Reverse Shoulder Replacement Numbness and tingling in my hand after surgery.

[Tennistwin]

Hi everyone, looking for answers on nerve blocks after surgery.
My reverse shoulder replacement was on Tuesday, Jan 31st.
I had two nerve blocks, one before surgery and one after surgery.
It is now day three after surgery, Feb 3rd, and I continue to have numbness and tingling in my hand, affecting the thumb, forefinger, and the middle finger.
I told my Dr yesterday about the numbness and tingling. He instructed me to exercise with the soft ball more often. I have and no change in my condition.
What were your experiences with a nerve block? Did you have prolonged numbness and tingling in your hand? Did it finally go away?
Thank you for your replies.

 

[Tennistwin]

My hand is also cold. I am wondering about the circulation.

 

[Layla]

Hello Tennistwin,
I haven't experienced shoulder replacement, but on the hip and knee forum we often remind member's that tingling is a sign of regeneration of nerves, which is a good thing. At less than a handful of days post op, I think you may experience many odd sensations that will most likely be fleeting. I am guessing that you will need to exercise with the soft ball for longer than only one day...unless your surgeon advised otherwise. Hopefully some shoulder members will stop by with words of reassurance for you. Hang in there, its early days, which are normally the hardest.
@Tennistwin

 

[Mikem132]

I had tsr same day as you. Had a great nerve block that is either still working somewhat or I dodged the major pain bullet. I had numb, tingling in operative fingers (not all, just thumb and index mainly) for a couple days. Hospital said perfectly normal. I never lost feeling in my hand. I have a lot of swelling in right arm bicep, chest on right side and now after a few days all the way down my right side to my foot. I have left a message for doctor to make sure nothing is wrong. I go to PT for first time (had a mini one in hospital) tomorrow, which is right next door to doctor, so maybe the can look if it's something abnormal. Just to compare, I also got a bunch of nerve twitches in my shoulder area as time went on (felt kind of good but weird). Seem to have subsided now after 6 days.
Do you have something to squeeze in your sling hand? Like a ball? Mine has a foam block that appears to serve the same function. I've found doing a bunch of squeezing stuff seems to improve circulation and that cold feeling.

 

[Sukuma]

I wasn't sure from your post when the tingling was in the opposite hand to the shoulder that was operated on, or whether it was the same. This is different from a shoulder replacement, but just thought to share my experience.

I had tingling in my right hand for a week or so after my left hip replacement - different from your shoulder I know. I couldn't work out why, as the spinal block was on my lower body. I do recall, when I came out of the the sedation, I was on my right side, lying on my right arm that felt really uncomfortable/numb. I remarked on it to the surgery staff when I was waking up and they said it was probably due to how I was positioned on my right side (they were working on my left hip). It took a while for the numbness to go once they had moved me onto my back, but my hand continued to tingle for some time.

For a week or so, I also noted that my right hand pressing down on the crutches would set the tingling off again and it would take an hour or so before disappearing. I would just open and close my hand, clenching it - a bit disconcerting. I am still using crutches but don't have the tingling any more, it has completely gone.

 

[Tennistwin]

Thank you for your feedback Mikem132 and Sukuma.
I am day six post op and the tingling and numbness in my thumb, forefinger, and middle finger are still present. It hasn’t become any worse since I first noticed it so my doctor believes it will go away in time. It could be due to the swelling in my arm and the swelling is interfering with the nerves for affected fingers.
I now have “Popeye Bicep” as of yesterday. It is painful and just sort of came out of nowhere. I have a message into my doctor to find out if this can be considered normal and will work out on time. I hope the at-home exercises didn’t cause this swelling to occur. Due to reverse shoulder replacement, I won’t begin p.t. for another five weeks but I have three exercises to do at home 5x a day (I try to get to the fifth set but usually only get to 4x a day, so far).

Icing like crazy with cold packs. The Breg Polar Care Wave system (prescribed by my doctor) did not work out for me. I attempted three times to use the cold therapy without much success.
The cooling pad is huge. It could fit a NFL linebacker! After trying to secure the cooling pad with multiple straps over my sling, I felt like I was wearing a strait jacket. Also, there is no possibility that one person can put on the cooling pad on their own. Someone needs to put it on for you. I called the company today and told them of the shortcomings of their product. They told me the cooling strap that comes with the unit is not designed for shoulders. They have a cooling pad designed for the shoulder but I need a prescription. I see my doctor on Wed to have the stitches removed so I plan on asking him. It would be nice to use the cold therapy, I have heard many advantages to cold therapy over cold packs.
On the plus side, I am not taking oxycodone during the day, only one 5mg before bed. Alternating ibuprofen and Tylenol during the day to manage pain.
Taking short walks during the day as well.

 

[Jamie]

@Tennistwin ... I am sorry to hear about your shoulder problems. I suspect your surgeon is correct that the numbness and tingling will likely get better with some time and once your swelling is reduced. I am more concerned about your report of a "Popeye bicep." This can indicate damage or a tear of the biceps tendon and that would need attention quickly. I suggest you get in to see your surgeon immediately to find out what's going on. If it is a tear, it may need to be surgically repaired and that should take place as soon as possible for the best results. If you do have tendon damage that's causing this, chances are very good that it can be fixed just fine. Just don't delay in seeing someone, even if you have to go to the Emergency Room of the hospital where your surgeon works.

