It must be emphasized that rotator cuff surgery recovery is both a science and an art. Your physical therapist and physician will provide the science behind the exercises and applications while you provide the art of knowing your body. Of course, your family members who provide support in your daily activities, which cannot be performed due to the surgery, form a significant part of the art/science combo. Working together as a team, you can indeed speed up your recovery.
First Things First
The length of time you must stay in the hospital will depend on the type of surgery you have. For instance if you have an arthroscopic surgery you can be back home sometime the same day, however if you have open surgery you had better pack at least an overnight bag as you will be spending one to two days as an inpatient.
You will be required to wear a protective sling no matter which surgery you opt for. A sling keeps the arm and should more relaxed and will aid in a faster rotator cuff surgery recovery. Your physical therapist will however help you with passive exercises as soon as you are released from the hospital. These stretching and strengthening exercises will keep your muscles soft and pliable preventing atrophy or scarring.
Recovery Period Exercises
There are four distinct phases of recovery, passive motion, active motion, strengthening and full activity. During each of these recovery phases, you will have specific exercises to do. Your physical therapist will provide you with the details for each area of recovery and the proper exercises you must do, they will generally fall into one of three categories, beginning, advanced and strengthening.
First, beginning exercises can be done with and without the help of your physical therapist. You can alternate between forward elevation of the arm, external rotation, and elbow flexion and extension and grip exercises, to name a few. Ask your physical therapist whether you are allowed to perform these exercises in the passive and active ways. This is an important step since exposing your shoulder muscles to stress before these are ready can adversely affect your rotator cuff surgery recovery.
Within about 6-8 weeks of your surgery, you should begin advanced exercises. Your physical therapist will expect you to allow your shoulder to do its full range of motion through exercise. These exercises will be performed around 10-15 times per day. Advanced exercises such as cross body adduction and internal rotation will be outlined by your physical therapist.
Finally, it will be time to strengthen your shoulder through exercise. It is common to lose some strength in your muscles after a surgery like this, however with strengthening exercises you should go back to your regular activities up to and including sports.
You will be required to lift weights although you must still remember not to overstress your shoulder muscles. As such, your physical therapist will plan out a personalized strength training protocol that will include internal and external rotations as well as pressing exercises.
In any of these exercises, you must immediately consult with your doctor when your wound starts to exhibit signs of redness, uncommon warmth and oozing fluid or when you develop a fever or when your pain becomes intolerable. Any of these factors will affect how fast and how well you tread the path of rotator cuff surgery recovery.
Tom Nicholson has spent years helping carpal tunnel sufferers. You can click here to find out more aboutrotator cuff surgery recovery.
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