After rotator cuff repair, how long shoulder pain lasts?

Question

Hello doctor,

I had arthroscopy surgery on my right shoulder approximately five weeks ago. The surgeon repaired a rotator cuff tear, and a labrum tear released one bicep tendon and did not reattach it, and subacromial decompression. The pain is still intense, and I am taking Oxycodone. I just started a passive range of motion physiotherapy. How long can I expect the shoulder pain to last? It is far more than I thought and for much longer than I anticipated.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Yes, arthroscopic shoulder rotator cuff repairs can be quite a difficult task post-operatively especially, after the physiotherapy is started. The pain and stiffness usually get better after a month of starting physiotherapy. So, rest after surgery combined with physiotherapy can take about a total of 10 to 12 weeks post-operatively for pain and stiffness to get better. Oxycodone is a good pain reliever to take, so you need to continue this as per the recommendation of your doctor. Continue with physiotherapy daily to help stretch the tendons, which will relieve the pain ultimately. This professional advice provided by me stands subject to the actual examination of the report or image and is based entirely on inputs provided to me. It should be correlated with clinical findings.