Juggling a Shoulder Procedure and Work

Some people love what they do for their career, some don’t, but the reality is that everyone works to earn a living wage.   In fact, the idea of a joint replacement can often be put off due to not wanting to miss work or worse, be let go due to not being able to perform essential duties.  However, this approach to management of joint-related pain can actually be worse that taking some time off for a procedure.  Generally speaking, your joints are hurting because there is something that isn’t functioning properly and the longer that you wait to have these issues addressed, the worse they can become.   The good news is that having a joint replacement might actually benefit your work output! In a recent study out of England, researchers studied 86 patients suffering from joint-related pain and found that nearly all of the patients working prior to surgery returned to employment following surgery.

More good news on this front is that most shoulder procedures are now fairly routine, meaning that there isn’t much chance that there will be any notable complications as long as you stick with the surgeon-prescribed treatments after the operation!   If you have been suggested surgery as a treatment option and are considering the pros and cons of this route, it is a matter of weighing the long-term vs. short term rewards of doing this.  If you were to stick with pain management techniques like heating pads etc.. you may reduce your pain temporarily but you aren’t reducing the damage being done.  With a surgical procedure, the physician is aiming to repair what isn’t functioning properly, effectively stopping or reversing damage that has been done.   No need to sweat it!