The answer to the question, “When should I start physical therapy after rotator cuff surgery?” is slightly different for every patient. However, many patients begin their post-surgical physical therapy about seven to 10 days after surgery. As for what is involved in physical therapy after rotator cuff surgery, there are three basic stages that you’re likely to go through.
Three basic stages of physical therapy after rotator cuff surgery
It’s important to understand that what is involved in physical therapy after rotator cuff surgery tends to vary from patient to patient. Also, even the stages we are about to discuss can overlap somewhat. That being said, post-rotator cuff surgery rehab typically goes through three stages:
- Passive movement — About seven to 10 days after your surgery, you should have your first physical therapy session. Part of your session will involve your physical therapist checking to see how your healing is progressing. They may also start helping you through some passive movements.
For instance, your clinician may use a manual therapy technique called joint mobilization. This technique involves the clinician using their hands to move your shoulder through as much of its range of motion as possible without any assistance from you. The goal is to help stretch your shoulder, reduce pain and improve blood flow to it without putting any strain on your healing rotator cuff. This stage of your recovery tends to be about six weeks long.
- Active movement — Once your healing has progressed far enough, you will move into about six weeks of active movement. Active movement is different from passive movement because you’re actually moving your shoulder yourself. However, you aren’t doing any of the movements with resistance. It’s often at this stage where your physical therapist will give you a series of therapeutic exercises to do at home. You should be sure to let them know if any of the movements are causing increased shoulder pain.
- Strengthening — As you reach about the 12-week mark, you will enter the third phase of physical therapy after rotator cuff surgery. This is the strengthening stage. It can also be the longest of the recovery stages you’ll go through. In most cases, it can take a total of four to six months to get through all three recovery stages and return to normal daily activities. However, some patients don’t reach this goal until a year or more has passed.
You’ll start this recovery phase by adding light resistance to your active movements. Often, this resistance is provided by light weights or resistance bands. Other physical therapists may have you do aquatic therapy to take advantage of the natural resistance that water offers. Your physical therapist will then track your progress and gradually add resistance over time. They can continue to do so until you reach your highest possible level of function.
Find experienced partners for your physical therapy after rotator cuff surgery at Excel PT
Your physical therapy after rotator cuff surgery is going to take a while, so it’s vital that you find an experienced and diligent partner to help you through rehab. Our Excel Sports & Physical Therapy team is ready and willing to partner with you for your entire recovery process. You can begin by getting to know us and preparing your body for surgery with the pre-surgical rehab we offer. We can also help you recover after surgery. Our physical therapists can build you a personalized rehab plan that’s designed to:
- Reduce pain.
- Improve shoulder range of motion.
- Increase your ability to perform normal activities.
- Lower your risk of reinjury.
- Speed up your overall recovery process.
Contact our team today for more information about how we can help you after rotator cuff surgery or to schedule an initial appointment.
Our Locations
FAQ
Conditions Library
