Shoulder Impingement Surgery Recovery – Things to Keep in Mind
If you have recently gone through a rotator cuff surgery, you might be in a lot of pain. But don’t worry, I have shortlisted all points you must know for your shoulder impingement surgery recovery.
Some of you might be wondering what shoulder impingement is. Don’t worry! I will give a brief summary for you to understand what it actually is before diving deep into the detail of its recovery.
Read on to find out everything about this procedure and what to keep in mind during the recovery phase.
Shoulder Impingement – A Quick Summary
Also known as a swimmer’s shoulder or tennis shoulder, shoulder impingement occurs due to heavy overhead activity or old age. The condition includes sharp pain and immobility of the shoulder or shoulder instability due to the bones touching and pinching tendons or bursa.
Rotator cuff tear or shoulder bursitis are common conditions resulting from shoulder joint impingement. Your doctor might suggest surgery or physical therapy and NSAIDs. But while surgery is quite an invasive process, medication and exercises are helpful for those with minor shoulder impingement.
Enter shoulder impingement surgery! Also called arthroscopic shoulder surgery, this process includes the surgeon improving your joint by cleaning tissues and expanding it to facilitate movement without bones pinching tendons.
What Happens During Shoulder Impingement Surgery?
Shoulder impingement surgery includes the surgeon making small incisions in your shoulder to insert the arthroscope to make space for the rotator cuff or to remove degenerative tissues and bursa.
There are a few procedures that can happen in arthroscopic shoulder surgery. I have listed the most common of them below, and you can expect any one of these procedures to happen to you during your surgery:
1. Subacromial Decompression Procedure
This procedure includes removing degenerative tisse or bone spurs and getting rid of the bursa that might be getting affected due to impingement. This process is also called acromioplasty and includes the surgeon making three small incisions in your shoulder.
Sometimes, in cases of severe impingement, the surgeon might need to repair the rotator cuff as well. Once all inflamed area is removed, the surgeon proceeds to close the incisions, and you can go to recovery.
2. Bursectomy
Bursa is a fluid-filled sac that adds extra cushioning to reduce friction between bone and soft tissue surfaces. Sometimes it might start getting inflamed due to shoulder impingement. This is called bursitis, and in this case, the surgeon will perform a bursectomy.
Bursectomy essentially involves the removal of the bursa. This is again done by making small incisions with an arthroscope.
3. Rotator Cuff Repair
The name says it all. This process involves repairing torn tendons in the shoulder. In this case, tendons are reattached to the bones. This will improve shoulder instability and shoulder pain.
Do note that this procedure can be done via open surgery as well. But arthroscopy is a less invasive and the more common process today. Also, arthroscopy of the shoulder is an outpatient procedure. This implies that you can go home the same day as your surgery is done.
Recovering After Shoulder Joint Surgery
Now that you know what will happen during your shoulder arthroscopy, you can just sit back and concentrate on how you will recover. Shoulder surgeries can be tough on the patient. It causes a lot of pain and discomfort during the recovery phase.
You’ll, of course, need to wear a sling during the initial phase of your recovery and will be active with only one arm. You can expect to face the following issues during recovery and know that these are completely normal among all the patients that go through this process.
- It is completely normal to experience swelling in the shoulder area and pain throughout the arm. So, you must keep your ice packs and pain medications ready to combat this kind of discomfort.
- You will also face difficulties while sleeping if your try to sleep normally on the bed, as getting up can be a task when you’re practically single-handed during the recovery process.
The Recovery Process for Shoulder Pain
So, you can expect up to 3 months to somewhere around one year’s time to recover from shoulder impingement surgery. For some people, recovery is a fairly slow process, while others recover quite quickly.
These are the things that you must keep in mind during the recovery process to recover fast and let the process be easy on yourself.
1. Stay Calm & Patient
As we just mentioned, the recovery phase can last longer for some than others. That’s why it is quite necessary that you just relax and try not to get too anxious during the recovery process.
Some nights can feel too difficult to sleep. Other times you’ll face bathroom woes, be unable to shower on your own, or be unable to cook. It is necessary to understand that it will soon be over. Just trust the process.
2. Take Your Pain Medications
Do not try to be brave by skipping on your pain meds. You might need a lot of them. And you might be dizzy most days due to these pain killers. But these medications are absolutely necessary.
They will help you combat pain and get on with your day with a little more ease. Take all your prescribed medications.
3. Never Strain Your Shoulder
Always ask for help! Do not try to do everything yourself. Do not lift heavy weight or try to do daily chores yourself.
You’ll definitely need help from someone you trust. Take that help to let your shoulder recover quickly and with ease.
4. Get Physical Therapy
Mild physical therapy exercises are extremely crucial to your recovery process. These exercises recommended by a professional physical therapist will help you regain mobility faster.
Additionally, you can also get gentle massages to aid your recovery process.
5. Keep An Eye on Abnormal Swelling or Pain
Mostly any swelling or pain is completely normal. But if your swelling is quickly spreading across your arm and neck or there is shooting pain in your arm or forearm, it might be the time to get a professional diagnosis.
Look for these symptoms:
- Severe neck and chest edema (chest and neck swelling)
- Blotchy skin
- Tracheal compression caused due to fluid extravasation
- Complete airway obstruction
- Inability to move neck
- Excessive pain in the swollen area
Always consult your doctor if you face abnormal symptoms. Untreated conditions can prove detrimental to your health in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Trust the process when it comes to recovery from shoulder arthroscopic procedure or shoulder impingement surgery. Your surgeon will be able to treat your shoulder joint by expanding the joint and removing degenerative tissues. And although you’re going to feel discomfort, pain, and swelling after the shoulder joint surgery, there is nothing to be anxious about.
If you don’t need surgery, your surgeon might suggest physical therapy for the affected arm or some pain medications. Both these are also needed during the recovery process after shoulder decompression surgery or arthroscopic surgery.
Shoulder arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgery. Expect shoulder pain, swelling, and difficulty sleeping. Reminding again, if you face extreme swelling, you should contact your doctor.