Non-Surgical and Post-Surgical Treatment Options
The shoulder is a mobile joint that helps us reach and move in many directions. However, this great degree of motion has a trade off; the stability of the shoulder is dependent upon the surrounding soft tissue and can result in a larger number of problems not faced by other joints supported by bony structures. A healthy shoulder can be damaged by disease or injury, resulting in severe pain, muscle weakness and an inability to use your arm for simple daily tasks..
If you’ve sustained an injury to your shoulder, it’s highly likely that your Orthopaedic Physician will prescribe a round of Physical Therapy (PT) as either a non-surgical intervention or for post-surgical treatment. If you need an injection in the shoulder, Physical Therapy after the injection can restore range of motion and assist with strengthening in order to avoid future problems. And, if surgery is required, MAKE SURE to follow your surgeon’s directions closely to protect the shoulder. Post-operative Physical Therapy can help regain normal motion and strength after your surgery.
Your PT program will likely start with an initial evaluation – during this assessment, the therapist will ask you questions about the nature of your pain and the aggravating and relieving factors. They may take measurements of the range of motion and strength of your shoulder, as well as monitor the quality of your shoulder motion. This is all done in an effort to help determine which structure is causing your pain to help guide treatment.
After your initial evaluation, treatment can begin. Your therapist may choose to use therapeutic modalities to help control pain or inflammation, and you may be instructed to perform home exercises to help improve strength and mobility. Remember…it’s VERY important to follow your Physical Therapist’s advice and instructions closely – by keeping your shoulder mobile and strong, shoulder pain may quickly be abolished and future episodes of pain can be avoided.
Physical Therapy is an intervention option before electing for surgery. Your therapist would be able to evaluate you and determine if surgery is needed or sessions with them would be more cost effective and useful. What are the most common shoulder injuries that require surgery? Shoulder Surgery
There are several common diagnoses our office sees with regards to shoulder pain that require surgery. One of the more common reasons that many people have heard of is for a rotator cuff tear. The rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles in the shoulder that assist with moving the arm to perform movements like pouring coffee, reaching into the back seat, and lifting your arm overhead. When someone suffers from a rotator cuff injury or tear they develop pain with one or all of these daily activities and many times will begin to lose range of motion as well. An orthopaedic surgeon can evaluate the shoulder muscles and determine if surgery is the right option or if more conservative management such as physical therapy or an injection might be more appropriate.
Another common injury treated by shoulder surgeons in a torn ligament in the shoulder. This type of injury can occur frequently after a fall or even after a weight lifting injury. Patients would have pain with sleeping on their injured arm and with activity can hear or feel a pop many times that causes radiating pain down the arm and into the back of the shoulder. The surgeon would evaluate your arm and possibly order an MRI to determine if a surgical repair is necessary.
In addition to tendon and ligament injuries, bone injuries of the shoulder are also common diagnoses. A fracture, also known as a broken bone, in the shoulder may require surgery to correct alignment and usually would occur after some type of trauma or fall. Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint can cause pain and loss of range of motion and when it becomes too severe an Orthopaedic surgeon would discuss the option of a total joint replacement surgery with you to help decrease your pain level and improve your function.