What is the average recovery time for rotator cuff surgery?

Table of Contents:

1. What is the average recovery time for rotator cuff surgery?
2. How long before you can drive after rotator cuff surgery?
3. Is rotator cuff surgery considered a major surgery?
4. What is the fastest way to recover from rotator cuff surgery?
5. What is the most painful shoulder surgery?
6. Can I use my hand after rotator cuff surgery?
7. Is rotator cuff surgery worth having?
8. What percentage of rotator cuff surgeries are successful?
9. What can you not do after rotator cuff surgery?
10. How many weeks of physical therapy do you need for rotator cuff surgery?
11. What is the best pain medication for rotator cuff surgery?
12. What happens at 8 weeks after rotator cuff surgery?
13. What happens at 10 weeks after rotator cuff surgery?
14. What happens at 3 weeks after rotator cuff surgery?
15. What happens at 12 weeks after rotator cuff surgery?
16. How long will I need pain medication after rotator cuff surgery?
17. What is the ideal sleep support for post rotator cuff surgery?
18. When should you not have rotator cuff surgery?
19. Can you wait too long for rotator cuff surgery?
20. What happens if a torn rotator cuff goes untreated?
21. When is rotator cuff surgery recommended?
22. How bad is rotator cuff surgery?
23. Why is rotator cuff pain worse at night?
24. Does a torn rotator cuff hurt all the time?
25. Will a cortisone shot help a torn rotator cuff?
26. Where does your shoulder hurt with a torn rotator cuff?
27. Does rotator cuff pain radiate down the arm?
28. Does a torn rotator cuff cause neck pain?
29. Can a torn rotator cuff cause bicep pain?
30. Can a torn rotator cuff cause numbness in the arm?

What is the average recovery time for rotator cuff surgery?

Recovery can take 4 to 6 months, depending on the size of the tear and other factors. You may have to wear a sling for 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. Pain is usually managed with medicines. Physical therapy can help you regain the motion and strength of your shoulder.

How long before you can drive after rotator cuff surgery?

It's important to note that during rotator cuff surgery recovery, you will likely be in a sling from 2 to 6 weeks. Until you're out of your sling, it is not recommended to drive. Reaction times with one arm, especially non-dominant, are reduced after surgery.

Is rotator cuff surgery considered a major surgery?

It is well known that rotator cuff surgery is a major operation where the rotator cuff tendons (Figure 1) are sewn back to the upper arm bone (humerus) (Figures 2 and 3). The other major reason patients have pain after rotator cuff surgery is due to stiffness of that shoulder.

What is the fastest way to recover from rotator cuff surgery?

To ensure optimal results and the quickest possible recovery, follow these key tips.

1. Wear your shoulder immobilizer or sling. ...
2. Participate in physical therapy. ...
3. Eliminate pain medication as quickly as possible. ...
4. Avoid certain shoulder positions and arm movements. ...
5. Don't rush your recovery.

What is the most painful shoulder surgery?

Rotator cuff repair is the most painful surgery in the first postoperative days. The main risk factor for pain is a work related accident or occupational disease, associated with higher VAS values from D1 to 1 year and greater morphine intake.

Can I use my hand after rotator cuff surgery?

You may use your wrist, hand, and elbow for daily activities. This includes eating, shaving, dressing, as long as you do not move your operated arm away from your body and it does not increase your pain. Do not use your arm to push up/off the bed or chair for six weeks after your surgery.

Is rotator cuff surgery worth having?

In such cases, is rotator cuff surgery worth it? Well, the answer is “no.” There's no need to do surgery to repair the torn rotator cuff. Effective non-surgical treatments include: Steroid injections.

What percentage of rotator cuff surgeries are successful?

Failure rates after arthroscopic repair of large and/or massive rotator cuff repairs have been reported to range from 34%-94% in various series[6,16-19]. Despite poor healing rates in patients with large and/or massive rotator cuff tears, functional outcomes have generally been reported to be good following repair.

What can you not do after rotator cuff surgery?

You should not do any reaching, lifting, pushing, or pulling with your shoulder during the first six weeks after surgery. You should not reach behind your back with the operative arm. You may remove your arm from the sling to bend and straighten your elbow and to move your fingers several times a day.

How many weeks of physical therapy do you need for rotator cuff surgery?

Rotator cuff surgery recovery usually consists of immobilizing the shoulder in a sling for seven to ten days, physical therapy with passive and assisted motion for six weeks, followed by physical therapy with active motion for six weeks.

What is the best pain medication for rotator cuff surgery?

Home care can treat many rotator cuff problems. Your doctor will tell you to rest your shoulder joint and ice the area. Over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen can help ease your pain and swelling while your rotator cuff heals. Physical therapy will help restore your shoulder strength.

What happens at 8 weeks after rotator cuff surgery?

For the first 6-8 weeks after surgery, your surgeon will ask you to wear a sling to protect the repaired tendons. The next phase of recovery, from 8-12 weeks after the surgery, is focused on getting the shoulder to move normally again, while still not doing any lifting that could pull apart the repair.

