Have a torn rotator cuff that isn’t responding to nonsurgical treatments? Then you will probably soon be one of the up to 250,000 Americans who have rotator cuff repair surgery annually. 

Fortunately, this type of surgery is generally successful. But it can take some time to recover from. Generally, people who have had a rotator cuff repair require three to six months to get back to doing most of their normal daily activities. How much physical therapy will you have to do after rotator cuff surgery? With the exception of a week to 10 days of immobilization, you’ll likely need to work with a physical therapist during your entire recovery period. 

Why does rotator cuff healing take so long?

How much physical therapy you need to do after rotator cuff surgery and how long your recovery process is can vary. Each person is different. However, there are some factors that can affect how long your recovery takes. Some of these factors include your: 

• Age — Research shows that people over 65 tend to heal slower than those under 65. 

• Tear size — How large your rotator cuff tear is can also affect your healing time. Smaller tears have a better chance of healing swiftly and completely than larger or complete tears. 

• Smoking habits — Smoking has been shown to slow the healing of many injuries and surgical repairs, and rotator cuff repairs are no exception. One study reports that smokers had a 15% slower healing rate than nonsmokers after rotator cuff surgery. 

How can physical therapists reduce how much physical therapy you need after rotator cuff surgery?

Many factors are up to you when it comes to post-surgical healing. However, there are steps that physical therapists can take that may reduce how much physical therapy you need after rotator cuff surgery. Some of these steps include: 

• Working with you before surgery — Doing pre-surgical rehab, or pre-hab, before your rotator cuff repair can be beneficial. It can help reduce your pain and boost shoulder strength. With pre-hab, you can also get a jump-start on your post-surgical rehab, which can help reduce how much physical therapy you need after rotator cuff surgery. 

• Creating a unique treatment plan — Your physical therapist will evaluate you when you first start your post-surgical rehab. They will then craft a rehab plan that fits your specific recovery needs and goals. Your plan may include therapeutic exercises, manual therapy and other beneficial PT techniques. 

• Reevaluating your treatment plan frequently — Your rehab plan will need to be flexible to offer you the best possible results. That’s why your physical therapist will regularly reevaluate you as your rehab progresses. They can then adjust your plan as necessary. 

Continuum Wellness can help shorten your post-surgical rehab

Keen to minimize how much physical therapy you need after rotator cuff surgery? No one understands this motivation better than our Continuum Wellness physical therapists. Our team has extensive experience helping people recover from many types of surgery, and we’re ready to do our part to help you recover from your procedure as quickly and completely as possible. 

Contact our team today for more information about our pre- and post-surgical rehab services or to schedule an initial appointment with us.