What Causes Pain In Right Shoulder Post Recovery From Rotator Cuff Repair?

Posted on Tue, 23 Feb 2016

Question: I just recently (7 weeks ago) had a torn rotator cuff repair surgery on my left shoulder. Five years ago I had the same surgery done on my right shoulder. I am experiencing the same kind of pain in my right shoulder again. I have talked to my surgeon and my physical therapist about it. They both say it is very highly unlikely it is torn again. My physical therapist examined my shoulder pretty thoroughly and feels confident it is fine. My question is "is this common to feel this pain and how do I treat it?

Yes I do have pain on abduction my arm and in the back of the neck. A tingling burning sensation. I have been applying ice but not heat packs. U will change my medication and try to get in to get an xray.

Thanks so much

Answered by Dr. Aashish Raghu (15 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Need to rule out Cervical spondylosis and AC joint arthritis

Detailed Answer:
Hi there.

Thanks for the query.

Do you have pain on abducting your arm?

Any pain at the back of the neck that radiates to the arm ?

If the Rotator cuff is functionally sound, then the pain could be due to arthritis around the shoulder or cervical spondylosis in the spine.

If you have radiating pain from the back of the neck to the arm, or could be cervical spondylosis, associated with tingling or numbness.

Also AC joint arthritis can cause pain near the Rotator cuff.

It would be wise to get an Xray of the cervical spine and shoulder to rule out the same.

You could apply hot packs to the painful regions. Avoid overhead activities till we find out what it is on an Xray. Ibuprofen could cause gastritis, so kindly take Tablet Ranitidine 150mg twice a day before meals. It can also cause kidney failure so please be careful with the medication. You can try Tablet Tramadol 50mg twice a day for better pain relief and substitute Ibuprofen for Paracetamol or Acetaminophen 1000mg twice a day.

Kindly answer my questions for a better understanding of your problem and to help reach the right diagnosis.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Answered by Dr. Aashish Raghu (36 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Medication for tingling and burning sensation

Detailed Answer:
You could take Tablet Pregabalin 75mg at night for a month. This shall help with the tingling and burning sensation. Also do get tested for Diabetes.

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T