How You Can Rehab From Rotator Cuff Surgery

Have you just started physical therapy for your rotator cuff surgery? If so, it will be good to know that you are not alone in your situation. All over the nation there are thousands of people who are starting their physical rehabilitation programs today.

Rotator cuff surgery is a pretty common operation these days and it's pretty easy to rehab from. But still, that doesn't mean that it's not painful. And it certainly doesn't mean that it's going to be a quick process either. Most people who have rotator cuff surgery are looking at least 3 months of rehabilitation.

After surgery, your doctor will probably keep you 'immobilized' for several weeks. What this means is that you are probably wearing what looks like an arm rest off of an easy chair or sofa. These can be pretty annoying at times but they are essential. Your physician placed you in it right after you were sewed up to give your muscles and tendons time to heal.

Don't worry; you won't be in it for the whole rehab time, just the first few weeks. It's really important that you don't try to lift your arm as this may rupture the sutures used to repair your muscles. The rotator cuff muscles are the primary muscles used to lift your arm away from your body. Any tension on these recently repaired tissues may ruin the surgery. If that happens, you'll probably be going back under the knife and it starts all over again.

Once you start your physical therapy you should keep one thing upper most in your mind: "Physical Therapy is not supposed to hurt." It may be uncomfortable, but it shouldn't be painful, regardless of how much of a man you are!!

Your physical therapist will begin with passive motion to your arm. This means that you allow them to move it and not help them. This will be difficult to do as most people don't like other people moving their body parts around. But it is necessary to allow your shoulder to relax. This will lessen the discomfort.

After a couple of weeks of passive motion, your therapist will start having you move your own shoulder with the help of your other hand. This is called active assisted range of motion. Remember, this is not about 'getting strong' it's about 'learning how to move' with as little pain and discomfort as possible.

After a few more weeks of this, you will be free to start actively moving your arm and shoulder on its own. No! You won't be lifting weights or throwing a Frisbee yet, but you will be moving it on its own. Once you get to this point is when the real rehabilitation starts with you trying to get as much range as possible and gradually strengthen your upper body muscles.

But, try to remember, rehabbing from a surgery is a marathon and not a sprint. Take it slow and measure your pace. You'll be fine.

Bryan Williams has been a practicing physical therapist for over 15 years. His preferred area of research and study is on the topic of Efficiency in Human Movement. He shares some of his thoughts from time to time at http://physicaltherapypage.com And, those who have low back pain may find this helpful