Earlier this week, a patient of mine with a shoulder injury relayed to me that in discussion with other people who've had a rotator cuff tear and surgical repair, many of them were not satisfied with their recovery.  This is unfortunate because at Alliance Physical Therapy, we see many patients following surgery for a rotator cuff repair and I would have to say the vast majority of them leave us with good resolution of their pain, and full recovery of functional strength, range of motion and coordination to be able to perform their work and daily activities and sport.  However, there may be several reasons why patients do not recover well from this type of surgery.  Recovery is dependent upon how extensive the damage was prior to surgery and for how long it had been since the damage occurred.  Recovery is also dependent upon the patient's willingness and understanding to follow their surgeon's instructions for time frames for healing and to follow the physical therapist's instructions for their rehabilitation, which is also based in part on time frames for healing.  Not following through with the surgeon's instructions and the structured rehabilitation that follows will lead to poor recovery of range of motion, strength and use of the arm.  Beginning active motion and lifting too soon following surgery will potentially lead to re-injury of the shoulder and may lead to more surgery.  Therefore, as a reminder, if you are facing the possibility of having this type of surgery, recovery takes time, patience, and willingness to trust the instructions your surgeon and physical therapist give to you.  If you are able to do that, your outcome will be successful.

Yours in health,

Matt