Patient/caregiver was instructed regarding precautions to be observed during immediate phase of post shoulder replacement surgery as follows:
- Compliance with therapy prescribed: Scar tissue formation happens as a normal healing response to injury or surgery in any individual. Without physical therapy ordered or the patient being noncompliant with the therapy sessions, scar tissue formation can make the shoulder rigid and arrest the range of motion in the joint. Consequently, the shoulder could get stuck in one position. For this reason, physical therapy could be ordered immediately after the shoulder replacement surgery. You could be started on rehabilitation with physical therapy sessions aggressively to start with, three times a week, for initial few weeks. Depending on the progress you make, the frequency of therapy sessions could change accordingly. Physical therapists recommend exercise program to restore the mobility and range of motion in the joint. You are the significant player on the team working to realize the goal of rehabilitating the surgical shoulder. Though you see the therapist three times a week, the general recommendation is that you take the initiative to comply with practicing the exercises instructed upon by yourself three times a day. Seek family and caregiver assistance, as needed. Your compliance with the therapy sessions is a key determinant in how quick the shoulder is rehabilitated.
- Compliance with use of cold and hot compresses: Observe compliance with use of cold and hot compresses, as needed. Cold compress reduces the blood supply to the joint, which helps with reducing the warmth and swelling in an acutely inflamed surgical joint. Observe compliance with use of cold compress during immediate post-surgical phase. Hot compress increases the blood supply to the joint, which results in warmth and can contribute to increased swelling in the painful joint. So, do not apply hot compress when the joint is red and acutely inflamed during immediate post-surgical phase. Once the swelling and warmth in the joint are controlled with cold compress, hot compress could be used later to relieve spasm in the muscles around the joint and promote relaxation in the surgical joint.
