There are a couple of Facebook groups on Rotator Cuff surgery that I found --- and still find --- very helpful. Sleeping will be a huge challenge. Many people find that a recliner is best or tons of pillows. I am 3 1/2 months out and continue to have trouble being able to sleep. The pressure on your shoulder lying flat is not good. Also, make sure that she has a Polar Ice Cube. I am still using mine. This is a very painful recovery. If I had a "do over" I don't think I would do it. It hurt bigtime before and it hurts bigtime now. Lots of PT and I am not sure when it ends. I wish your wife well and hope she is younger than me (72) and has a lot of patience.
Shoulder issues - Your stories?
- Thread starter Z3Dreamer
- Start date
In February (2 months ago) out of the blue my left shoulder started to ache. This surprised me since I'm right handed and my right shoulder, although asymptomatic, makes funny noises (like a coffee grinder) and has some limited range of motion, and is the arm I threw with and held rackets in for many years.
I was in Florida, away from my doctor and PT office and did not wan to get into it down there, so I researched it online, and it got considerably better after about 5 weeks. After a few weeks back home it started up again. Just started PT this week, at the same office that saw me for an achilles rupture last Autumn.
Similar to others' experiences, diagnosis is difficult within the shoulder itself, as well as differentiating from possible pinched nerve from neck. I do have a lot of tingling down the arm when it gets going, but that is not necessarily definitive for neck issue, as the nerve down the arm passes through small space and can get pinched there as well.
Fortunately, swinging a golf club does not cause pain, although I wouldn't be surprised if it exacerbates the issue. I am a side sleeper due to back issues, and allergies. I do find myself on my back, snorting myself awake, or driving DW from our bed to the living room couch.
Sitting in a chair too long, or being on the computer (like this) can really irritate things. Basically I'm better when I'm active. When I'm tired and need to rest is when it really kicks in.
Z3Dreamer
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I am sorry your experience was not as good as mine is going to be. (How do I know that?) How bad were your tears before the surgery?
If I am having trouble sleeping 3 1/2 months after surgery, DW will divorce me as I will be impossible to live with.
When mine first flared up in Florida we were renting a 3 BR home, so I could set up shop in a spare BR....not so in our little lake house. We don't even have a comfortable couch (just a love seat) for her to retreat to.
Evidently I have two modes right now. One is uncomfortable and constantly moving around. The other mode involves Advil and Gabapentin, and a lot of snoring. If I die in my sleep I'd like an autopsy, and I'd like my airways checked for feathers.
Evidently I have two modes right now. One is uncomfortable and constantly moving around. The other mode involves Advil and Gabapentin, and a lot of snoring. If I die in my sleep I'd like an autopsy, and I'd like my airways checked for feathers.
BeachOrCity
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A friend told me about what this Chineese call "50 year shoulder" or "wushi jian"
Treatment of Frozen Shoulder Using Chinese Medicine
Would not advocate this as I did not go this route, just for info....I myself had surgery. Great results. I could not even lift a carry on into the overhead before.
Treatment of Frozen Shoulder Using Chinese Medicine
Would not advocate this as I did not go this route, just for info....I myself had surgery. Great results. I could not even lift a carry on into the overhead before.
This is valid, evidence-based science, and you have your answer. Just go back to online research (we call it Basic Electronic Alternative Treatment System with Minimal Exercise, or BEATS ME).
I have no idea what your point is here. Are you saying the internet search is worthless, or that nobody knows nothing, regardless of where you get your information?
Sorry to have confused you. It was an attempt at a joke.
no worries...I just didn't grasp it...still don't as a matter of fact, but that's not terribly unusual.
Z3Dreamer
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Survived surgery. Looked at video. Tears and frays and spurs. He fixed them. Did not get the big picture. Will ask Dr when I see him. He seemed happy so prognosis is good.
Won't be driving the Z3 for a while.
Won't be driving the Z3 for a while.
robnplunder
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Two issues:
In my late 30s', I tore 3 of 4 tendons on my left shoulder. No surgery. Doctor suggested let it heal naturally. It took 6 months to heal completely, back to normal strength.
In my early 40's, I broke my right collar bone in half. It was too close to a major artery to perform a safe surgery. So, again, doctor suggested to let it heal naturally. It took 12 months to heal completely. For years, I'd feel something whenever it rained. It may be my imagination but things weren't right with my shoulder for a long time.
In my late 30s', I tore 3 of 4 tendons on my left shoulder. No surgery. Doctor suggested let it heal naturally. It took 6 months to heal completely, back to normal strength.
In my early 40's, I broke my right collar bone in half. It was too close to a major artery to perform a safe surgery. So, again, doctor suggested to let it heal naturally. It took 12 months to heal completely. For years, I'd feel something whenever it rained. It may be my imagination but things weren't right with my shoulder for a long time.
