Rehabilitation after shoulder surgery

ABSTRACT

The goal of rehabilitation after shoulder surgery is to achieve optimal healing of the repaired tissue while restoring pain-free motion and function. Recently, as the incidence of shoulder surgery is increased, the rehabilitation protocol after shoulder surgery has become as important as the surgery itself for the success of treatment. As surgical techniques and materials have been developed, the tissue quality of the repaired tissue and the structural integrity of the shoulder joint have tended to be emphasized during rehabilitation after shoulder surgery. The guiding principles for successful rehabilitation after shoulder surgery are as follows; a thorough understanding of the surgical procedure; a thorough understanding of the anatomic structures that must be protected; how they are stressed, and the rate at which they heal; the appropriate selection and skilled application techniques to impart varying levels of stress to the healing tissues; and the appropriate management of the initial immobilization period and the rate of range-of-motion progression.