Surgery 4 weeks ago. Incision healing well. Basic surgery seems to be progressing well. BUT, ... I have all the classic symptoms of radial nerve damage. Numbness near thumb/ can't straighten fingers or wrist/ numbness at outside of upper arm. Anyone else experience this? I'm concerned that my physio will be severely hindered by appropriate muscles not getting the right signals. To clarify, ... range of motion is not painful ... it's just not possible.
Obvious question, I know, but have you spoken with your surgeon about it?
I had some nerve numbness after my replacement. My fingers and forearm were numb for about 6-8 weeks. Surgeon told me that it was the result of how the retractor had pressed on a nerve during the op. It did go away but took a while. I know that nerves usually take anywhere from 6 weeks to a couple of months to recover. Hope you have a good recovery....eventually.
Oh yeah. He says, "Just keep working it. I'm sure it will get better in time."
Well, that's encouraging. I suppose. :-) The numbness I can live with. Its just that the "paralysed" muscles don't allow for smooth physio range of motion.
Please keep posting, what age are you? Where did you
have surgery? The reverse shoulder recovery will be very
different from normal shoulder replacement, as the deltoid muscle
replaces the rotator cuff, so we have been told. We saw someone
at our hospital who had the operation 5weeks ago and he could
lift his arm above his head without pain. But the don't promise that,
just no pain and to lift your arm to shoulder height. Re your pain
after hip replacement it takes many months for full integration.
Cathie
I'm 70. Surgery done at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. Still get swelling in arm and hand. Mostly pain free. Physio exercises are hindered by damaged (hopefully just bruised) radial nerve. That 5-week guy is lucky .... ahead of the curve.
We are in Portugal, the shoulder consultant is coming from Lisbon
to the Algarve. Did you have a local anaesthetic?
I have had both hips replaced and found the forums to be helpful.
I am disappointed that there are not more reverse shoulder prosthesis
patients to learn from. Were you in a lot of pain before. My husband is.
he has had to have a lot of tests because he had bacterial pneumonia
at Christmas, ...he feels that this damaged his rotator cuff muscles.
He is bone on bone on his shoulder joint. When at the hospital
I wish we'd spoken to the 5 week recoveree, but he was in front of us,
aged 74, overweight, and it was the consultant who told us about his
progress.
cathie
I did not have arthritis. My problem was a dislocation and fracture due to an ATV accident. The crown of the humerus bone broke off and lodged in my arm pit. That is probably the reason for the radial nerve damage. If no nerve damage I'd be well into my physio. Best case scenario is that light physio begins at 2 weeks. Here's a good reference. The last 2 pages outline the physio protocol .... if you can understand the jargon.
http://www.jospt.org/doi/pdf/10.2519/jospt.2007.2562
I had a nerve block in the neck plus a light general anasthetic. Just going with a heavy general they say has much worse side affects. (groggy; nausea, etc.)
You sound like your surgery was complicated, and accident
related, which makes comparisons difficult.
How long was your operation? They haven't given my husband
any choice re general anaesthetic, but I had a worse reaction
to a local than a general when I had hip replacements?
Were/are you on blood thinners?
Cathie
I need a simpler version, the last two pages had me beaten...
?visualise the elbow? .. I supposed the supine position is doing
the exercises in a recliner, which you gradually raise to sitting..
I am going to look for diagrams. What is worrying me is that a
physio knows the difference between shoulder replacement
revision, and reverse shoulder replacement. We are in Portugal
and this is when language can cause problems!
Cathie
No, no blood thinners. Operation was 2 hours. And yes, I wrecked a perfectly good shoulder in one careless moment while driving a 4-wheel ATV. Started physio today. I learned that there are different philosophies on when to start physio. Some start immediately.
That protocol is general and contains a lot of medical jargon. Don't worry. They will customise a physio plan for the individual.
Tried to post yesterday. I hope your physio went well.
my husband's op is Thursday. I plan to post the forum after,
there is so little information re reverse shoulder prosthesis
op. on the site
Cathie
All best wishes to you and your hubby. Hope the surgery goes well. If you start a new "thread" post a link to it here.
i had sugery 7 weeks ago. bicep not working, tricep not working, numbness in hand and arm. Neurologist says it will recover ?! I am 58, did not expect to lose total use of my right arm. Should have lived with the pain i guess.
Don't be too discouraged yet. See if you can arrange for a nerve test. They can pin-point which nerves are working and which ones are not working. That can explain why muscles are not working. Then follow up with another nerve test in 4-to-6 weeks. If there is improvement, the test will tell you. I had nil use of my tricep and my deltoid for 3 months. But they came back. Be sure to do your therapy. And keep trying, even though you can't. Simply trying, helps to repair the nerves. Stay positive. TR
Sorry, to read about your accident. I am scheduled to have a reverse shoulder replacement in June, after a failed massive rotator cuff operation. Switched doctor and have done a great deal of homwork.
Hello, I had a left reverse total shoulder arthroplasty in February of 2016 and the right reverse total shoulder arthroplasty in July of 2016. After months of therapy and continuous numbness in both arms and hands a nerve conduction test showed severe nerve damage to both sides. Last week, February 21, 2017 carpal tunnel surgery was completed on the left hand and one is scheduled in march for the right hand. Too early to tell if there is any relief yet... The RTSA were completed after several failed rotator cuff repairs to both sides.
I had my shoulder done over a year ago, and my hand and arm is still numb, and my shoulder hurts all the time, I ask my surgeon and he tells me just give it time, if I know it was going to be like this I would never had it done,,, bu my shoulder was bone on bone, and now the other one is bad too, I am at such a lose, I just don't understand y no one can help....