Shoulder pain a year after surgery

[Player44]

Due to an accident had rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder a year ago. Ever since I have had constant pain from my shoulder to bicep and sometimes painful twitching on bicep, specially trying to sleep at night.Every test done shows negative, MRI's, contrast MRI, even a neurological test shows negative. To make matters worse, now I have hyper tension. My blood pressure has gone as high as 180/110. This has become a permanet chronic pain and has made my life very unhappy and dificult.


This discussion is related to Hand Nerve Pain After Shoulder Surgery.

[timden]

Maybe this answers the question above, but I have a very similar issue and the answer falls short for me.  I had reconstructive shoulder surgery on my right shoulder over a year ago and I'm still having quite a bit of pain.  I've done several months of physical therapy and have worked hard on my  own.  My range of motion has gotten better, but my pain lingers.  I can't shoot a basketball or do anything that requires raising my right arm quickly without pain.  I also have pain carrying even small objects at certain arm angles but my shoulder strength is not too bad.  MRIs show a stable shoulder with no structural damage and I've also had nerve conduction tests that show no significant nerve damage.

I went to what I felt like was one of the best shoulder doctors in the US hoping to avoid the same problems on my right shoulder that I had on my left.  I had to have a debridement on my left shoulder after my first surgery and it's  better, but it's still not where I would like it.  I'm going to a different doctor now for my right shoulder (my previous doctor is 7 hours away) and he has not offered me much hope of significant improvement.  He thinks a manipulation may help but he is not overly optimistic.  His best reason for recommending it is that he doesn't think it will cause problems.  He doesn't think a debridement will help too much this time and thinks it could cause further problems.  I guess it is an option if the manipulation doesn't work.

I'm 51 years old and I'm otherwise in good shape.  Any  insight you can provide will be appreciated.  I am really discouraged after doing everything I know.  

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

Thanks for writing in.
It is very important to undergo rehabilitation therapy after surgery for rotator cuff. It normally takes 3-6 months for the atrophied muscles to return to their full activity. I would suggest you to consult a good rehab specialist.
Also your BP is quite high. Please take medications to lower the BP. Also make sure you follow dietary restrictions like restricted salt intake. Avoid heavy fried foods and opt for fresh fruits and vegetables.
Take care!