Well, it seems I may have gotten lucky with my shoulder thing. A few weeks of PT, and some more PT exercises into the daily routing to go along with the daily PT exercises I do for my back and my achilles tendon, and the shoulder has loosened up a lot. I think one of the key things for me was the deep tissue massage that they did on it in PT...brought some tears to my eyes, I'll admit, but it did loosen it up nicely.
Dropping my trips to the PT clinic to once/week and we'll see how we progress.
Dropping my trips to the PT clinic to once/week and we'll see how we progress.
Mr._Graybeard
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That was my experience with frozen shoulder -- deep massage was very effective but the PT really had to put some weight into it.
Z3Dreamer
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Surgery was a week ago. Cannot lie down so sleep is in a recliner. Not good. DW grows tired of me. Do not want to be the next "Snapped" ethylene glycol husband. I am pretty useless. I can operate remote with my left hand. That's about all I can do.
Shoulder is improving. I see Dr. 3 weeks after surgery, then I start PT. Have some loosening up kind of exercises I am doing.
I am eager to get back to a normal schedule.
Drugs are good, but I am trying to cut back. At first, I was taking 6 a day. Now down to 2 to 3. I have a good supply.
I have now met my deductible but cannot think of anything that needs to be done.
Shoulder is improving. I see Dr. 3 weeks after surgery, then I start PT. Have some loosening up kind of exercises I am doing.
I am eager to get back to a normal schedule.
Drugs are good, but I am trying to cut back. At first, I was taking 6 a day. Now down to 2 to 3. I have a good supply.
I have now met my deductible but cannot think of anything that needs to be done.
athena53
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I developed frozen shoulder about 5 years ago- no idea why. In my case, it was reaching behind me (e.g., retrieving something from the back seat of the car when I was in the front) that caused agonizing pain. I diagnosed it after consulting Dr. Google and found exercises on YouTube. From my research, I understood that the objective was to stretch just beyond the pain point, to break up scar tissue but not cause additional damage. The exercises just felt right the first time I tried them. It took a few months but the symptoms eventually disappeared. The price was right, too!
Winemaker
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I had one heck of a time getting comfortable after my first surgery; I slept on sleeper sofa in living room, as not to disturb DW. I watched 72 hours straight of some BBQ show from the Greenbriar on PBS plus channel. I ended up buying the cookbook and I was so hungry for BBQ for weeks.
I posted above about self diagnosing frozen shoulder, but an mri in April revealed a medium tear in the supraspinatus tendon and bone shavings needed. I’ve had pain in this shoulder for years but it got very bad in a short amount of time. I had surgery on May 21 and am now 7 weeks into recovery. It has been difficult, especially living alone and it being my dominant arm. Molly, I found two rotator/shoulder facebook sites and they’ve been helpful, although people with horror stories also post there! At this point I still have a long way to go.
daylatedollarshort
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Frozen shoulder - fixed with PT, heat packs, massage balls, acupressure, foam rollers, more ergonomic computer set up, and most of all yoga.
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Philliefan33
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+1 on the yoga.
When I had frozen shoulder on the right, I went to PT for three months, continued the stretches at home, and got most of my range of motion back in six months.
My left shoulder froze a year later. I did yoga and stretches at home, and regained most of my ROM in six months.
Kayaking helped regain strength and some more ROM. However, it’s been five years and I still haven’t regained all the shoulder flexibility I had before the frozen shoulder.
Z3Dreamer
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OP, here. Surgery was 9 weeks ago. I have been sleeping on a bed for maybe 5 weeks, instead of a recliner. I have been doing PT twice a week for maybe 6 weeks. At first I was doing range of motion exercises but about a week ago, they have me doing some strengthening exercises, but nothing with weights. No drugs for many weeks. Maybe I have taken a pain killer before bed time. Have been driving. Sometimes I still use the sling to keep the arm in the right place during sleep. Have been experimenting with propping pillows in various places, while trying to sleep.
Had my second post-op visit with the surgeon. He was happy with range of motion.
Had my second post-op visit with the surgeon. He was happy with range of motion.
Sounds like good news. Pillows are so important. The wrong pillow can make your life miserable. Keep us posted on your recovery. These posts help everyone.
Z3Dreamer
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Costs for the whole thing
These are costs AFTER insurance discount. Obviously, if you have a low deductible, you will not pay these amounts, but if you have a HDHP and HSA ($6,750) you will feel my pain. Please note I have BCBSNC. Here goes:
Surgeon: sling ($130), Pre and a few post op visits ($600), surgery ($4,100)
Out-patient surgery hospital ($7,700) - that is for a total stay of 5 hours.
Anesthesiologist ($2,200)
Open MRI - $1,000 plus dude who read the results $100 - however surgeon said the dude's analysis was pure CYA.
