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The shoulder is the human body’s most complex and flexible joint. It is involved in everything we do, from throwing a ball and lifting a child to typing, walking, speaking, and breathing. Severe shoulder pain can impact nearly every facet of life, leading to more than 600,000 shoulder surgeries every year.
If you’re one of the many people facing the possibility of shoulder surgery, you may have questions like “How much does shoulder surgery cost?” or “Are there alternatives to shoulder surgery?” And if you’re like most people, you’ll probably want to know, “What is the most painful shoulder surgery?” Let’s dig into the subject of shoulder surgery pain so we can give you a definitive answer.
Understanding Pain Perception
Before addressing what is the most painful shoulder surgery, we must better understand pain itself. Pain is a critical defense mechanism that provides the following benefits for our survival:
- Warns of impending damage
- Promotes healing by enforcing rest and self-care
- Alerts us to seek medical care
- Teaches us to avoid damaging circumstances
We think of pain as a purely physical sensation, but it isn’t. Biologically, pain is defined as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.” Pain is made up of both the physical sensation and the emotional interpretation of the sensation.
The experience of pain is individual and subjective. Pain tolerance varies widely from one individual to the next and even within an individual under different conditions. For example, you can better tolerate pain when you are otherwise healthy and well-rested than if you are already ill and exhausted. The following factors affect our pain tolerance:
- Physical health and rest
- Emotional state
- Stress levels
- Attention and distraction
- Cultural and psychological factors
Because everyone experiences pain differently, self-reported pain is the closest we typically come to measuring pain. Monitoring vital signs provides clues but misses the complexity of the emotional response. So, hospitals, physicians, and caregivers usually ask patients to rate their pain. Often, they use a pain scale from one, meaning no pain at all, to 10, indicating the worst pain imaginable.
When we judge what is the most painful shoulder surgery, we’re looking for the surgery with the most people reporting the highest pain rating for the longest post-operative period.
Contenders for the “Most Painful” Title
There is no way of avoiding shoulder surgery pain other than skipping the surgery itself. The surgery may slice through muscle, tendon, ligament, bone, and bursae, all in an effort to reach the site and effect repairs. But let’s look at the primary contenders to be named the most painful shoulder surgery.
Rotator Cuff Repair
Rotator cuff tears are a common injury, particularly among athletes and older adults, often necessitating surgery. Rotator cuff repair is quite invasive, involving extensive manipulation of the tendons, including cutting, debriding, stretching, and reattaching the tendons to bone. Recovery typically takes six to twelve months, though significant pain reduction often occurs within three to four months. Studies consistently show that patients rate rotator cuff repair as the most painful shoulder surgery.
Shoulder Arthroscopy for Instability
Shoulder instability describes a shoulder joint that is too loose, repeatedly slipping out of the joint due to overuse, injury, or congenital conditions. Labral tears of the cartilage surrounding the shoulder socket may develop, exacerbating the joint’s instability. The torn labrum and ligaments are reattached to the bone, and in some cases, tendons may be cut from the labrum and relocated. Excess joint capsule tissue is “pleated” and sutured to tighten the capsule.
Shoulder arthroscopy for instability is minimally invasive; a tiny, fiber-optic video camera is inserted into the joint to guide surgical repairs. But while minimally invasive, it is considered to entail as much shoulder pain after surgery as rotator cuff repair.
Shoulder arthroscopy for instability is minimally invasive; a tiny, fiber-optic video camera is inserted into the joint to guide surgical repairs. But while minimally invasive, it is considered to entail as much shoulder pain after surgery as rotator cuff repair.
Open Shoulder Surgery
Sometimes, open shoulder surgery is still required for complex repairs like shoulder replacement or reconstruction. Typically, significant tissue trauma is involved as muscles, tendons, and ligaments are cut and stitched together, and the bones of the joint are manipulated.
Factors Influencing Pain Experience
Having addressed some of the most painful shoulder surgeries, let’s consider some factors influencing shoulder pain after surgery. Individual pain tolerance, pre-existing pain conditions, and overall health significantly influence the pain experienced after surgery. The type and extent of surgical repair also play a crucial role. Anesthesia and pain management techniques employed during and after surgery can impact pain levels, as does post-op rehabilitation and physical therapy.
There’s more you can do to improve your shoulder pain after surgery. Mind-body techniques, including meditation, mindfulness, breathing exercises, and biofeedback, can give you greater control over your pain. Consider music therapy, yoga, tai chi, therapeutic massage, and supplements for managing pain.
Treatment Options for Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain after surgery and wages lost during recovery are significant burdens best prevented by avoiding surgery altogether. Regenerative therapy is a drug-free alternative to shoulder surgery that aims to relieve pain, restore function, and improve the mobility of the joint.
Like surgery, regenerative shoulder treatment relies on the body’s innate healing mechanisms to repair damaged tissues. After surgery, the body heals the damage inflicted in pursuit of repairs. Regenerative therapy is similar, but it avoids causing additional tissue damage and directly stimulates the body’s natural ability to mend itself.
QC Kinetix provides a wide range of regenerative joint pain treatments to help relieve your pain, improve mobility, and allow you to regain your quality of life.
Schedule Your Free Consultation at QC Kinetix Today!
If you are in pain or have been told you need shoulder or joint surgery, contact your local QC Kinetix to learn about alternatives. Surgery may be your best option, but shouldn’t you find out if there is a non-invasive procedure that can alleviate your pain and improve function without a painful recovery or taking time off work?
FAQs About Shoulder Surgery
Which is more painful, shoulder replacement or rotator cuff surgery?
Studies indicate that rotator cuff repair is the most painful shoulder surgery, even more so than shoulder replacement. However, pain tolerance can vary widely from one individual to the next.
What is the easiest shoulder surgery to get?
Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is minimally invasive and considered easier on the body than open surgery, with a faster recovery time.
How long does severe pain last after shoulder surgery?
Severe shoulder pain after surgery is typically most intense for the first 48 hours. For the next 2-6 weeks, severe pain continues but gradually becomes more manageable as you heal and pursue physical therapy. Each individual experiences pain differently, so be sure to consult your physician with any concerns.
Joint & Bone Health Quickstart Program
QC Kinetix Joint & Bone Health supplements help your body to repair and renew injured joint tissues, including cartilage, ligaments, and tendons, while reducing inflammation of the bursae. Unlike steroids or pharmaceuticals, our supplements for joints work with your body to promote healing.
Supplements can boost your overall joint health as part of a general fitness program. However, they are particularly valuable for treating damaged or inflamed and painful joints. The Arthritis Foundation finds that joint health supplements show promise for relieving pain, stiffness, and other symptoms of arthritis.
