If you have been diagnosed with degenerative arthritis, rotator cuff injury, bursitis, or another injury in one or both of your shoulder joints, here are some *treatment services performed by Dr. Robert Ference.
These options may apply after more conservative treatments such as exercise, physical therapy, and medications are not helping ease your symptoms.
Corticosteroid Injections
Corticosteroids help fight inflammation, signaled by heat, redness, pain, and swelling in an injured or inflamed part of the body. Corticosteroid shots ease pain faster than anti-inflammatory pills. When corticosteroids are injected into a joint, their effects are mostly limited to that joint. Steroid shots usually last up to one or two months. However, they can last longer, especially when used with other treatments such as physical therapy. Injections for certain conditions, such as acute joint pain, may also last longer. It’s best to limit steroid injections to three or four times a year.
Shoulder Arthroplasty (total shoulder replacement)
Your xrays and other images, past health history, goals, and a comprehensive examination will allow Dr. Ference to determine if this is a treatment option for you.
Rotator Cuff Repair
If your rotator cuff is injured, you may need to repair it surgically. This may include shaving off bone spurs that are pinching the shoulder, or repairing torn tendons or muscles in the shoulder.