What part of recovery did you find brutal?
Perhaps I was lucky to have surgery before the shoulder capsule froze, but the repair my surgeon hoped would take one hour lasted nearly 3 hours, so it was pretty extensive. Most of my pain now comes from the still unhappy bones where spurs were removed - that I manage with ice, tylenol and distraction.
I find many of the exercises taxing but not painful - my PT has been excellent about managing my form to get the most benefit with the least pain from each stretch. Together we have even created a couple just for me to be respectful of the arthritis in my elbow, neck & spine while still getting the best range of motion in my shoulder.