Left Shoulder

I just got a pacemaker a week ago. I have my left arm in a sling and have been told to keep it below shoulder level for a month. A friend said there is a danger of the shoulder freezing up which is painful. Does anyone have any advice, exercises to keep the shoulder moving without endangering the leads? Thanks

9 Comments

every doc is different

by Tracey_E - 2009-02-17 09:02:11

Some keep you in the sling as long as 6 weeks, some as little as a day. Some just wear the sling to sleep. My doctor was the one day school, I didn't even wear the sling home from the hospital. The sling is mostly a reminder, it doesn't mean you can't move/use your arm. Just be sure 1) you don't do anything to aggravate your incision, 2) no weight and 3) you keep your arm below shoulder level. As long as you remember those three things, you will be fine moving your arm around to prevent it freezing.

And welcome! Please don't be shy if you have questions about living with these things.

shrug!!

by Hot Heart - 2009-02-18 04:02:51

Hi there!

I slept high up the bed with plenty of pillows so that i couldnt really stretch my arm up. Remember you can stretch it out, just not up. Do the polishing the car motion and shrug your shoulders gently up and down and roll them backwards and forwards. I didnt use a sling at all, i think that it you can manage without it is probably best, because your elbow can cease up if you keep it in a sling for too long.

Use your right arm to gently massage your left shoulder as well, or preferably find a good looking guy for a good massage! lol.

Take care!

What they said

by BillMFl - 2009-02-18 06:02:16

And gently swinging the arms as you walk will maintain some range of motion without risking your leads. Take it slow at first if you feel shakey and gradually pick up the pace as you heal. Walking is really good for the whole body, improves your fitness without over doing it for now.

Ditto

by Smart Redd - 2009-02-18 10:02:08

It is important not to MIS-use your arm. That means keeping it below your shoulder level and not using it for lifting anything over abt. 5 pounds.

What I did is tie a small (twine or yarn) cord from my pant loop to my wrist just long enough to not get my arm too high. That allowed me pretty much free use of my arm, but was a taut reminder if I forgot and started getting my arm too high. I did sleep with the sling most of the recoup time, since I tended to stick my arm too high in my sleep.

Red

Welcome

by candi51 - 2009-02-18 12:02:10

Hi there!
My Dr said no sling but I wore one to bed so I wouldn't lift my arm above my head while sleeping.
You will feel better and stronger if you use your arm but in a smart way. No lifting over 5 lbs and that includes pulling or pushing or lifting or dragging :-P Just keep it below shoulder level and don't try to reach around to your back or anything like that. Otherwise do what your Dr says and keep it moving as much as you possibly can. You DO NOT want frozen shoulder. Leads have a little corkscrew or barb on the end to help keep them in place so as long as you don't overdo it you should be fine!
Take care-
Candi

Take it slow

by attybern - 2009-02-20 05:02:49

I had my PM implanted 3 weeks ago today. I had the sling on constantly for 2 days following the surgery and then just used it at night - still do. I have 3 more weeks to go and then no sling and the ability to stretch again. I do have some twinges in my left shoulder every now and then from limited use, but I try to move my arm as much as possible without moving my arm above my shoulder. The sling at night is just a reminder for me to not take my arm above my shoulder and it seems to work. I do catch myself every now and then. Just be careful and you should be fine and before you know it, you will be able to move just like you did before your surgery. Good luck.

One Day in a Sling

by mean18 - 2009-02-20 06:02:55

My doctor took off my sling the day after my surgery in December. I was able to do pull-ups after 7 weeks... Just take it easy. for the first 6 weeks. Good luck!

Regards,
Steve

frozen shoulder

by proudmom - 2009-02-20 09:02:42

When my shoulder froze after my first ICD, it was frozen when I woke up the next morning from surgery. It was due to injury during surgery, as MD had a hard time geting it in. If it's been a few weeks and you are doing gentle movements, you should be ok...you will probably have some stiffness anyway once you can take it out of the sling...just begin exercising it slowly when you can.

Shoulder problems

by Coachd - 2009-03-13 07:03:57

I went with the advise of my Dr., keep the sling on for 3 weeks. It worked, no problems at all. They say Dr. knows best.

CoachD

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