical quite positively, while another pharmaceutical has little effect.
Using a “crio-cuff” ice machine for the shoulder is at also times quite helpful in this respect.
Hello I’m more of a distant operation having my right labrum repaired with an anchor, they also did some work on my collarbone. This was back in 2015. I’m still having problems sleeping on my right side. Well I can sleep on it just usually wake up and it’s sore and stiff. Any certain way I could sleep on it and avoid those effects. Or if I should overall avoid sleeping on that side. Thank you!
Sleeping on the side just isn’t that great for either the labral repair or what we call the “AC” joint (where the collar bone meets the shoulder). Specifically, sleeping on the side compresses the AC joint and, in most people, pushes the head of the humerus forward in the joint.
I would say you have two options. You could avoid sleeping on that side entirely, or you could get one of those specialty pillows that allows you to loop your shoulder through the pillow as you sleep on your side. I just looked at one such pillow online, they are expensive (270$). I am curious to see how effective those pillows are, they do look well constructed.
I’m just at three weeks after slap repair. I’m a heavy sleeper and I took my sling off unwittingly last night in bed and I think I was moving my arm all over the place. And stretching it straight out and laid like that for some time I think. and I finally woke up in a good amount of pain. The arm has felt loose all day with more pain than usual. But it’s not bad now a full day later. It’s like it’s looser.
my question is how much damage may I have done to it. Thanks, worried.
You are most likely fine, I would just keep the doc in the loop in regard to what is going on. Re-tears usually involve more ballistic, sudden movements.
Hey I’m 16 years old, 150 and tore my labrum (posterior tear) bench pressing with dumbbells. it dislocated and fell backwards with the weight in hand. Nothing showed on the mri but the pain and physical exam was consistent with a labrum tear. They did a scope, only one anchor was needed. it’s now one week after surgery and it’s been fairly good. I stopped talking strong pain meds on the 5th day although I haven’t been sleeping well since then. The pain in my shoulder has been little to nothing since the surgery. Pre operation I had sharp pains in between my shoulder blade and my spine. This pain would increase at night time and when I would wear my sling around during the day and ended up almost not wearing it completely pre operation because it hurt too bad. This pain is still happening after surgery, it’s a lot more painful because I haven’t taken off my sling since surgery much. The sharp pains would contribute if I didn’t wear my sling but when trying to sleep sometimes I get sharp pains when I breathe in. This happens at random times and isn’t provoked by moving. I’m thinking this is from the sling and will probably disappear after PT. Just wondering what I should do about it.
Also had a question on how long you would think I would need after I’m out of the sling to play soccer/track. I was in season when this happened and missed all of indoor track and soccer until it switches to outdoor, in a 6 weeks. I was wondering what your advice would be on when I could run freely or without having the chance to re-injure it.
Thanks for this website it has been very helpful!!
Running, cutting, and ballistic sports? Most surgeons will not clear your type of surgery for sport until at least 4-6 months. Since you are young I would put you on the quicker end of that range. I do think that the sling is probably causing some of the pain that you are experiencing. Wean off of it once you are cleared by the doc to do so. Take your time with this Daniel, you will get there.
I had a labrum repair done on my right shoulder on January 11th after initially dislocating it in November. Yesterday I was told to stop wearing my sling ( yay!) But now I am unable to fully straighten my elbow . I can’t sleep at night now if I try to straighten my arm/ elbow out because I feel a painful pulling, burning sensation in my shoulder. I’ve taken ibuprofen and norcos but it still hurts when I’m laying down having it stretched out along my side. Will this go away in a few days? Also, how long will it take for my elbow to straighten out? I try to do some table stretches but my wrist is also having a hard time bending. Hoping it will get better soon, I’m desperate for a good night’s sleep. Thank you in advance.
It may take a while for the elbow to straighten out (maybe a week or two). I would ask the doc or the PT about dealing with the elbow, it might be worth doing some light stretching. The flexed elbow does place stress on the shoulder, as it usually pulls the shoulder forward a bit. You could try doing the stretch in the blog (with the permission of the doc / PT).
Hi
I’m having rotator cuff surgery soon and I see that you recommend having a recliner for sleeping. Is that better than renting a hospital bed?
Thanks for your help
Sandra
That is probably subjective, but I would think that having armrests is a good idea. For that reason the recliner would probably be preferable.
I have had some people who slept in recliners for a few months. It does vary highly.
I had my shoulder replaced 6 weeks ago. All is well. I have minimal or no pain and am progressing well in physical therapy. I just stopped using the sling today as per doctor’s orders. I see many different opinions on when I can return to activities and I’d like to hear yours. When can I:
(1) Sleep on my operated side
(2) Paddle a kayak
(3) Load a 43-lb kayak onto my low car from the rear with two hands (lift bow onto car; lift stern and push onto rack)
(4) Ride a bike with an upright handlebar
(5) Use TWO poles for hiking
(6) Go car camping = set up small tent etc.
Last, I’m thinking of giving up my gym membership because it doesn’t seem possible to ever return to using upper-body machines or lift anything more than about 10 or 15 lbs, and I already have those light weights at home. Is the gym of any possible use for shoulder rehabilitation that would warrant the expense and travel time, compared to what I could do at home with simple dumbbells?
There are tons of other things that you can do at the gym that are great for your general health. Squatting, different cardio machines for example. If you are able to do the gym, I would keep up with it.
In terms of the activities above, I would say that the higher level stuff that you mention should be gradually tried after 12-16 weeks? There is a range in time for individuals, it is always a good idea to be conservative and err on the safe side. Sleeping on your side is subjective, but I would recommend that you stay off of it for at least another month.
I had rotator cuff surgery, bicep debridement and bone spur removal 2 months ago (February 8, 2018). I’m doing ok, PT 2x per week but my surgeon and my PT people think I am a bit behind. I faithfully do my exercises everyday but my ROM is a bit behind. Any suggestions? However, my biggest problem is sleeping. I sleep great in the recliner we bought specifically for my surgery but I’ve been in it 2 months and need to resume some normalcy and get back to my very comfortable bed. I’ve been trying the past 3 nights and while I can fall asleep I wake up hours later with nerve pain that starts in my neck and travels all the way to my wrist. What could I possibly be doing wrong? Please help.
It is too early for you to be overly worried about this. The sleeping thing may take another month or two to adjust. You might try slowly decreasing the angle of recline to get you used to a more horizontal position.
I need surgery for a torn tendon in my shoulder cuff and they said they need to do some scrapping also ,my question is will my healing time be longer since I have fibromyalgia, if so how long before I can go back to work .
Fibromyalgia will probably make things a bit more annoying in terms of recovery. In terms of return to work, I would say that depends on what you do. If you sit at a computer / desk, I would think about taking 2-4 weeks off.
Sally,
I just had one this Friday, May 4th. Be sure to get a pillow that goes around your neck, like for the airplane… you will be sleeping sitting up.
I had rotator cuff repair 4 days ago. The pain in my shoulder is manageable with Tylenol now. Problem is my mid back muscles are so tight and cramping I can’t sleep. I have an electric recliner, but no position is comfortable for long. I went for 2 short walks yesterday hoping to loosen it up, but last night no change. Any suggestions for me?
Ugh. I am wondering if your back positioning was funky during the surgery. If possible, get an early eval for a PT and have them assess that. Shoulder blade pinches will start to activate the posterior muscles, but your case really does depend on what we would see with an “in person” evaluation.
You saw the doctor, right? You might be able to get some help with medication for the pain, but this would need to be handled by your parent(s) and the doctor. Let them know about the wrist and the pain. Fractures by the way hurt and ache, but this should subside over time.