Physical therapy so far $720 for 13 visits. Don't know, but guess I will have 8 more at 2 a week? So, total cost of PT about $1,200.
I have left out drugs, visits before the MRI, and who knows what else. Your total cost above is > $17,000.
These are costs AFTER insurance discount. Obviously, if you have a low deductible, you will not pay these amounts, but if you have a HDHP and HSA ($6,750) you will feel my pain. Please note I have BCBSNC. Here goes:
Surgeon: sling ($130), Pre and a few post op visits ($600), surgery ($4,100)
Out-patient surgery hospital ($7,700) - that is for a total stay of 5 hours.
Anesthesiologist ($2,200)
Open MRI - $1,000 plus dude who read the results $100 - however surgeon said the dude's analysis was pure CYA.
Physical therapy so far $720 for 13 visits. Don't know, but guess I will have 8 more at 2 a week? So, total cost of PT about $1,200.
I have left out drugs, visits before the MRI, and who knows what else. Your total cost above is > $17,000.
I had a total shoulder replacement on my right/dominant shoulder on Friday, Sept 13. So today is 11 days in. Xrays confirmed that the cartilage in both shoulders is gone. My right arm is much worse, so we did that surgery. Rather than try to organize this into a story, I'll just bullet the important points & tips and you can learn from the ones you like.
There are two kinds of shoulder replacements. Regular and reverse. You would prefer a regular, but if you have rotator cuff damage, they will do a reverse. (Reverse the ball & socket positions). I was a good regular replacement candidate. They won't know which with just an Xray. It takes an MRI to tell. Work with the MRI tech to make you comfortable with your arm position. You want a good picture.
Picking a surgeon: ask medical professionals who deal with the surgery you anticipate who they would use. My surgeon came from a physical therapist who worked on my wife's knee. He said my surgeon's patients had better outcomes. Good enough for me. As it turns out, my nurse when I got to my room had recommended my surgeon to her brother-in-law. Assuming she likes her BIL, more confirmation.
Shoulders are harder than hips and easier than knees. I thought shoulders were the hardest. Surgeon points out that you don't walk on your shoulder, so that makes it easier.
5 mg Oxycodone helps with pain, but I had constipation that rivaled concrete. Get off the stuff ASAP. It was not euphoria-inducing for me. I stopped after 4 days. Tylenol, Mobic and a muscle relaxant carry me through the pain. Ice too.
Pain just has not been a issue so far. It makes it very difficult to sleep, but it's never over a 4 unless I jerk my arm in reaction to something. I start PT today. I may have to revise this point.
Go to a hospital with a joint replacement facility. There were no "dirty" patients served by my ORs or wing. You are getting very deep, dangerous surgery. You don't want to be in environments where infections are commonplace. I have had no infection. Your community hospital is NOT good enough. These joint replacement facilities are run like factories. Factories produce consistent results. That's what you want.
You are not going to be able to dry off. Make sure you have a terrycloth robe at home to get into after a shower. Likewise, wear sweatpants and a zipper-front top to/from the hospital.
According to my surgeon & his PA, I was the "perfect patient". At age 70, I'm not described as "perfect" very often. What they meant was that I was old enough that I would probably not wear out my new joint, but I was still young enough to be a good candidate for surgery. While it it good to delay these kinds of surgery, waiting for better hardware and techniques, you are getting older at the same time and thus your quality as a patient declines. A friend missed his knee replacement because he developed a DVT in his leg.
Ice ice baby. Ice a lot.
Get an electric toothbrush. It's much easier to brush with your non-dominant hand with one. I think the round-headed ones are better in this regard. Buy some floss picks. Regular floss won't work.
You will need to toilet yourself with your good hand. Practice it before surgery.
Move your teeth cleaning to a week before surgery. You won't be going to the dentist for 2-4 months and you will need to take antibiotics when you do.
Ask your surgeon for "first ups" the day of surgery. You want to be out of recovery as early as possible. You surgeon should be doing 4 shoulders that day. How do I know that? Because you you should be at a joint replacement center and you want a surgeon who does that many.
7 days after surgery, I saw the PA and he said I could stop using the sling except while sleeping and when out in public. The sling is a sign that says "don't touch". He also removed the spacer that was holding my arm a few inches from my body. Here 11 days after surgery, I am typing this at close to normal speeds. Shoulder's a little achy (a 1/10). Ice will fix that.
Whatever you do, don't fall.
Ask if your PCP can do the pre-op physical. I did not. Nothing bad came of it, except I had to get a skin tag removed by my PCP anyway before surgery. He could have done it at the same appointment. While the surgical center knows surgery physicals better than your PCP, it is likely to be done by a PA, whereas you can have your PCP MD do it, and s/he knows you far better.
