The shoulder is a busy part of the human body.  The spine meets the collar bone at the shoulder and that holds up your arms.  You have countless muscles in your shoulder area that control everything from your arms and neck, to your breathing at your rib cage.  Feeling back pain after shoulder surgery can be common but if feeling back pain after shoulder surgery persists then that may indicate complications that you will need to have looked at.

Back pain after shoulder surgery, in many cases, is to be expected.  Pain after any surgery is to be expected and many times your surgeon will send you home with medication that can help you deal with the pain until it is gone.  The discomfort you begin to feel when the anesthesia begins to wear off can be quite painful.  It is a gradual process and when the pain numbing medication the surgeon put on you before he cut you wears off you then get to feel the full effects of a large, and deep, cut into your body.  Back pain after shoulder surgery may be expected to some extent but if you start to feel other complications then you may need to consult your surgeon right away.

Tingling In A Bad Way

Back pain after shoulder surgery can be an indication that something may be wrong.  One of the more common back pains after shoulder surgery is a tingling feeling in your arm, or arms, that will usually stretch from your shoulder to your fingers.  A tingling sensation in your arm after shoulder surgery is something your surgeon will want to keep an eye on as it could be an indication of a couple if things that may have gone wrong.  The first is that a nerve may have been damaged during surgery.  Surgeons are extremely precise professionals but sometimes things can happen.  If this is the case the surgeon will want to keep an eye on the situation and may need to go back in to your shoulder to repair the damage.  While this can be a bit alarming it does happen and you should consult closely with your surgeon to make sure this situation is taken care of.

A tingling sensation, or even severe pain, months after surgery could also be an indication that you may have a knot in your shoulder caused by the muscles still healing and your attempts to rehabilitate them.  Contact your surgeon if you feel this severe pain in your shoulder and discuss your options.  It is highly doubtful that something like this will require more surgery and it is very possible that you will be able to correct the problem yourself with a series of exercises.  But the most important thing to remember about shoulder surgery is that the rehabilitation time is crucial to your recovery.  Your shoulder is a very busy part of your body and if you do not follow your rehabilitation program as instructed then you run the risk of being in pain for a long time to come.

Back pain can be caused by a variety of reasons and is generally a very painful condition that requires diligent attention and treatment. Pains below the waist are often called lower back pains and can be caused my muscle pulls or straining the muscles with heavy work or lifting heavy objects, moving or sleeping in awkward position etc.

Spinal infections and fractures might also cause lower back pain. In most cases the cause of the problem is that a particular nerve or a set of nerves are being pinched. The pinching can be caused due to the rupture of a disc in the spinal card or when a disc bulges and presses a nerve root. This causes a lot of pain to the patient. Sometimes the pain will decrease or go away completely by sitting or bending in a particular position etc. but if the pain continues, a check-up is necessary

Lower back surgery is the solution when such a pain continues for a period of time or becomes unbearable. Before considering lower back surgery, the patient has to consult their doctor or physician and check out the various options available and also get a complete information about the lower back surgery procedure, its recovery procedures, risks involved, expected costs etc.

Sometimes other options like traction, physiotherapy and others can be used in the place of lower back surgery if the problem is mild and curable. Lower back surgery is not a minor surgery and has to be approached with care. Patients are normally advised to do mild exercises and keep themselves healthy before the operation and might also be told to quick smoking.

The surgery might involve making cuts and incisions and moving the muscles so that the surgeon gets a good look and approach on the spine, the discs etc. Newer inventions like Lasers and bone grafts with genetically engineered protein that induce a persons bones to grow and fuse together have been making the lower back surgery a more simple, safe and easy procedure. They help the surgeon by removing the need to make large cuts or incisions etc and help the patient by reducing the risks and pain involved , thus speeding up the recovery procedure.

After the lower back surgery, the patients should try to maintain good health and fitness. Exercises will be advised for the patient for the patient. Exercises or other treatments like Yoga etc have to be practiced with great care and only with qualified teachers. Also the teachers or trainers should be aware of the lower back surgery and details.

Everyone experiences back pain at some time in their life. In fact, it is in the top three complaints that people bring to the doctor's office.

In most cases there is soft tissue inflammation, muscle spasms, or degenerative arthritis. These respond well to conservative treatments such as anti-inflammatory medicines, stretches, and osteopathic manipulative therapy. Physical modalities such as heat or cold, massage, and acupuncture are also helpful.

So when should you worry? Any loss of bowel or bladder control needs immediate attention. Surgery can release the pressure on the nerves and full function usually returns.

The longer the loss of bladder or bowel control continues without treatment, the higher the risk of permanent damage. This also includes weakness of any muscles in the legs or feet. Plus you can reduce the risks of falls and fractures.

Contrary to popular opinion, a thorough history, neurological and structural exams, plus basic X-rays of the spine can diagnose the problem 80-90% of the time. Expensive MRI studies certainly can be helpful looking at the cross-sections of the spine into the discs and spinal cord. But, in most cases it will not change the eventual conservative treatment anyway.

Consider an MRI if surgery is likely. Certainly if there is no improvement in your symptoms after several weeks or there is worsening of your pain.

Besides the obvious causes of low back pain from muscle spasms, degenerative discs and osteoarthritis, chronic structural imbalances play a major role. Wear and tear to the spine from old trauma, sports, and obesity cause the discs to lose their cushioning ability. They also may bulge or protrude backwards.

Over 50 years of age almost everyone has changes I the discs loosing height and acquiring some bone spurs. However, not everyone has pain. Again, unless the nerve root coming out of the spinal cord or the spinal cord itself is squeezed, surgery will not help. Even radiating leg pain called sciatica along with numbness and tingling in the legs can go away over time with proper treatment that includes osteopathic manipulation therapy.

Studies show that back pain sufferers who have surgery have no better pain relief or function than those who didn't have surgery after five years passed. Certainly if surgery is recommended it is wise to get a second opinion.

Author: Katherine A Martin, D.O. - Board Certified Family Practice Physician. Medical Coaching and Consulting. Health for the whole person. Visit my web site at http://www.DO-Medicine.com