This is what I’ve spent my entire life trying to figure out how to do as a shoulder specialist. In general, if you’re getting some aches and pains when you’re working out, I think the first thing to do is just pay attention to what you’re doing and try to modify your activities. What hurts?…
I think anytime the pain has been present for more than a couple of weeks and is negatively impacting your life. You can’t sleep, can’t do something you want to do, it bothers you throughout the day, or it stops you from doing certain activities. If it’s impacting your quality of life in any negative…
What do I need at home after shoulder surgery? Nothing special, honestly. No special equipment is needed, and no special devices are needed. People focus on having to have a recliner. You don’t need to sleep in a recliner. We recommend against it. We have ways that you could sleep in your bed. You could…
How do you shower by yourself after shoulder surgery? You can easily shower after shoulder surgery. For 99% of the procedures you perform, we’re okay with you actively lifting and moving your arm around. You can wash your hair and body, but you won’t damage the surgery by doing that. The one thing is reaching…
What is the best support after shoulder surgery? We give patients slings, but we’re anti-sling. We don’t force you to wear it, and we tell people to work themselves out of it and try to bring yourself off that sling as quickly as possible. if you don’t want to wear it, don’t wear it; if…
How do you sleep with your arm in a sling after shoulder surgery? I’m excited to tell you that you don’t. You just don’t wear a sling. You don’t have to wear a sling at night unless you want to. It’s your call. We give our patients slings. We don’t scare them into wearing them…
You should wear the clothes that you normally wear. We don’t force people to wear slings. We allow a range of motion in this plane right after the surgery, which allows you to put on clothes, shower, drive, and do everything you need to do daily. You don’t need to buy a new wardrobe or…
Honestly, for our patients, it depends on the surgery. For rotator cuff repairs, we’re in a beach chair position, and you’re sitting with your arm resting on the side. With shoulder replacements, I don’t want to fall down, but you’re almost flat, with your arm just out to the side. There’s a holder on your…
How hard is recovery from shoulder replacement? It’s not nearly as bad as people imagine. We do these as outpatient procedures. They’re quick procedures. We don’t force people to wear slings—I repeat, we don’t force you to wear a sling—we give them one for comfort. You can start using your arm immediately to do all…
Will shoulder replacement get rid of arthritis? The answer is absolutely yes. When you replace a shoulder, you’re going in and putting in a new ball—a metal ball and a plastic socket. Where you had bone-on-bone arthritis, we tell people, “Just imagine a car with no tires that are worn down, and you’re riding on…