There are two kinds of shoulder replacements. Regular and reverse. You would prefer a regular, but if you have rotator cuff damage, they will do a reverse. (Reverse the ball & socket positions). I was a good regular replacement candidate. They won't know which with just an Xray. It takes an MRI to tell. Work with the MRI tech to make you comfortable with your arm position. You want a good picture.
Picking a surgeon: ask medical professionals who deal with the surgery you anticipate who they would use. My surgeon came from a physical therapist who worked on my wife's knee. He said my surgeon's patients had better outcomes. Good enough for me. As it turns out, my nurse when I got to my room had recommended my surgeon to her brother-in-law. Assuming she likes her BIL, more confirmation.
Shoulders are harder than hips and easier than knees. I thought shoulders were the hardest. Surgeon points out that you don't walk on your shoulder, so that makes it easier.
5 mg Oxycodone helps with pain, but I had constipation that rivaled concrete. Get off the stuff ASAP. It was not euphoria-inducing for me. I stopped after 4 days. Tylenol, Mobic and a muscle relaxant carry me through the pain. Ice too.
Pain just has not been a issue so far. It makes it very difficult to sleep, but it's never over a 4 unless I jerk my arm in reaction to something. I start PT today. I may have to revise this point.
Go to a hospital with a joint replacement facility. There were no "dirty" patients served by my ORs or wing. You are getting very deep, dangerous surgery. You don't want to be in environments where infections are commonplace. I have had no infection. Your community hospital is NOT good enough. These joint replacement facilities are run like factories. Factories produce consistent results. That's what you want.
You are not going to be able to dry off. Make sure you have a terrycloth robe at home to get into after a shower. Likewise, wear sweatpants and a zipper-front top to/from the hospital.
According to my surgeon & his PA, I was the "perfect patient". At age 70, I'm not described as "perfect" very often. What they meant was that I was old enough that I would probably not wear out my new joint, but I was still young enough to be a good candidate for surgery. While it it good to delay these kinds of surgery, waiting for better hardware and techniques, you are getting older at the same time and thus your quality as a patient declines. A friend missed his knee replacement because he developed a DVT in his leg.
Ice ice baby. Ice a lot.
Get an electric toothbrush. It's much easier to brush with your non-dominant hand with one. I think the round-headed ones are better in this regard. Buy some floss picks. Regular floss won't work.
You will need to toilet yourself with your good hand. Practice it before surgery.
Move your teeth cleaning to a week before surgery. You won't be going to the dentist for 2-4 months and you will need to take antibiotics when you do.
Ask your surgeon for "first ups" the day of surgery. You want to be out of recovery as early as possible. You surgeon should be doing 4 shoulders that day. How do I know that? Because you you should be at a joint replacement center and you want a surgeon who does that many.
7 days after surgery, I saw the PA and he said I could stop using the sling except while sleeping and when out in public. The sling is a sign that says "don't touch". He also removed the spacer that was holding my arm a few inches from my body. Here 11 days after surgery, I am typing this at close to normal speeds. Shoulder's a little achy (a 1/10). Ice will fix that.
Whatever you do, don't fall.
Ask if your PCP can do the pre-op physical. I did not. Nothing bad came of it, except I had to get a skin tag removed by my PCP anyway before surgery. He could have done it at the same appointment. While the surgical center knows surgery physicals better than your PCP, it is likely to be done by a PA, whereas you can have your PCP MD do it, and s/he knows you far better.
Last edited:
scrabbler1
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Back in 2016, I had a frozen shoulder, too. For a few months, my left shoulder had become painful when making routine movements, and its range was becoming limited. I went to an orthopedist and he told me that people with diabetes (I had been diagnosed with Type 2 the year before) are more prone to this ailment.
He gave me a cortisone shot, prescribed some anti-inflammatory pills, and I went to PT for 13 visits that summer. My shoulder quickly got its mobility back and I have been fine ever since.
Z3Dreamer
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OP here. 4 months since surgery. CTRetire - Your surgery was much more intense than mine, but so many of your comments brought back pain. I started this post to let others know what to expect. Your comments have richly added to that. Thanks. Your comments about teeth and toilet are dead on.
It has been a month since PT ended. I am still doing exercises that PT gave me. Shoulder is stiff when I first attempt to raise it. And it is weak. I am slowly doing various weight exercises in the gym. Biggest problem is that I cannot sleep on that shoulder. There is some improvement but it is coming slowly. Still using pillows to support my various sleeping positions.
It has been a month since PT ended. I am still doing exercises that PT gave me. Shoulder is stiff when I first attempt to raise it. And it is weak. I am slowly doing various weight exercises in the gym. Biggest problem is that I cannot sleep on that shoulder. There is some improvement but it is coming slowly. Still using pillows to support my various sleeping positions.
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