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Recovery Time & Therapy After a Shoulder Replacement

Your shoulder is a remarkable joint that allows you the liberty to push, pull, twist, reach and move with a great range of motion, unlike any other joint in the body. Injuries that result in severe shoulder fractures or massive tendon tears, or diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) or even osteoporosis, can cause so much damage that nonsurgical treatments leave no results. This is when your physician may recommend shoulder replacement therapy as a treatment option.

  1. Recovery

    • Since your shoulder replacement is a highly technical and unique procedure, the recovery period and method will vary for each individual patient. After your surgery, you will remain hospitalized for two or three days and your physician may administer antirejection drugs where appropriate. During this time, your doctor will check regularly for infection and other post-operative complications. After you have been discharged, you will be placed in a rehabilitation program.

    Rehabilitation

    • Regaining the major use of your shoulder will require extensive rehabilitation that will be a little uncomfortable at times. Starting from as early as the next day after your surgery, your physician will order simple exercises to begin rehabilitating your shoulder. Although it may be a bit challenging to limit the use of your shoulder during the time you are recovering, it is imperative that you do not overdo it. If you are healing properly and all appears to be going well, you will find that you can resume simple tasks in as little as two weeks after your surgery.

    Therapy

    • Therapy is usually conducted under the guidance of a licensed physical therapist. Therapy involves learning how to use the new shoulder joint. This can involve doing simple tasks like rotating your shoulder or lifting your arm. Range of motion and strength training follow, but only after you have mastered simple activities and begun to adapt to your new shoulder. The physical therapy process can take several months from beginning to end, with regular exercise requirements and meeting with your physical therapist to monitor your progress and introduce new exercise regimens as you become more used to your new shoulder.

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