What to Expect After Shoulder Surgery
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A Sling
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Your arm will be kept in a sling for a few weeks after shoulder surgery in order to give the shoulder a chance to keep from being over-stressed.
Arthroscopic Effects
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If you have arthroscopic surgery you will often feel better even before the healing has completed thanks to the fact that there are not huge incisions made in muscle tissues.
Medication
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Directly after surgery, patients are given strong medicines like Demerol or morphine to reduce pain and swelling.
Pain Pumps
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A small tube is sometimes placed directly into a patient's shoulder after surgery. This tube is connected on the other end to a supply of pain medication. It is able to decrease the amount of pain you feel because it directs pain killer to the source of the pain.
Rehab
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Depending on the pervasiveness of the surgery, you should expect several weeks or several months of rehab to properly build muscles and tissues back up in the shoulder area.
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