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I'm now 66 and this past March, had my second RC surgery. This time on my left shoulder. First one was in 2007 on right shoulder. Both surgeries due to falls, one in snow/ice, other fooling around and fell off of side of curb. First surgery I had full-time job and had to take 13 weeks off. Second surgery, thank God, I'm retired! Of course post-surgery for both was fairly painful going thru PT and doing home exercises. Was on Oxycodone for first surgery and Percocet for second. Got full ROM back for right shoulder and pretty much for left shoulder. Am going on my 21st week of post-surgery. Was release from PT two weeks ago. Therapist told me "you've reached the ROM goal we needed". But, I still do some exercises at home during the week. Am still taking Percocet, but not on the regular every 6 hour basis. Have gone up to 10 hours w/o any. Most pain occurs at night. See my surgeon this coming week and got my last Percocet script a week ago. Doc will have me taking some kind of OTC pain med. That is ok with me, as long as it works when I do get pain from doing to much or at night.
So, anyone on this Forum had this surgery and how did it come out?
BTW, for the second surgery, I'm now a Diabetic II and it will take longer for the shoulder to totally heal.
I have a partial tear on my left side (from a fall) my ortho not being a fan of the surgery unless absolutely needed, advised against it in my case and prescribed PT. I did the work and have had for the most part a full recovery. It's been almost exactly 10 years and I'm also diabetic. The only thing I notice is when I do a lot of heavy lifting type of work, I get a dull ache that lasts for a day or two. I think it took a good three years to get right. Good luck to you. I can't answer for the surgery but I can commiserate on the pain. Since I don't do painkillers well, (paradoxical reactions) I mostly went without. An occasional vicodin when the pain got bad. I feel for you.
DH had his surgery in June 2011 after a fall on ice/snow the previous winter.
He religiously followed his surgeon's post-op and then his PT's instruction to the letter. When he had met the # of PT sessions paid by insurance, he paid for a few more out of his own pocket.
Post-op, we leased one of those icing machines (the kind that sits on the floor, plugs in, and looks sort of like a vacuum cleaner) and used it for 4-5 days and nights (he slept in a recliner).
After 2 days he quit taking prescription pain meds and went to OTC.
When he moved back to sleeping in bed, he had pain the first night bad enough to need a prescription med. After talking to the PT and after we did a little trial-and-error, we discovered that the best way to get rid of nighttime pain was for him to sit up (on the side of the bed) 3-4x a night and gently move the shoulder and arm for about 5 minutes, then lie back down. That worked so well that he permanently ditched the pain meds. The PT explained that extended lack of mobility was the cause of the night time pain.
He returned to work after 10 days, with his arm in a sling - not because he needed it but because the doc told him it would keep people from expecting him to use that arm-shoulder normally.
He continued the PT-recommended exercises every day, even while at work.
By September he was back to total normal movement, no pain. The doc said it was one of the most remarkable recoveries he had seen at any age, much less for someone in their 60s like DH.
Ice initially + (proper) exercise = a winning formula for him.
I've torn both rotator cuffs over the past few years and refused surgery both time. Almost total ROM has returned to both due to exercises/physical therapy here at home. Although retired both times, no loss of time for anything a nd likely far less painful.
Wow, how timely! Just this week the R rotator cuff pain was so bad that I made a doctor appt, something I resist greatly. Then, went to the Internet, of course, and looked up exercises and advice. Long story short, with the recommended exercises and ibuprofen, the condition is rapidly improving, though still some pain. I cancelled the appt and will continue with the exercises.
I'm 64, by the way, and my understanding is that rotator cuff issues, even without falling, etc., are very, very common at our age(s). Oh, well.
I have been reading of many cases of rotator cuff pain that is "cured" by either laying off activity for a few months or very mild exercises - and it "resolves" itself (in doctor-speak). I guess the idea is to not jump too quickly to surgery, depending on what the apparent cause of the pain is. Obviously treatment may differ if due to traumatic injury.
Lest anyone be afraid of my 3 years to get right comment: I do a lot of physical work that relies on shoulder strength and the positioning of much of that work is just overhead and roughly 18" inches in front of the body, apparently one of the worst positions for my injury. I was was back to doing part time work by late August (the tear was 7/2/2005) and full duties by November. But to do a normal full day's (overhead) work without some residual ache, that took a few years to where except on all but the most brutal days, to be pain free at the end of the day.
Very painful!! The dr just told me a diabetic will make more scar tissue, so that may interfere with ROM recovery.
I had to get a second surgery to remove scar tissue. First surgery repaired lots of things (2 tears, bone spurs, scar tissue, reshape bone), so PT was really light for a month or so. When we tried to get into more motion I couldn't get past a limited range because it had scarred too heavily. I got really inflamed when I tried. So they had to remove that. If the other needs it, I hope they push the early PT a little harder.
I've torn both rotator cuffs over the past few years and refused surgery both time. Almost total ROM has returned to both due to exercises/physical therapy here at home. Although retired both times, no loss of time for anything a nd likely far less painful.
Curmudgeon could you share the exercises and pt you did?
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