Support and protection of the shoulder are important after injuries and surgery. Slings and immobilizers hold and safeguard the shoulder during healing. Those of you who have had shoulder surgery know that wearing a sling or immobilizer for several weeks is one of the least favorite parts of the recovery process. Getting the immobilizer on and … More Shoulder Slings and Immobilizers
Physical therapy (or physiotherapy) literally means “attempted remediation of a health problem that is related to the body (as opposed to the mind).” It involves the use of exercises, assistive devices and other methods (such as massage or electrotherapy) for the preservation, enhancement or restoration of movement and physical function. Conditions involving the shoulder joint … More Physical Therapy Exercises for the Shoulder
Joint replacements are very successful surgical procedures. Hip and knee replacements are most common, but shoulder replacements are common to! In a joint replacement, the damaged ends of the bones that form a joint are prepared to receive artificial parts that allow painless movement. Joint replacement is technically known as “arthroplasty” (from Greek “árthrosi” (άρθρωση) … More Reverse Shoulder Replacement: What You Need to Know
Each human bone has such unique shape, perfectly designed by nature for its function. Alteration of normal bone shapes can lead to unpleasant deformities, loss of function and pain. Most commonly, abnormally shaped bones are the consequence of fractures or problems during development. When bones are fractured and displaced, they may heal or unite with … More Did You Know That Some Surgeons Use Three-Dimensional Printing of Bones For Accurate Correction of Shoulder and Elbow Deformities?
Shoulder replacement is a very successful procedure that provides pain relief and improved function to millions of people around the globe. However, like any surgery, complications occasionally occur, and infection is one possible complication after shoulder replacement. Since joint replacement involves implantation of prostheses, infection complicating replacement is called Periprosthetic (peri=around, prosthetic=implant) Joint Infection, or … More I Need A Two-Stage Shoulder Reimplantation: What Am I Getting Into?
Tears of the rotator cuff are a very common reason for shoulder pain, weakness and poor motion. The rotator cuff is a group of deep muscles all around the shoulder joint. They provide stability and power to the joint, and unfortunately, they are prone to both injuries and wear with overuse and aging. Some of … More Tears of the Subscapularis: Hidden and Forgotten, No More!
The shoulder joint is particularly at risk for dislocation. Chances are you know someone in your family, or your group of friends, who has suffered a dislocation of the shoulder. This is partly due to the difference in size between the larger humeral head (ball) and the smaller glenoid (socket), as discussed in our previous … More What if My Shoulder Dislocates to the Back? Some Treatment Options for Posterior Shoulder Instability…
The collarbone (clavicle) helps connect the upper limb to the trunk. The inner end of the clavicle, close to the center of the chest, rests on the sternum through the sternoclavicular (SC) joint. What an interesting joint! It needs to have stout, strong ligaments to serve as a stable connection between the limb and the … More Sternoclavicular Joint Injuries: When to Consider Surgery, And How Is It Done Safely
The shoulder blade area and surrounding muscles may become irritated and painful for multiple reasons. Some of the most frustrated patients I have seen in my practice complain of years and years of painful snapping around the upper shoulder blade region. Oftentimes, these individuals have been told that physical therapy exercises are all they need … More When Painful Snapping Around the Shoulder Blade Becomes Debilitating…: The Snapping Scapula Syndrome
We are all familiar with the shape of our shoulder blade. It lies flat on our chest, and moves along with the arm as we position our hand in space. But in some shoulder conditions, the shoulder blade does not lie flat on the chest any more; it protrudes like the wing of a bird. … More Serratus Anterior Weakness: One of Many Reasons for Shoulder Blade Winging