Pain after surgery What is normal, what helps, and when lingering pain needs a closer look

Every operation causes some pain, because cutting and repairing tissue triggers inflammation that is part of healing. Knowing what is normal makes recovery less worrying, and knowing what is not normal helps you act early. This post explains pain after surgery in general terms, for joint, spine, hand and other orthopedic operations. If you had knee surgery, our guide to pain and swelling after knee surgery goes into more detail, and after back or neck surgery see recovery after spine surgery.

What normal pain after surgery feels like

• Days 1 to 3: the most pain, aching and throbbing around the incision, usually controlled with the plan your surgeon gave you
• Weeks 1 to 2: steady improvement, with more soreness after activity and at night
• Weeks 2 to 6: stiffness and tiredness in the area, soreness after therapy that settles within a day
• Months 2 to 3: mostly mild aches with heavier use, which keep fading

Bigger operations, such as joint replacements or spinal fusions, take longer to settle than smaller ones like an arthroscopy.

Ways to ease pain after surgery

• Medicines as prescribed: take them on schedule in the first days rather than waiting for pain to peak, and follow your surgeon’s plan for stepping down
• Cold and elevation: a wrapped cold pack for 15 to 20 minutes and keeping the limb raised reduce swelling, which drives a lot of the pain
• Gentle movement: short walks and the exercises your surgeon allows keep joints from stiffening and improve circulation
• Sleep and positioning: pillows to support the limb and a regular sleep routine
• Pacing: spreading activity through the day instead of doing too much on a good day

How physical and occupational therapy help

Rehab after surgery is not only about strength (see physical therapy after surgery). A therapist restores motion before stiffness sets in, reduces swelling, works on scar tissue once the incision has healed, as in the second video, and builds a plan that loads the healing tissue gradually, so pain trends down instead of flaring. The first video shows occupational therapy after back surgery, focused on comfortable positions and everyday tasks. Our pre- and post-surgical rehab follows your surgeon’s protocol at our Brooklyn and Staten Island offices, and occupational and hand therapy is offered at the Brooklyn office only. For a hip, see our hip replacement recovery guide.

Warning signs after surgery

Call your surgeon or get urgent care for pain that is getting worse instead of better, fever or chills, spreading redness, warmth, drainage or opening of the incision, calf pain or swelling in one leg, or new numbness or weakness. Call 911 for chest pain or sudden shortness of breath.

When pain after surgery lasts for months

Pain that is still significant about three months after surgery, once the tissue has healed, is called persistent post-surgical pain. It has many possible causes, including an irritated nerve, scar tissue, a stiff joint, weak muscles or a problem the operation did not address. A pain management physician can examine the area and, if a nerve is suspected, order an EMG test. Treatment may include targeted rehab, medication changes and, when appropriate, injections or nerve blocks; pain procedures are performed at all three of our offices. For long-lasting nerve pain after back or neck surgery that has not responded to other care, a spinal cord stimulator trial may be an option, and each of our physicians offers it.

In the third video, Ashley Marcus, MD uses a handheld shockwave applicator on a patient’s wrist. For some lingering tendon and soft tissue pain, once the surgical area has fully healed and your surgeon agrees, focused shockwave therapy may be an option. At Precision Care Medical & Sports Performance, focused shockwave is performed by a nurse practitioner and physician at our Brooklyn office only.

Related care at Precision Care Medical & Sports Performance

Help with pain after surgery near you

Looking for post-surgical rehab in Brooklyn? physical therapists Zoya Reznik, DPT, OCS and Maggie (Yi) Zhang, DPT, with physical therapist assistants Dennis Furman, PTA and Leila Nahmoud, PTA see patients at our Brooklyn physical therapy office on Shell Rd, and occupational therapy is offered at the same office. It is convenient to Marine Park, Bensonhurst and Coney Island. For pain that lingers, Ashley Marcus, MD sees patients at the Brooklyn pain management office, the only office that offers focused shockwave.

On Staten Island, physical therapists Victoria Lynn Kain, DPT and Nicholas “Nick” Ursini, DPT provide physical therapy after surgery at our Staten Island physical therapy office on Richmond Rd, a short drive from Great Kills and Eltingville, and Jake Stephen, DO sees patients at Staten Island pain management. In Manhattan, Yuri Gordin, MD sees patients with pain after surgery at the Precision Care Spine & Pain Center in Midtown Manhattan, close to Midtown East and an easy trip from Washington Heights and Spanish Harlem; therapy and shockwave are not offered at the Manhattan office. Request an appointment or call the office closest to you.

Questions patients ask

Educational only, not medical advice. These videos and this article explain common problems and treatments in general terms. They are not a diagnosis or a treatment plan for you. Results vary from person to person. See a qualified clinician about your own symptoms, and call 911 or go to an emergency room for an emergency.

← More videos and articles on the Precision Care Medical & Sports Performance blog