 

[Mikem132]

The cooling pad is huge. It could fit a NFL linebacker! After trying to secure the cooling pad with multiple straps over my sling, I felt like I was wearing a strait jacket. Also, there is no possibility that one person can put on the cooling pad on their own. Someone needs to put it on for you. I

I am OCD and watched probably 150 YouTube videos before surgery (most by a doctor or a hospital). One guy who is pretty straight said it's impossible to fit the shoulder thing the way it was designed with a sling on, so "just get it on there". He's right. May be better fitted exactly, but just setting it on your shoulder is better than nothing. I do that. I have never used the other small straps to hold the part that goes down the arm. Way too complex. I can, sometimes, get the big strap around my back then fool with the velcro attachemtn in front so it is tight against where I want it. I don't have a fancy machine...got mine on Amazon for like 200, and it's basically a cooler lunch box with a small pump inside, two long hoses, the shoulder "bladder" and a controller (with a nice timer for on/off times). You put either ice or frozen bottles in it. We do frozen water bottles. I have to believe my block is now done (this is almost exactly 7 days as I type this). I guess I lucked out. The small amount of pain I have now is about equal or even less than I had for years pre-surgery, so aside from not having use of the arm and sleeping in a chair...I'm almost back to normal. I did have (still do) A LOT of swelling, all down my operative side including foot. My operative bicep is pretty impressively swollen. Feedback from DR office said this is seen often and not to worry, so I'm not. Very hideous black and blue. So I don't look at it.
I was told not to take NSAID for a while. That works way better and longer for me than 500mg Tylenol, which I've been taking. Maybe next week I'll be cleared for Aleve again so it works all night. I look forward to trying to sleep in bed. Not sure my wife feels the same as I may keep her up. too.
Good luck to us both.

 

[Tennistwin]

Thank you Jamie and Mikem132 for your replies. My doctor responded yesterday to my questions about the bicep swelling. He says it is not unusual to have the swelling at the bicep. Fluid accumulates at the elbow which travels to the bicep but due to the sling, the fluid gets trapped at the bicep instead of dispersing so hence the popeye bicep. It looks like a gold ball is trapped in there. The pain has sunsided quite a bit and I am still doing my at home exercises (5x yesterday!). I see my doctor tomorrow for stitches removal and X-rays so he will have a close up look at my arm and shoulder.
On another note, I experienced terrible headaches the past three nights. I suspect it is caused by the meloxicam and with my doctor’s approval, I can switch to Naproxen
Sodium. Meloxicam is pretty strong stuff. I can’t deal with the headaches at night anymore, so Naproxen it is. Both are in the NSAID category.
Mikem132, sounds like we both have swollen biceps! Your doctor told you the same thing my doctor told me that the bicep swelling is seen often. Regarding the cold therapy, the assistant to my doctor told me that some patients wear the sling over the cooling pad. I am not brave enough to try that. I am anxious to try out the smaller cooling pad that is designed for shoulders, obtained with a dr prescription.
Stitches out tomorrow, can’t wait!

 

[Tennistwin]

Stitches are out, X-rays taken on Wed. All seems to be on track 9 days post surgery.
I am taking short walks, 3-4 times a day, to promote healing, get outside, change up the routine, etc. Yesterday, I had quite a bit of stiffness & tightness in my upper back, above the shoulder blade, below the neck area. This is the side of the reverse shoulder replacement.
I had my son give me a trigger point massage to the upper back, above the shoulder blade area to work out the stiffness caused by the shoulder strap of the sling. Later, I wondered if that may have caused more damage than good. I worry (does worrying ever stop?) that the massage may have disturbed the screws or hardware.
I have a message in to my doctor to find out if the massage may have disturbed the screws or hardware.
My question to those of you with reverse shoulder replacement. Did you have a massage on your affected shoulder, backside? If so, was it beneficial? Did I cause more harm than good by having a trigger point massage on the right muscles in my upper back (above the shoulder blade, more to the outside of my back)?

 

[tazzy13]

When I had a massage I know it made me more sore, so I went to the heating pad and made sure it was just in that area, I used moist heat. Best of luck.

 

[Mikem132]

Mikem132, sounds like we both have swollen biceps! Your doctor told you the same thing my doctor told me that the bicep swelling is seen often. Regarding the cold therapy, the assistant to my doctor told me that some patients wear the sling over the cooling pad. I am not brave enough to try that. I am anxious to try out the smaller cooling pad that is designed for shoulders, obtained with a dr prescription.
Stitches out tomorrow, can’t wait!

I got my staples out yesterday. Was told everything is normal. I did get the lowdown on exactly what was done. I had a stemless implant. I also apparently had something wrong with my biceps tendon and it was cut and re-attached. Not suprising some tendon was bad as for years I have had the occasional, out of the blue (usually) extremely painful impingement in shoulder. The tendon gets stuck between what's left of the humerus head and glenoid. The pain is eye watering. Hopefully that's in the past now.
I have minimal to no shoulder pain. Now and then a twinge, but certainly no worse (but different) from before surgery. Sleeping is a challenge and work in progress. I'm back in bed with a wedge, couple pillows--on on sling side to hold elbow up, one under knees (suggested by the PA yesterday I saw). I can get maybe 5 hours, then something hurts. Last night was severe headache. I'm moving pain around so still working on it.
One thing that really bothers me is my back. I suspect wearing the sling is changing my posture or something, as after standing a half hour or so my lower back hurts. Sitting down fixes it instantly. I have been condemned to wear the sling full time another month (been two weeks already), but the PA removed the bolster so it's now just a sling. One day at a time.

 

[Jaycey]

@Mikem132 Why don't you start a recovery thread of your own in the Shoulder Recovery area? That way you can document your recovery and get input from our members if needed. Here's how Starting a new thread and posting.