Persistent shoulder pain two years after rotator cuff surgery can stem from issues like scar tissue (arthrofibrosis), a stiff joint (frozen shoulder), incomplete healing/re-tearing, underlying arthritis, nerve irritation, or poor scapular muscle strength, all common culprits after major surgery that requires thorough evaluation by your doctor to find the exact cause and appropriate treatment, potentially including physical therapy, injections, or revision surgery.
Why am I still having symptoms after rotator cuff surgery? The most common causes of pain after rotator cuff surgery are (1) that the shoulder is still recovering from the surgery itself and (2) the shoulder has gotten stiff due to lack of movement.
Symptoms of Failed Shoulder Surgery
This pain feels different from routine healing and may include sensations such as tingling, numbness, burning, or weakness. According to the Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma, nerve injury occurs in approximately 1–4% of patients after shoulder surgery, most commonly affecting the axillary nerve.
No matter how technical the repair, failure rates climb with longer-term follow-up. A recent systematic review of rotator cuff repairs with minimum 9-year follow-up found retear rates between 27 and 50% after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, with a pooled rate of 43% over 178 cases.
Despite advancements in surgical technique, retear of a previously repaired rotator cuff tendon is a fairly common complication.
Re-tear following rotator cuff repair is common and has been reported to range from between 13 and 94%1 despite satisfactory clinical outcomes following rotator cuff surgery.
How do I know if my shoulder pain is from a nerve and not just a muscle or joint? Nerve pain often feels burning, electric, shooting, or tingling and may be accompanied by numbness or weakness in the arm or hand, whereas muscle or joint pain is usually more dull, aching, or sharp with specific movements.
Typically, you will feel pain in the front or side of your shoulder that radiates (travels) down the side of your arm. It may be present with overhead activities such as lifting or reaching (e.g., serving in tennis, throwing a ball, grabbing an item out of a high cabinet).
While the procedure can restore function, many people experience long-term problems after rotator cuff surgery that affect their daily lives. These issues include ongoing pain, stiffness, re-tears, muscle weakness, and even arthritis.
If you are dealing with rotator cuff issues, you can reduce pain by sleeping on your back rather than on your side. You can even elevate your injured shoulder in this position by placing a folded towel or pillow underneath it, reducing swelling and inflammation.
Ask questions: If you are not sure how to do an exercise, or how often to do it, contact your doctor or physical therapist.
Tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, or burning are the most common signs and symptoms of nerve damage after surgery. Numbness is the most annoying and troubling problem caused after surgery. It is basically losing sensation in a particular area of the body that affects a person's lifestyle.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, can relieve shoulder pain by reducing inflammation in the shoulder joint. Ibuprofen and naproxen are two NSAIDs doctors commonly recommend.
Common conditions that can result in chronic shoulder pain include rotator cuff disorders, adhesive capsulitis, shoulder instability, and shoulder arthritis. Rotator cuff disorders include tendinopathy, partial tears, and complete tears.
One of the primary red flags for shoulder pain is the severity and persistence of the discomfort. If the pain is intense, unrelenting, or worsening over time despite rest and over-the-counter pain medications, it may indicate a significant underlying issue such as a fracture, dislocation, or severe soft tissue injury.
When the rotator becomes damaged, it causes the body to compensate and use other muscle groups in the shoulder to lift, push or pull objects. This compensation can strain to the muscles and result in pain in the area from the top of the shoulder into the neck.
Surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff most often involves re-attaching (stitching) the tendon back to its original site on the head of the humerus (upper arm bone). A partial tear, however, may need only a trimming or smoothing procedure called a debridement.
Yes, shoulder injuries can qualify for Social Security Disability benefits if they meet the criteria set by the Social Security Administration (SSA). To be eligible, the injury must significantly limit your ability to perform substantial gainful activity (SGA) for at least 12 months.
No, shoulder nerve injuries are not permanent. While severe cases may cause lasting damage or disability, many mild injuries, such as neuropraxia, can fully recover with time and proper treatment, including rehabilitation.
Muscle pain and nerve pain have these key differences:
Orthopedic doctors are specialists who treat shoulder and elbow pain. An orthopedic specialist can examine your shoulder or elbow and order imaging studies like X-rays, MRIs, or ultrasounds. He or she will identify what kind of pain you are experiencing, as well as what treatments will help.
If a shoulder surgery has resulted in stiffness or limited range of motion, stretching exercises or a second surgery to release adhesions may be helpful. If a rotator cuff repair has resulted in weakness or catching and popping on shoulder movement, a 'smooth and move,' or possibly, a re-repair may be considered.
Despite this, the literature suggests that a significant proportion of repairs fail to heal following rotator cuff repair. Reported healing rates vary from 91% for small tears to 6% for large and/or massive tears in some series[5-8].
According to the Anesthesia Manual of Surgical Procedures, pain from Rotator Cuff surgery is rated at 6 out of 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain. Pain medication is given to control pain and keep patients comfortable after surgery.