HELP! Is this pain normal after surgery??
 

Hi everyone, little bit of back ground first. Im a healthy 32 year old woman. M It took me 9 years to get diaganosed with TOS! My symtoms were horrible, pins and needles 24 hours a day, painful heavy arms and it was really affecting my life. Went to soooo many differnt doctors, was even told i was making it up and needed to c a phycatrist! Had physio 3 times over those years and it did nothing. Went to osteopaths and chiropracters and still nothing helped. The chiropacter diagnosed me but couldnt help. I looked up consultants that specialized in TOS, i found one but i had to pay privatley. It was money well spent, he looked at my xrays and mri scan and said i have TOS without a doubt. I dont have any cerviacl ribs but the C7 vertebrae on my right side was abnormaly large and had probaly caused fibrus bands and tissue to grow and cause TOS. i have TOS on both sides. He reffered me back to a wonderful surgeon on the nhs. Who i saw and agreeded with the private consultant. next thing i know 3 weeks after seeing him im in hospital having a first rib resection on my left side. Alot to get my head around after all those years of no one believing in me. Its been 7 weeks since i had my surgery and im still in alot of pain. My back really hurts, the surgeon took the whole of the rib out on the left side and he went through an incission in my arm pit. I had fibrus band and tissue on that side that also came out. Has any one else had awful back pain? and the other worrying pain is my ulner nerve that runs down the inside of the arm. It feels like there is so much pressure in it and i cant bend my arm for long without having to straighten it to release the pressure. The main pain is at my elbow and it shoots doan to my wrist. Im seeing the surgeon on Monday as i havnt read anything that says this is normal. Any one have any thing simular? or know if its normal? Please help.

Scar tissue forming on the ulnar nerve? Do nerve glides help? What do the PT staff suggest / think?

Sorry to hear of your pain.............. I know what it's like!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had the same procedure on my right side 4 months ago and currently still repairing. I get alot of deep tight pain around my shoulderblades and neck also my arms ache quickly and I experience deep pain in the breast, bicep, back of arm, in elbow area and down to wrist.
I have recently seen my neurologist who suspects carpal tunnel is contributing so he has referred me for extra EMG tests and physio.
Have you also been checked for carpal tunnel?
Do you have problems with your hand/s going dead/numb at night that only resolve if you shake them out? I get this frequently which distrupts my sleep pattern. Try to stay as relaxed as possible, tension can add so much to nerve symptoms. Hot baths, meditation, gentle stretches whatever it takes to help. It doesn't help when Docs say it's all in your head:mad:...... I experienced that too!!!!!!!!!
Best wishes:hug:

Thanks for your reply. My surgeon hates physio`s, said they would push me to far and hurt me. So i have been left to deal with it all my self. Been given no exercises at all. All he said was to make sure i move it so i dont get frozen shoulder. I will look up about the nerve glids and give it ago, cheers. Have you had this surgery?

Hi, thanks for your reply. Sorry to hear your still in so much pain 4 months later! My surgeon wants to do the next side soon but im not ready at all. The pain in my back is so horrible, wasnt expecting it at all. Thought it would all be at the front! I have looked up carpal tunnel and i dont think that i have it. But thanks for your advice. So fed up and cant look forawrd with the next op hanging over me. Been on pain meds for so long now, and even more post op! Just hope that by the end of the year i will be off it all. Are there any pain meds that have helped you? Mine arnt great

4 weeks post op, and the upper back pain is nasty. Hoping that passes soon. Its all part of the process, and healing takes time.
Cheers,
Jay

Unfortunately, high pain following surgery is all too common. I had physical therapy within two weeks of surgery. My surgeon wouldn't do the surgery until insurance authorized PT. Even so, scar tissue developed and I'm much worse than I was before surgery (it's been 7 years since surgery).

Don't let anyone rush you into a second surgery. My surgeon said it would take 9-12 months to know if the surgery even helped. At that point, I decided my experience was too poor to warrant going through it again on the other side.

I hope your pain is just a temporary set back. My nerves were incredibly stirred up for about 2 months following surgery.

Good luck,
Kelly

Thanks for your reply. Im really sorry to hear that you are worse now than before surgery. I have read this alot but i was so desperate that i had to take the chance. I do not want the next surgery yet, not physically or mentally ready! But its hard to look forward. I think i will go to my gp and see if he can get me some physio. Did yours help at all? Im so pleased i found this web site. Its the only guide i have had to see if things are normal or not. I know more than my gp so no point asking him!

Don't let the surgeon push/rush you to have the 2nd op until you have a significant reduction in pain. You can't afford to feel sore on both sides..... sleep would be horrendous. Wait until you feel strong enough.
I have actually weened off pain meds and only take them if symptoms are really kicking in and it inhabits my work routine. Most times i'm hitting the comfort of a soothing hot bath or putting on Tiger Balm. If needed I use a combination of x1 400mg Ibuprofen and x2 500mg Paracetamol taken together but make sure there is a 6 hour gap in between each doses, no more than 3 or 4 doses in 24 hrs. This combination was advised by the hospital after my op so it should suffice if the pain kicks in. DOUBLE CHECK with your HEALTH ADVISOR!!!!!!!!!
It all takes time, but it will improve. Just be kind to yourself..... listen to your body, if it hurts: REST!!!!!! NO lifting heavy shopping bags...... EVER:winky:

I am 4 months post surgery and still have pain in arm, shoulder and neck. Some of my pain is do to a labrum tear and I found out today that my bicep tendon is also torn. I am scheduled for surgery Jan27th. The doctor said some or all of pain might be from shoulder. I will see.