Shoulder Problems? Surgery May Not Be the Best Answer

A paper issued this November by the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma found that surgery may not be the solution to common shoulder problems.

Alyssa Navarro at Tech Times delves into the reasons why:

“Surgical treatment may not be the best fix for common types of shoulder injuries, a new study revealed. Most cases of shoulder injuries, the dislocation of the acromioclavicular joint, can be treated better through physical therapy, without causing any further complications.

Orthopedic surgeons said that patients who preferred wearing a sling and go through rehabilitation recover faster, but patients who prefer surgery feel better about how their shoulder looks after the procedure is done. Surgical treatment involves the use of plates and screws to reconnect the joint.

In a paper issued in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, researchers engaged 83 patients who had dislocated shoulders in a randomized clinical trial. The first half of the group was treated with surgery and rehabilitation, while the second half wore a sling and received physical treatment.

For two years, researchers monitored each patient’s level of disability and tracked complications that had occurred.

After three months, researchers said that patients who were not treated with surgery had more shoulder mobility, and 75 percent went back to their normal routine. Meanwhile, of the patients who received surgery, only 43 percent managed to go back to work.”

Read the full article here.