Shoulder replacement set out by someone who had one: how total, reverse, and partial differ, what the rotator cuff decides, the rehab that makes the result, and how long the joint holds.
Total on the left, four weeks ago yesterday. Shoulder honestly better than I feared, pain is down to paracetamol most days and physio is pleased with me.
But since about the end of the second week my thumb and the first two fingers on that hand have had pins and needles, worse first thing in the morning and when I have been sitting reading with the arm in the sling for a while. Sometimes they go properly numb. The block wore off on the first night, so it surely cannot be that. My daughter googled it and now she is talking about nerve damage and I am trying not to listen.
Has anyone had this? Did it go? And who do I even ring, the ward, the GP, the physio?
Had something like it after my reverse, ring and little finger in my case though, so maybe a different thing. Physio watched me in the sling for about thirty seconds and said the strap was digging in at the side of my neck and my elbow was bent tight all day. Adjusted the sling, started taking the elbow out and straightening it more like they tell you to, and it eased over a couple of weeks. But mine might not be yours, so do get it looked at.
Ring the ward or your surgical team, not the GP. They know what was done and they would rather hear about it. In my experience they ask a few questions and either say "that is common, here is what to do" or "come in". Either answer beats a month of googling. And keep the hand, wrist and elbow moving in the meantime, which the week by week recovery page on here says from day one anyway.
The morning thing is what caught my eye, because my sister has the same pattern from carpal tunnel and she has never had a shoulder operation in her life. The sling and holding a book for hours does not help that sort of thing either, apparently. Not saying that is it, just that hands tingle for reasons that have nothing to do with the shoulder too. The team will sort out which.
Rang the ward. Very kind, not alarmed, asked whether it was getting worse, whether I had any weakness gripping (no), and whether the hand was a normal colour and warm (yes). They have moved my physio appointment forward and the surgeon will look at it at my six week review. Told me to ring back the same day if the numbness spread, the grip weakened, or the hand went cold or pale.
For the next person. Physio thinks the sling had been sitting too low and I was propping the arm on a cushion with the wrist bent for hours every evening. New sling position, wrist kept straight, elbow out and stretched a few times a day. Tingling is now mostly a morning thing and fading. The surgeon still wants to check it at six weeks and may send me for a nerve test if it has not gone, which I am fine with. Daughter has been asked to stop googling.