What happens at 10 weeks after rotator cuff surgery?

Reduced Strength By around week 10-12 of your recovery you should be close to regaining full ROM in the shoulder – this is when strengthening exercises begin! You'll be put through a series of exercises aimed at increasing shoulder strength, power, and endurance.

What happens at 3 weeks after rotator cuff surgery?

3 weeks to 6 weeks- Post-acute recovery Therapy should not be “painful”, but you will have some discomfort with getting the shoulder out of the sling and having it moved around more. You are still not allowed to actively lift your arm at this point.

What happens at 12 weeks after rotator cuff surgery?

When a rotator cuff is arthroscopically repaired, it takes approximately 12 weeks for the repair site to begin to have structural integrity as new blood vessels form and the tendon-to-bone repair site continues to mature.

How long will I need pain medication after rotator cuff surgery?

So the initial post-operative pain medication requirement for patients after a total shoulder is actually much shorter. Usually, by a week or 10 days, patients are usually only taking meds at night and then oftentimes even on Tylenol.

What is the ideal sleep support for post rotator cuff surgery?

Avoid sleeping flat on your back. Bolstering yourself up in your bed with several pillows or with a 45 degree wedge that you can purchase at a medical supply store will help you rest. Often, patients have to sleep with an incline for 4 to 6 weeks after surgery.

When should you not have rotator cuff surgery?

There is a good chance that your tear will get worse over time. You had a forceful injury to your shoulder, such as during an activity or car crash. You have severe shoulder pain or weakness. You have not gotten better after 3 to 6 months of other treatment and physiotherapy.

Can you wait too long for rotator cuff surgery?

The study concluded that surgical rotator cuff tear outcome wasn't compromised (regardless of the rotator cuff tear size) up to four months after injury. Most tears could also wait longer, but patients with massive rotator cuff tears who waited longer than 4 months had the worst outcome.

What happens if a torn rotator cuff goes untreated?

If left untreated, rotator cuff tendinitis can worsen and lead to a partially or completely torn tendon. Surgery is rarely used to treat rotator cuff tendinitis unless the rotator cuff is severely damaged or torn.

When is rotator cuff surgery recommended?

If you have symptoms that don't get better after 3 to 6 months, you may need surgery. You may want to think about surgery if you have torn your rotator cuff in a sudden injury and the tear is causing shoulder weakness. But surgery can't fully reverse problems that occur over time with wear and tear of the rotator cuff.

How bad is rotator cuff surgery?

Nerve injury: Many major nerves surround the shoulder joint, which means there is the potential for nerve injury during the surgery. Research has found just 1 to 2 percent of patients experience nerve damage during arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery.

Why is rotator cuff pain worse at night?

Rotator Cuff Injuries. It causes swelling and pain in the shoulder that can worsen at night because your position in bed – especially if you lay on your side – can further irritate and inflame the damaged muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff.

Does a torn rotator cuff hurt all the time?

Rotator cuff tendon tears often cause pain at night. The pain may even wake you. During the day, the pain is more tolerable, and usually only hurts with certain movements, such as overhead or reaching toward the back. Over time, the symptoms become much worse, and are not relieved by medicines, rest, or exercise.

Will a cortisone shot help a torn rotator cuff?

How are rotator cuff pain or tears treated? Non-Operative: Early treatment of rotator cuff disorders may include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication, or a cortisone injection into your shoulder. These might completely resolve your symptoms.

Where does your shoulder hurt with a torn rotator cuff?

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint, keeping the head of your upper arm bone firmly within the shallow socket of the shoulder. A rotator cuff injury can cause a dull ache in the shoulder, which often worsens with use of the arm away from the body.

Does rotator cuff pain radiate down the arm?

Early on, pain occurs with overhead activities and lifting your arm to the side. Pain is more likely in the front of the shoulder and may radiate to the side of the arm. However, this pain always stops before the elbow. If the pain travels beyond the arm to the elbow and hand, this may indicate a pinched nerve.

Does a torn rotator cuff cause neck pain?

When the rotator becomes damaged, it causes the body to compensate and use other muscle groups in the shoulder to lift, push or pull objects. This compensation can strain to the muscles and result in pain in the area from the top of the shoulder into the neck.

Can a torn rotator cuff cause bicep pain?

Recognizing a Bicep Tendon Tear or Rotator Cuff Tear With gradual wear and tear, you may feel cramping, pain, and/or tenderness in the bicep muscle when performing demanding actions. You may also feel weakness or have difficulty turning your palm face up or face down.

Can a torn rotator cuff cause numbness in the arm?

Over time, wear and tear on the muscles and tendons can lead to inflammation, which can sometimes result in a rotator cuff tear. Symptoms of rotator cuff tear include pain, weakness of the shoulder muscles and numbness or tingling that extends down your arm. Depending on the extent of the tear, surgery may be needed.