When you’ve had a rotator cuff repair, it is important to follow your doctor’s instructions and physical therapy program in order to ensure the best possible outcome. Among the don’ts are certain exercises that can be bad for your shoulder and undo your orthopedic surgeon’s work.
You want to avoid strain and further damage to your shoulder. After all, you underwent surgery to resolve issues like pain and limited range of motion, and you do not want to do anything to compromise your healing.
Below, we will talk about the exercises you should avoid after a rotator cuff repair.
Avoid These After Rotator Cuff Surgery
The first exercise to avoid after rotator cuff repair is any exercise that requires you to make overhead motions of the arm. Avoid forward raises and lateral raises, as these motions place excessive stress on the shoulder joint and can disrupt the healing of the repaired tissue. Instead, focus on building up the muscles in your lower back and chest, which provide support to your shoulder.
Avoid any type of exercise that causes you to experience sharp pain – use pain as your guide. It is also important not to do any exercises that involve heavy weights with either arm until cleared by your doctor or physical therapist following surgery. Any activity involving weight lifting places additional strain on both arms, which can slow down recovery time significantly if done too soon post-surgery. Additionally, activities such as push-ups should also be avoided until cleared by your doctor or physical therapist due to their high-impact nature that could lead to further injury if done prematurely.
Furthermore, while swimming may seem like an ideal low-impact exercise for those recovering from rotator cuff repairs, it should actually be avoided due to its repetitive nature and potential for overuse injuries when done improperly or without proper supervision from a medical professional during rehabilitation sessions.
Finally, any type of jerking motion with either arm should be completely avoided following surgery, including sports such as tennis or golf where quick movements are necessary in order to execute shots correctly. Jerking motions place unnecessary strain on both arms and could potentially injure already fragile tissues in need of healing post-surgery. Therefore, these types of activities must be avoided until approved by your physician.
To be safe, physical therapists usually have rotator cuff surgery patients do shoulder exercises with the aid of resistance bands. There’s the pendulum exercise, shoulder forward elevation exercise, shoulder rotation exercise, and shoulder internal exercise – all of which should be guided by a physical therapist. Stick to gentle exercises and do not overdo any exercise, no matter how tempting it is to push yourself harder.
Avoiding certain exercises after having undergone a rotator cuff repair will help ensure optimal recovery while minimizing the risk of further injury during rehabilitation.
It is always best practice to consult with your doctor or physical therapist prior to engaging in any activity, so they can provide guidance based on your individual needs when returning back to a normal daily routine safely.
Rotator Cuff Repair in Maryland
The orthopedic doctors at Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder specialize in the treatment of shoulder conditions and are highly experienced in rotator cuff surgery. You will not only receive the best treatment from our board-certified and fellowship-trained shoulder surgeons but also have guided support throughout the recovery and rehabilitation process.
To schedule an appointment with one of our shoulder surgeons, call our office today at (410) 296-6232 or use our convenient online request form. Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder serves the areas of Bel Air, Clarksville, Eldersburg, Pasadena, and Westminster, and accepts workers’ compensation patients.
