Shoulder problems are very common problems seen by the orthopedic surgeon in the office. The advent of new surgical techniques and equipment have permitted the treatment of many shoulder conditions arthroscopically. For example, rotator cuff tears are now being repaired by some surgeons arthroscopically through tiny incisions with less damage to the surrounding musculature, less scarring thereby allowing for quicker recovery.
Not all shoulder conditions require immediate surgery. As a matter of fact, many shoulder problems should be initially treated conservatively such as with physical therapy, Cortisone injection and anti-inflammatory medication.
THE ROTATOR CUFF - The rotator cuff is formed by four tendons and is a very important part to shoulder function. The tendons are covered by a fluid sac (bursa) which helps with smooth gliding of these tendons during movement. With injuries or with repetitive use, the bursa can get inflamed (bursitis) or the tendons can get strained and inflamed (tendinitis). With inflammation, the patient can experience various difficult symptoms such as weakness of the arm, burning sensation in the shoulder, catching, clicking, inability to reach overhead and difficulty sleeping at night when rolling the involved shoulder.
With injuries or with repeated inflammation of the shoulder, a tear can occur within the rotator cuff tendons.
During the course of treatment, an MRI is often obtained and is very helpful in demonstrating inflammatory process within the bursa, the tendons and also ruptures of the tendons.
TREATMENT:
As mentioned above, bursitis and tendinitis of the shoulder will initially be treated conservatively. However, there is a percentage of shoulders which will not respond to this type of treatment and will need to proceed with surgical intervention. In the case of rotator cuff tears which are large and associated with severe weakness, the initial treatment will be obviously surgical in nature.
Sports activities such as baseball, golf, tennis and any throwing sports put a lot of demand on the shoulder and can result in injury to the various structures of the shoulder.
Biceps tendon tears, labrum tears and shoulder subluxation or dislocation are also frequently seen injuries which require the expertise of an orthopedic surgeon with skill and experience in the treatment of sports injuries.
Dr. Girard has extensive experience in the treatment of various sports and work injuries of the shoulders. Through his masters arthroscopy experience, Dr. Girard utilizes the state of the art techniques in the treatment of such conditions.
Patients can have multiple injuries with overlapping symptoms. It is therefore very important to spend time listening to the patient's symptoms, carefully examining the shoulder in order to identify all the possible injuries present which in turn will lead to more accurate specialized testing and diagnosis and better treatment outcome. We emphasize this approach in the office. Please give us a call for a consultation with Dr. Girard.
