What You Need To Know About Shoulder Replacement Surgery

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Shoulder replacement surgery is a choice that patients and doctors often arrive at after unsuccessfully trying many potential solutions, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, chiropractic care, and other non-invasive approaches. The goal is to reduce pain while restoring as much function and range of motion as practicable. It's a big step to take, and you should try to be as informed as possible before deciding to undergo a major procedure.

Types of Shoulder Replacements

There are four common types of shoulder replacement surgeries. The most radical is a total replacement, calling for removing both the ball and socket in a joint and replacing them with prosthetics. A partial replacement leads to the humeral head to be replaced with a prosthetic ball, but the socket is left intact.

Reverse shoulder replacement, a variant of a total replacement, changes the center of rotation by switching the socket prosthetic to the humerus and putting a ball where the socket was. The least aggressive approach is shoulder resurfacing, a process that fits a smooth cap onto the existing bone structure in the joint.

Reasons to Do One

There are three main groups of people who typically undergo should replacement procedures. Folks with arthritis do so after their joints have worn down significantly, and osteoarthritis sufferers are the most likely candidates.

Anyone who has suffered a fracture in or near the ball or socket may be a candidate, especially if the area has not healed well and cannot be repaired by other types of surgery. An individual who has suffered a rotator cuff tear may also undergo a shoulder replacement surgery in order to head off the onset of arthritis due to reduced mobility.

Considerations

The primary concern that leads patients to ask about should replacement options is the outright pain. If someone isn't experiencing significant discomfort or pain, it may be better to leave the shoulder socket alone until the pain becomes an issue, as a replacement can typically still be performed in the future.

Range of motion is another major driving factor for folks seeking shoulder replacements. If your job, for example, calls for regularly reaching above your head, a reduction in mobility can be very problematic.

Working with your physician, a series of X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs can be conducted to fully ascertain the condition of the joint. From there, you can both talk about what options might best address your situation.

For more information, speak with an orthopedist such as one found through christophercschmidtmd.com.

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1 August 2018

Relief for Shoulder Pain

Recently, my husband began experiencing shoulder pain. Suffering pain of any kind was unusual for him. Although, my husband is in his mid-forties, he enjoys amazingly good health. He’s rarely sick. He hardly ever complains about feeling badly. Because his shoulder pain lingered for a few weeks, he visited an orthopedic specialist. This individual informed my husband that he had bone spurs in his shoulder. He gave my husband a cortisone shot. My spouse’s physician also recommended that he begin rehabilitating his shoulder through exercise. On this blog, you will discover the best types of exercises for strengthening a painful and weak shoulder.