Will Physical Therapy, Exercise, and Medications get my Shoulder Better?

Whenever people come to the office and we diagnose rotator cuff tendonitus they want to know what their chance of getting better without surgery.  We certainly hear alot about surgery.  It’s frequently mentioned as a possibility.  Of course it depends on the severity of the rotator cuff tendonitus, but let’s just take all comers and if you consider the numbers that reliable on the research will show that 30 million people in this country will have shoulder pain over the course of the year, and we also know that 90% of shoulder pain is caused by rotator cuff tendonitis leaving that about 27 million people by conservative measures will have rotator cuff symptoms over the course of the year in the United States.  We also know there are less than 400,000 rotator cuff repairs performed in the United States each year, we can say that these people have at least a 95% chance of getting better without surgery.  Most people find this encouraging. 

Patients also need to understand that this is something they are going to need to manage on an ongoing basis.  It’s not to say they’re gonna have pain, but like most problems that require physical therapy, they will need to continue therapy, basically exercising, keeping the muscles strong, mobile, and flexible in order to keep the problem under control.  Also, let’s not lose sight that some anti-inflammatory medicines can help out a little bit and are certainly a reasonable addition to the therapy.

Comments

[me1arm]

I underwent shoulder surgery after a severe shoulder separation in 1998. Instead of having the shoulder pinned back together, I decided to have a procedure done which the surgeon labeled “clavicle resection.” The teres major was also relocated/transferred to make up for a failing serratus anterior muscle which was damaged as a result of the initial injury. Scapula tethering was also performed to stabilize the scapula and to prevent it from winging.

It has been ten years since the surgery, I was wondering if there are any new or old procedures that can still be done, other than therapy, which only seems to aggravate my shoulder at this point, to strengthen the shoulder joint, lessen the pain and provide more strength and stability in the shoulder.

[Dr. Mike]

OK. First you have to figure out what is causing the pain. It may be related to the previous major and unique surgery or not. You may well have a simple problem completely unrelated.

Go to a trusted doctor to assess this further. I will say that sometimes when you are holding a hammer the whole world looks like a nail. This means that if you go to a surgeon you may well end up with surgery. We love surgery when it is needed, but not sooner.

You may want to consider going to a board certified primary care sports medicine doc. You should be able to find one of these at the american college of sportsmedicine website. Good luck.

[draligus health]

You have someone's life in your hands each time you lift the scalpel and the ability to save it as well.

[rob]

Chiropractors can do so much more for an individuals overall health than most people are aware. As more of these articles are written, people will come to understand the importance of seeking chiropractic treatment for injuries. Chiropractors are not just for "auto accidents", they now offer combinations of treatments and wellness options.