Shoulder replacement surgery can reduce pain and improve function for people with severe shoulder problems. However, shoulder replacement recovery is gradual and differs between individuals.
Your rehabilitation will depend on the type of shoulder replacement, what was done during surgery, your health and goals, and your surgeon’s post-operative protocol.
What should you expect after shoulder replacement?
Early recovery usually focuses on protecting healing tissues while gradually restoring movement. A sling may be required, and some shoulder movements or activities may initially be restricted.
As healing progresses, rehabilitation usually shifts towards restoring active movement, rebuilding strength and gradually returning to everyday activities, exercise, work and sport.
There is no single timeline that is right for everyone. Rehabilitation after an anatomic shoulder replacement may also differ from rehabilitation after a reverse shoulder replacement.
What exercises should you do?
There is no single exercise program that is appropriate for everyone after shoulder replacement surgery.
Depending on your surgery and stage of recovery, rehabilitation may include:
- assisted and active shoulder movements
- progressive strengthening
- gradually returning to pushing, pulling, lifting and overhead activities.
Importantly, more exercise or faster progression is not necessarily better. The timing, range of movement and amount of load should respect tissue healing and your surgeon’s post-operative restrictions.
Should you start moving as soon as possible?
Not necessarily.
Research following reverse shoulder replacement suggests that earlier mobilisation can be safe for many people after uncomplicated surgery and may provide small improvements in movement or pain early in recovery. However, longer-term outcomes appear similar to more delayed rehabilitation.
This does not mean everyone should start moving earlier. The appropriate progression depends on the operation performed and the individual.
How can physiotherapy help?
A physiotherapist can work with your surgeon’s post-operative protocol to help determine what you should do, how much you should do and when it is appropriate to progress.
This may include restoring movement, progressively rebuilding strength and helping you return to the activities that matter to you.
Research after primary reverse shoulder replacement has found that structured home-based rehabilitation can produce similar outcomes to regular supervised physiotherapy for some people. This highlights the importance of an appropriate, individualised rehabilitation plan rather than simply doing more treatment.
The bottom line
Shoulder replacement recovery is a gradual and individual process. Rehabilitation should balance protecting healing tissues with progressively restoring movement, strength and function.
Follow your surgeon’s post-operative protocol. A physiotherapist can provide individual advice about which exercises are appropriate for you and when to progress them.
