Sandy made a good point about PT.... don't be shy to let them know that X makes Y worse, etc. Regarding how long before you recover; I think that is very dependent on your particular case and what type of work you do (RN, right?) There are a couple of other nurses around here nearly all the time, fyi.
My humble opinon on the Q about just dealing with the pain is...... I just dealt with the pain from a shoulder injury for 6 yrs, and I'm convinced thats part of the reason that I'm here today. Yes, to some extent, we just have to deal with the pain- manage it, so it doesn't manage you, etc. If you haven't yet, I would recommend trying to see a Pain Management specialist.

Take care, and welcome!
-dabbo