Millions of Americans are living with at least one artificial joint, and many find that multiple joint replacement procedures are eventually in their future. While knee replacement surgery is the most common joint replacement, more Americans are also undergoing joint replacement surgery to address degenerative hips and shoulders.
If you’ve already had your knee or hip replaced, you may assume that you know what to expect if you’re told that you would benefit from a shoulder replacement. And while some of what you’ve already gone through will certainly make life easier after your shoulder replacement procedure, recovery will look different than other major joint replacement protocols. In today’s blog, we look at some of the similarities and differences in your home-based recovery following shoulder replacement compared to other joint replacement procedures on your knee or hip.
Recovery Expectations For Shoulder Replacement
For the sake of this blog, let’s assume you have already had your knee replaced, and now you are gearing up to undergo shoulder replacement surgery. Here’s a look at some of the ways the procedure and your recovery will differ.
- Pain – While pain and pain tolerance are unique to the individual, it is generally assumed that patients will be in more discomfort following knee replacement surgery than shoulder replacement. That’s not to say that shoulder replacement surgery will be completely pain-free, and in fact you’ll likely have discomfort for weeks after your operation. But comparatively, knee replacement surgery tends to be more invasive and is replacing a much more stable joint, so the replacement and the recovery period leads to more post-operative pain. If you’ve already endured knee replacement, you can come in with the expectation that shoulder surgery and recovery should not be as painful.
- Physical Therapy – One interesting difference between shoulder replacement and knee or hip replacement is in how physical therapy and your rehab exercises will be handled. In general, your care team will want you to be more protective of your shoulder during the initial stages of recovery. You’ll have your arm in a protective sling with the goal of limiting movement for the first few weeks. You’ll eventually dive head first into physical therapy exercises, but not right away. With a knee or a hip, because you’ll be upright, moving and bearing weight through these structures will begin 24-48 hours after surgery. You’ll pursue physical therapy within the first few days of your procedure, whereas it may be weeks before you begin following a shoulder replacement. Both recoveries will involve months of continued PT, but when they start and how long they persist for (shoulder PT typically ends sooner than knee or hip PT) will differ.
- Mobility – Another major difference between the two procedures is when it comes to your mobility. After knee or hip replacement, you’re going to find it harder to move around the house for the first couple of weeks, but that’s not really the case with a shoulder procedure. The same goes for driving. As long as you feel safe and are not under the influence of pain medications, you can typically drive much sooner after shoulder replacement than after knee or hip replacement. Life around your house will feel less disrupted after shoulder replacement than knee replacement.
- Sleeping – Finally, you may find that falling asleep and staying asleep is a little different when recovering from a shoulder or knee replacement. It’s a good idea to follow a similar pain medication plan that sees you stay ahead of your pain so that it doesn’t wake you up at night, but some patients claim that it’s a bit more challenging to fall asleep after a shoulder replacement than a knee replacement. You’ll need to sleep on your non-operated side, and if you’re not a side sleeper or you roll around, you may notice that you’re agitating your shoulder at bedtime. Falling asleep after knee replacement isn’t always a breeze either, but your knees are generally less of a pressure point in bed than your shoulders, so sleeping isn’t always the easiest after shoulder replacement.
We’ll do everything in our power to help you prepare for your upcoming shoulder procedure, regardless of whether or not you’ve already had a joint replaced. For more information about corrective shoulder procedures, or to talk to a specialist about a shoulder issue you’re dealing with, reach out to Dr. Holloway today at (865) 410-7887.
