Tag: best shoulder pain doctor san diego

Good News for Stem Cell Treatment on Elbows

One of the perennial questions faced by professional baseball pitchers is how long they will be able to do what they do. Pitching is extremely traumatic on the joints and ligaments of the shoulder and elbow, a fact which has led to many calls for limiting the pitch count of younger players.

But once a player is in the big leagues, he doesn’t have the luxury of sitting a few games out when he’s tired. Pros face all the same health issues as younger athletes, and the consequences can be punishing. When joints give out entirely, pitchers have traditionally been faced with two prospects: Tommy John surgery, or retirement.

But platelet rich plasma (PRP) may represent a Third Way, one which extends careers without extending time in recovery. As the Los Angeles Angels’ Garrett Richards recently discovered, the bounce-back can be astoundingly swift:

Instead of electing to undergo standard Tommy John surgery, Richards decided to try to heal his injury by getting an injection of stem cells directly into his elbow. . . . Gross, but it apparently worked. Passan reports Richards is feeling great and throwing 98 mph at spring training. Richards is clearly pleased with the tentatively positive outcome: “Science, bro. I’m a believer now,” Richards told Passan.

This isn’t the same response that everyone will have, of course. But it is an encouraging sign for this still-novel procedure, one that could soon be a common treatment for elbow pain that helps athletes young and old heal faster and play longer.

Shoulder Pain From Arthritis

Shoulder pain is a common symptom, but sussing out the causes of that pain requires an expert eye. Understanding how to distinguish between trauma and arthritis, for instance, requires a review of what causes each.

This video is a good start. It offers a basic explanation of shoulder pain, and why its most persistent and progressive form is likely due to arthritis over injury:

Shoulder pain treatment in San Diego ranges from the therapeutic treatment of tears and tendonitis, to surgical interventions for issues such as frozen shoulder, chronic bursitis, or injury. If you have shoulder pain from arthritis and find that you simply cannot do many of the things you used to do with ease, it’s time to visit a San Diego orthopedic surgeon for a consultation.

Get your questions about shoulder pain answered quickly, with the best shoulder pain doctor in San Diego. Contact us here today.

Treating Shoulder Pain in Swimmers

Shoulder pain is a common complaint throughout the developed world, but especially for swimmers of every age bracket who rely on the propulsive force of their shoulders to achieve top speeds in the water.

From impingement to scapular dyskinesis to GIRD, or glenohumeral internal rotation deficit, shoulder pain can arise because of a variety of causes, and present with a dizzying array of symptoms.

There is no single best treatment for all cases of shoulder pain. Often the most effective treatment is a hybrid involving any number of modalities, including corticosteroid injections, physical therapy, rest, and exercise.

Each swimmer is different, and each stroke places its particular burden on the joint. Even as children age, they may graduate from one source of shoulder pain to another, requiring an attentive pediatric orthopedist to track the source of the pain as it occurs.

If you or your child is experiencing shoulder pain in San Diego, we’ve got you covered. Contact my offices for a complete workup today.

How to Treat Rotator Cuff Injuries

Rotator cuff injuries are some of the most common injuries in sports medicine. This joint is inherently dynamic and vulnerable to instability, especially given the stresses we place on it in a variety of activities.

Tearing, trauma, overuse and stress can all lead to the agony of rotator cuff pain. As the tendons rip or strain, the pain can spread across the shoulder and down your arm, preventing you from doing simple things like eating and typing.

Treatments for rotator cuff injuries can range from rest and therapy to steroid injections and surgery, including both arthroscopic and open shoulder surgery. One recent innovation, interscalene block, may be indicated as well:

A technique called interscalene block is often used to manage pain both during and after surgery. Prior to surgery, numbing medication is delivered through a catheter to the group of nerves that control movement and sensation in the upper extremities, allowing for lighter anesthesia during the operation. Continued for a couple days after surgery, it also helps patients through the worst cycle of post-surgical pain, decreasing or eliminating the need for narcotic painkillers.

The only way to determine which kind of rotator cuff injury you have is to visit a San Diego orthopedist and get a full workup. Your shoulder pain doctor will ask about work and play history, as well as any injuries and family history of that could predispose you to this sort of pain.

Get started by contacting AOSM here today.

Treatment Options for Chronic Shoulder Pain

When is it wise to treat shoulder pain medically, and when is it time for shoulder surgery? It’s a question that has no universal answers; typically patients and their orthopedic surgeons make this determination together based on the length of the discomfort and the severity of the pain.

As this recent piece from the Chicago Tribune says, surgery is a last option, but hardly an excessively aggressive one:

The choice of treatments vary with the cause and severity of the shoulder pain. Minor pain can be addressed by applying a cold pack to the shoulder over a period of time. More severe conditions may require immobilizing the shoulder with a sling, prescribing anti-inflammatory drugs or injections or working with a physical therapist. If there is a serious injury to the shoulder, surgery to repair the damage is often the best option.

My San Diego orthopedic practice cares for shoulder injuries of every kind, from impingements and frozen shoulder to disease and trauma. Your shoulder pain should never be chronic when you have smart options available to you.

Want to learn more about the best shoulder pain treatment in San Diego? Call my offices today.

Watch for Shoulder Pain in Young Athletes

In my San Diego orthopedic surgery practice, I see a lot of younger patients who come in with shoulder pain and elbow pain. Although a few of these cases are attributable to disease or injury, the majority are due to repetitive strain from pitching, throwing, weightlifting, or some other athletic-related activity.

When soreness grows progressively intense, permanent injury may not be far behind. That’s why I counsel parents and coaches to limit the number of reps and the frequency of hard workouts young people perform whenever possible. There is no substitute for rest and gentle exercise when recovering from chronic pain. As this article explains:

The shoulder joint can also be affected when developing a bursitis. There are other sports that contribute to the shoulder rotator cuff injuries, including swimming, tennis and weightlifting, all of which can cause a shoulder impingement or tendonitis.

Shoulder pain in young athletes can quickly graduate to chronic pain within a few years. To minimize long term damage and extend sports careers for decades to come, I urge you to see an orthopedic shoulder pain specialist in San Diego.