Having surgery can be a real pain, literally and figuratively.
Most people underestimate the challenges a major surgery poses to their life. Whether it is the time off of work, difficulty sleeping due to a restrictive sling or the precautions put in place to avoid destroying the work the surgeon just performed.
Most assume they can have shoulder surgery and be back to normal in a few weeks. This is rarely the case. The repaired tissue is just beginning to heal at this time and if stressed too early can lead to significant damage.
Placing you in a worse position than before surgery.
Getting in a hurry or impatient will only make matters worse. This can be very frustrating for some. As much as we would like to, there isn’t much we can do to speed up the healing process.
Now imagine trying to do everything one handed and usually with your non-dominant hand. Pulling up your pants, getting dressed, sleeping. All of these simple tasks become quite a challenge after surgery.
Fortunately this too shall pass and with the help of the Springtown health experts at MOSS Rehabilitation Center we can help get you back to normal with The MAGICAL 5 Phases of Healing.
Physical therapy is actually one of the key elements in your recovery from any major surgery, especially shoulder surgery.
Now not all shoulder surgeries are the same. There are many different types including rotator cuff repairs (most common), total shoulder replacements, labral repairs, and many more.
Recovering from these surgeries may seem like a daunting process, but your physical therapy team at MOSS Rehabilitation Center is here to see you through every step of the way using The MAGICAL 5 Step Healing Process.
So what happens before and after shoulder surgery.
Often your physician or surgeon will recommend a few weeks of physical therapy prior to surgery. Research has shown that participating in physical therapy before surgery leads to faster recovery times, improved healing and helps you get back to doing what you need to do much faster!
Think of it as “pre-hab”. It allows you to go into the surgery at a higher level of conditioning. Consider how fast some professional athletes recover from a surgery, why is that?
Well for one they are younger (nothing we can do about that) but they are also in better shape. This means the hit they take from the surgery has less of an effect on them. So they are able to return to “work” faster.
The focus of “pre-hab” is to work on your mobility and strength of the unaffected muscles. This is also a great time to review upcoming precautions and make a game plan for how you are going to do some of the most basic tasks one handed.
After surgery, it is important to be aware of specific precautions or limitations your surgeon might give you in order to protect that surgical site. (This often changes from pre-surgery if they had to change the plans mid-surgery).
Each surgery is specific to your needs, and your surgeon will often create a protocol that is specific to your type of surgery.
For example, in rotator cuff surgery, each surgeon will give you a protocol specific to which rotator cuff muscle was repaired (there are 4 muscles that make up the cuff).
These protocols are a guide as to what motions or movements you are allowed to perform after surgery and a timeline for the healing process. These protocols also help physical therapists work in tandem with your surgeon for the best healing and rehabilitation experience for each individual patient!
Call the office to get my 100% FREE Report Top 10 Burning Questions for Shoulder Pain.
Now I have had some who will try on their own to “rehab” their shoulder with some simple exercises their surgeon gives them or will search the interwebs for “the best shoulder exercises” but rarely does this work out.
Most people don’t have a firm understanding of what was performed inside their shoulder, they tend to underestimate what was performed, hence don’t think of it as a big deal.
Patients are often shocked at the amount of work performed through those tiny little holes in their shoulder.
Also there is usually quite a bit of pain involved in the recovery process especially early on (Phase I and II) when we are trying to get your range of motion back. Most patients barely tolerate the stretching while in the clinic and they certainly won’t push it as far as they need to at home.
When this happens your shoulder will likely “freeze up” rendering the arm virtually useless and in a lot of pain. Often the surgeon will then have to put you under anesthesia and perform an aggressive manipulation to break up the scar tissue which has formed. This is called an MUA.
After the MUA you will be sent to see us vs.exercising on your own. We will begin stretching exercises to maintain the newly found motion your surgeon just provided with the MUA and to make sure you stay on track with your recovery.
So what should you do and expect following shoulder surgery?
If you are doing “pre-hab” then you will already be established with one of our experts who knows your condition and can help to prepare you for your surgery.
This also makes the return process after surgery easier.
If you don’t do “pre-hab” then soon after surgery you will meet with one of our experts who will design a plan specific for your surgical procedure and based on the protocol your surgeon recommends (there are many).
From here we start to walk with you through The MAGICAL 5 Phases of Healing so you can get the best result from your shoulder and return to the life and activities you want.
The key is that you have to be committed to the process. Unfortunately I have seen patients who stopped therapy for various reasons before completing their plan of care only to return months later because they didn’t have the mobility, strength or were in continuous pain.
They were not able to return to work, lift overhead to get a glass from the cabinet, carry groceries or play with their kids or grandkids.
Don’t let this happen to you.
Recovery from a major surgery is a 9-12 month process. If you try to skip steps then this time frame can go on for over 2 years.
So what do the most successful people do when they have shoulder pain and surgery? They address their problem.
If you are suffering and want relief from that annoying, shoulder pain whether you have had surgery or would like to avoid it then I have something for you.
Act now – call the office NOW 817-220-6677 to request my 100% FREE Report Top 10 Burning Questions for Shoulder Pain.
“A healthy man has thousands of wishes, a sick man has only one”. –Agnes Karll Schwest Krankenpfleger
Remember the KEY is to start so small that it is impossible to fail. -Kaizen
We love helping everyday people get back to doing the things they love to do.
At MOSS Rehabilitation Center we make it easy for you to get started. We even have a simple 3 step process.
1. Schedule a FREE NO Obligation, Discovery Visit with one of our experts. During this visit, you will talk with one of our friendly experts about your issues. This is a safe and confidential visit, you can trust that your safety and privacy is important to us. We are taking extra measures to ensure that you remain safe during this pandemic.
2. Receive a Customized (Individualized) Treatment Plan. Based on your free discovery visit, we will put together a custom, unique to you plan that will address all of your nagging pains and issues. The goal is to get you back to your healthy self as soon as possible while also addressing your issues for the long term.
3. Get Your Life Back and Do What You Love. The best result for us is a patient who tells us they can finally do what they love without the constant pain, stress, or issue they were facing. Together we can get you back to living life without worry.
NEXT ACTION: If you are really serious about your shoulder pain and want to do something about it, start by calling 817-220-6677 today to schedule your FREE NO OBLIGATION Discovery Visit or talk to one of our experts to find out a proper next step.
To your health,
Dr. Robert Moss PT, ScD, OCS, FAAOMPT
PS. No one will ask for any money for anything when you call 817-220-6677 to request your free report which is perfect for those who are suffering with rotator cuff and shoulder pain.
The author, Dr. Robert Moss PT, ScD is the owner of MOSS Rehabilitation Center in Springtown, TX. He is happy to help you with your back pain and sciatica problems either by phone 817-220-MOSS (6677) or email robert@springtownphysicalthearpy.com.
Contributing author, Dr. Jamie Greenberg is a licensed Physical Therapist at MOSS Rehabilitation Center who specializes in getting you out of pain and back to doing the things you enjoy most.
