Shoulder surgery can help to restore function and provide long-term pain relief for your shoulder issue, and while the procedure itself will likely be painless because of the anesthesia, odds are you’ll experience a fair amount of discomfort during your recovery. This is pretty standard, especially because the shoulder is a very mobile joint and surgery is a significant trauma on your body.
So while pain and discomfort is quite common in the wake of shoulder surgery, you can also work to manage pain and make it less of a problem. In today’s blog, we share some tips for effectively managing pain after your shoulder operation.
How To Control Pain After Shoulder Surgery
Here are a number of tips for controlling and reducing pain after shoulder surgery and throughout your recovery.
- Early Movement – Now, we need to be clear here. Early movement is only helpful in patients who have been cleared for movement and physical activity. If your arm is in a sling and you’ve been advised to avoid moving the shoulder joint, then early movement isn’t in your best interest. On the flip side, if your doctor has recommended gentle stretches or movement routines, you certainly want to follow through with these exercises. They may be uncomfortable in the short term, but strength training will do wonders for pain control and function in the long run.
- Understand Painkiller Best Practices – Odds are you’ll be prescribed some type of pain medication to help with the discomfort after your shoulder surgery. Make sure that your care team clearly explains the most effective way for managing pain with these medications. Odds are they’ll recommend taking medications at regular intervals throughout the day and working to eventually wean off them as pain begins to subside. Painkillers should not be viewed as a long-term solution, so use them in combination with other active pain control techniques, like physical therapy or stretching exercises.
- Minimally Invasive Surgery – If possible, trust your operation to a specialist like Dr. Holloway, who can perform a number of shoulder surgeries using minimally invasive techniques. By using these less invasive procedures, a surgeon can greatly reduce the amount of trauma and tissue damage at the surgery site. Less tissue damage means less pain and a speedier recovery for the patient. Opt for a minimally invasive correction if possible, and trust your operation to a surgeon who has a great track record of delivering fantastic results with these techniques.
- Move – You may have been told to limit movement in your shoulder while you recover, but that doesn’t mean you should be sedentary and inactive during your rehabilitation. Movements like standing and walking can help to increase blood flow and promote healthy healing at the surgery site, which can aid in pain control and recovery. Be active during your recovery, even if you have shoulder movement restrictions.
- Get Adequate Sleep – Healthy sleep is important for your shoulder and your whole body as it works to recover after a shoulder procedure, but it can also aid in pain control. A number of restorative processes are completed while you sleep, including tissue repair, so give your body plenty of restful sleep. Obviously this may be easier said than done after shoulder surgery because it’s not always easy to find a comfortable sleeping position after an operation, but do what you can to create an ideal sleeping environment. Go to bed and wake up around the same time each day, make the room as dark as possible and leave potential distractions like smartphones and devices off or on silent. Make it easier for yourself to achieve restful sleep, and it may help with pain control.
And as always, if you are struggling with pain control or another part of your rehab after shoulder surgery, be sure to reach out to your treating surgeon. They will be more than happy to help, but they can’t assist if they don’t know you’re dealing with an issue. For more information, or to talk to a specialist about your shoulder discomfort, reach out to Dr. Holloway’s office today at (865) 410-7887.
