Question 1

how long should i wait to go back to work after a shoulder reconstruction?

Accepted Answer

It depends: "shoulder reconstruction" can mean repair of a fracture, surgery for instability, or shoulder replacement.  Work may involve desk duty and shuffling papers or digging ditches and carrying cinder blocks.  If you have had a minor procedure and have a light duty postion, you should be able to return to work within 2-4 weeks.  If you have had major surgery and have a heavy duty job it can take months.

Question 2

2 nurses struggled to find pulse in my r arm when doing bp (117/78),but did easily in left.i have hx r shoulder reconstruction & that arm is bigger from less movement.i also can detect radial pulse in my l but not r wrist.is this concerning/serious?

Accepted Answer

: shoulder reconstrucstion should not affect palpation of the radial artery. It is best to see a vascular surgeon to find if there is an abnormality

Question 3

six months post-op from reverse right shoulder arthroplasty. woke with intense, sharp pain upon moving the arm. with forearm on my lap i am okay. walk-in clinic xrayed, not dislocated. surgeon away 2 weeks. any ideas? will immobilize, ice for now?

Accepted Answer

: Dislocation would be high on the list of possible causes of your pain on motion, but the xray was ok. However if rest,icing,taking nsaids like ibuprofen or naproxen don't provide gradual relief of symptoms I recommend having a teammate of your vacationing orthopedic surgeon see you promptly. The squeaky wheel gets the oil in medicine as in other aspects of life.

Question 4

when can i go back to work after shoulder spur removal surgery?

Accepted Answer

Desk work- 1-2 weeks: If your rotator cuff is intact, and just subacromial spurs removed, you should be able to return to desk/office work in 1-2 weeks. A more labor intensive job would require more time potentially. Check with your surgeon to be sure.

Question 5

just need a doctor clearance so i can go back to work. i hurt my shoulder working out. but now my shoulder is ok now. took days off . now i need doctor clearance to go back to work?

Accepted Answer

Best: And the only one making legal sense would be the doc who gave you the initial excuse. Such excuses as well as releases back to work are based on knowledge of previous conditions-injuries and a physical exam documenting abnormal findings or normalizing ones. Your primary care doc or any doc that has access to documentation regarding your injury should be able to help with a release.

Question 6

how long should it take me to get back to work after arthroscopic shoulder surgery?

Accepted Answer

Depends: Recovery time can be variable after shoulder arthroscopy. If the surgery is ablative, such as removing some frayed tissue or bone spurs, sling wear is short, and recovery of function can be relatively rapid (2-3 mos).  If a repair of some kind is required (cuff repair, labrum repair), sling is usually worn for 6 weeks, and total recovery can be upwards of 6 months or more.

Question 7

how long will it take me to get back to work after having arthroscopic shoulder surgery?

Accepted Answer

Relatively quickly: Arthroscopic surgery typically allows a patient faster recovery and thus quicker return to work. However, recovery also depends on the findings of the surgery, any procedures performed during arthroscopy, and complications. Your type of work will also dictate if you can return to full duty (baseball pitcher will take longer than a secretary).

Question 8

how long will it take me to get back to work after arthroscopic shoulder surgery on my writing side?

Accepted Answer

Depends: It really depends on what you do for work. Since you mention writing, you can typically return to writing immediately after surgery. Holding a pen and writing without raising the arm in the air is allowed with pretty much any shoulder surgery procedure.

Question 9

i need an advice i had a shoulder dislocation about 4 months ago and i did all my therapy then i was released to go back to work with no restrictions so i start working as before with no pain and lifting heavy stuffs up to 123 pounds.......well sometimes

Accepted Answer

It's : It's important to communicate your concerns with your doctor before making your decision. Shoulder dislocations can be successfully treated through either therapy/home exercises or surgery depending on the specific factors associated with each case.

The ultimate decision on surgery should only be made after you are comfortable with your surgeon's recommendation. How did your surgeon decide on surgery? Was it based on symptoms that you reported (i.e. You still feel your shoulder slipping out of joint)? Xray or MRI studies that were ordered? Or his exam of your shoulder in the office?

Often a key factor in deciding on surgery is how problematic your shoulder feels despite good, non-surgical treatments. If your symptoms are relatively infrequent or not very limiting to your daily life, it may be reasonable to try a repeat course of therapy or perform the exercises at home on a consistent basis.

If your shoulder continues to feel unstable or starts to be very limiting or more painful then surgery is a reasonable option. In the end you must be comfortable with your doctor's recommendation before proceeding with surgery.

Question 10

having bad shoulder pain every time i go back to work. i sometimes get numbness in my elbow and bad neck pain. i usually have a headache on my fridays. what should i do?

Accepted Answer

More info needed: What type of work do you do? Repetitive motion? Heavy lifting? Sitting or standing still for long times? Without more info the best advice is to see your local physician for an examination.

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Doctor answers about:

How long to go back to work after shoulder reconstruction

A member asked:

How long should i wait to go back to work after a shoulder reconstruction?

A member asked:

2 nurses struggled to find pulse in my r arm when doing bp (117/78),but did easily in left.i have hx r shoulder reconstruction & that arm is bigger from less movement.i also can detect radial pulse in my l but not r wrist.is this concerning/serious?

A member asked:

Six months post-op from reverse right shoulder arthroplasty. woke with intense, sharp pain upon moving the arm. with forearm on my lap i am okay. walk-in clinic xrayed, not dislocated. surgeon away 2 weeks. any ideas? will immobilize, ice for now?

A member asked:

When can i go back to work after shoulder spur removal surgery?

A member asked:

Just need a doctor clearance so i can go back to work. i hurt my shoulder working out. but now my shoulder is ok now. took days off . now i need doctor clearance to go back to work?

A member asked:

How long should it take me to get back to work after arthroscopic shoulder surgery?

A member asked:

How long will it take me to get back to work after having arthroscopic shoulder surgery?

A member asked:

How long will it take me to get back to work after arthroscopic shoulder surgery on my writing side?

A member asked:

I need an advice i had a shoulder dislocation about 4 months ago and i did all my therapy then i was released to go back to work with no restrictions so i start working as before with no pain and lifting heavy stuffs up to 123 pounds.......well sometimes

A member asked:

Having bad shoulder pain every time i go back to work. i sometimes get numbness in my elbow and bad neck pain. i usually have a headache on my fridays. what should i do?

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