Post-surgical care for impingement and rotator cuff tears are similar. General care recommendations include:
-
Incisions
must be kept dry for two or three days after surgery.
-
Stitches
are usually removed 7 - 10 days after surgery.
Rehabilitation programs
for impingement and rotators cuff surgery differ slightly.
Impingement rehabilitation begins almost immediately:
-
Exercises to regain
shoulder motion usually begin with a therapist in the first week
after surgery and continue for about 6 weeks.
-
At 6 weeks, most
patients have regained full motion and will continue to regain strength
with a home exercise program.
-
Full recovery time after surgery
varies; most patients have greatly improved at 3 months and are
close to normal by 6 months.
Rotator cuff recovery is generally
slower and requires more supervision. In order to achieve a full
and rapid recovery, surgery should be performed as soon as the patient
has full range of motion and has gained good muscle strength from
a physical therapy program started when the injury is first detected.
After surgery, the patient follows a closely monitored program:
- Therapy is carefully controlled in the first 6 - 12 weeks while
the tendons heal back to the bone.
- The first goal is to regain
full motion within 3 months after surgery. A therapist will assist
in the early stages with gradual recovery of motion.
- During the first 6 weeks, there is no active use of the shoulder
in order to protect the surgical repair.
- Once initial healing is achieved, a progressive stretching
and strengthening program should begin.
- Full recovery can take more than 6 months. Some patients may
require more time to regain muscle strength and complete the healing
process.
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