joint. The "ball part of the joint is the top part of your upper arm bone. The "socket" part of your joint is a cup shaped indentation in your shoulder blade. A smooth tissue called cartilage lines the ends of the bones. This helps the joint glide easier. Four muscles called the rotator cuff surround the joint. They help with movement and stability. With normal wear and tear or other problems, the cartilage can wear down. Then, the joint can become damaged. This can lead to pain and loss of motion. ‚
Surgery may be done when PT and drugs for pain have not helped and the problem gets worse. Shoulder arthroscopy is done to look at the shoulder joint and see what is causing your shoulder problem. The doctor makes a few small cuts and uses special tools to look inside your shoulder. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Your doctor will give you drugs for pain and to prevent infection. Make sure to take all the drugs ordered by your doctor.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. You may do this a few times a day to help lessen pain and swelling.
- Wear your sling to keep the shoulder supported. Ask your doctor how long you need to use the sling.
- Talk to your doctor about how to care for your cut site. Ask your doctor about:
- When you should change your bandages
- When you may take a bath or shower
- If you need to be careful with lifting things over 10 pounds
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work or driving
- Be sure to wash your hands before touching your wound or dressing.
- Do any exercises that your doctor shows you to do. Your doctor will probably send you to physical therapy very soon after surgery. It is important to do these exercises to get full recovery of your shoulder.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will often want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks.
- You may also need to see a physical therapist (PT). The PT will teach you exercises to help you get back your strength and motion.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Prevent infection
Will physical activity be limited?
You may need to rest your shoulder for a while. You should not do physical activity that makes your health problem worse. If you run, work out, or play sports, you may not be able to do those things until your health problem gets better. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Injury to blood vessels or nerves
- Blood clots
- Ongoing pain and stiffness
- Not able to fix the problem with arthroscopy and need to do an open surgery
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
To prevent injury to your shoulder: ‚
- Return slowly to your regular activities. Doing too much too soon may delay healing or reinjure the shoulder.
- Avoid or use caution when playing sports that will put a lot of strain your shoulder like throwing sports and tennis. Ask your doctor what is safe to do.
- After going through a rehab program, your doctor may suggest that you continue doing activities that will strengthen your shoulder.
- Stay active and work out to keep your muscles strong and flexible.
- Always warm up slowly and stretch your shoulder before you exercise.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, pain with passing urine or not able to pass urine, wound that will not heal, vaginal itching or pain.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Increased numbness or tingling in the arm and hand
- Hand feels cold
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my procedure.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you how to care for my cut site.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have more pain, numbness, tingling, or swelling, or my fingers are cool or blue.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00589 ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