Post Surgery Shoulder Pain

I mentioned this in an earlier post, but as it is bugging me again, I decided it deserved an article of its own.

Shoulder pain is actually very common post laparoscopic surgery. Reason being the CO2 gas used to inflate the abdomen during surgery. By lifting the abdomen away from the internal organs, the surgeon is able to get a better view. This same CO2 gas becomes trapped post surgery. So why shoulder pain? The diaphragm of the shoulder is connected to the abdomen and other organs of the body via the phrenic nerve. The CO2 exerts pressure on this nerve which translates to a sharp pain felt in the shoulder. For me, that means sharp pains in my left shoulder. I had pain the first 2 weeks after surgery and it seemed to dissipate after a nice massage, but now (7 weeks post surgery) the pain has returned. Tylenol does not see to help a lot. Other tips I have found online include: using heating pads, and drinking peppermint tea, ginger ale, or carrot juice to help dissipate the gas. So far the best thing I have found is a nice soak in a hot tub. I will be sure to update this post though if I find another solution! 

source: http://endometriosis.org/resources/articles/post-surgery-ailments/