Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery For The Rotator Cuff

If you are an athlete and have injured your shoulders one too many times, it might be time to consider shoulder surgery. The thought of having this done might scare you, but it is important to get it checked out. If you have a rotator cuff injury, then there are three ways that it can be repaired. The least invasive way is through an arthroscopic procedure. This would obviously be the preferred method over methods that are invasive, but it is not always possible.

If you find out that a procedure like this might be in your future, then you will need to find a specialist that deals in this area. He or she should go through a process of examining and having imaging done. You might need an MRI, ultrasound, and/or x-rays to see the damages. Depending on how things look, it will likely determine the next step in your treatment.

Some injuries to the rotator cuff will not require a procedure. Sometimes steroids are used with anti-inflammatory medication. These can help along with analgesics. It might come to a point, however, when these no longer work. At this point, you might need to have a procedure.

If you have a torn rotator cuff, you may or may not qualify for the less invasive procedure. With a tear, you might still have problems with your rotator cuff after shoulder surgery. Some injuries can even re-tear. If you would like to have the best possible outcome and healing, you should avoid tobacco, and you are better off if you are not diabetic.

It might be difficult for you after your shoulder surgery, because you will not be able to move it for 4-6 weeks. For an athlete, this is going to be hard, but it is essential if you want the procedure to be affective. Even after the initial recovery time, you will need to have physical therapy. It will be only after this that you will have the opportunity to begin normal exercises.

If you are putting off a trip to a specialist because you are concerned he or she will call for shoulder surgery, you would be wise not to put it off any longer. If you catch your injury early, you may have to only have an arthroscopic procedure. If you wait too long, it might be too serious, and you may end up needing a more invasive procedure.

It is easy for athletes to keep going and using the injured limb. It might be especially the case if your livelihood depends on your ability to play your sport. Do not let this keep you from getting the help you need even if it means shoulder surgery.