Back Pain Playing Golf? Check This Out.

Golf is now as bad for participants as a CONTACT sport say experts probing an epidemic of bad backs among professionals

• Focus on strength over style making spinal injuries common among golf players

• More than a third of weekend enthusiasts suffering along with half professionals

• Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy among those suffered

Modern golf has triggered an epidemic of back pain among players, according to new research.

A focus on strength over style is making spinal injuries common among both amateurs and professionals.

More than half of those who golf for a living suffer from back injuries, with a third of weekend enthusiasts falling victim to similar conditions. 

Global superstars Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy are among those whose careers have been blighted by the issue.

The sport is extremely exerting and even endangering to public health, scientists say. 

• A focus on strength over style is making spinal injuries common among both amateurs and professionals (Pictured, Rory McIlroy)

Rory MCIlroy

Dr Corey Walker, of Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, said: 'Among professional and amateur golfers, back disorders remain the most common injury, comprising 55 per cent and 35 per cent of injuries in these groups, respectively.'

Household names like McIlroy and Britain's world number one Rose now experience spinal problems at far younger ages than the general population. 

Dr Walker compared the swing of today's professionals - such as Woods - with those of past legends like Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan.

A golf swing causes the spine to rotate at a tilt repeatedly which then stresses the backbone.

This repeated stress has now led to a condition dubbed 'repetitive traumatic discopathy' or RTD. 

This is further stressed when players participate in intensive strength-training sessions.

During the down swing, greater force is directed toward the spinal disc and joints which makes them crooked.

A previous study of Japanese professional golfers demonstrated this for the first time on X-Ray images.

Dr Walker said: 'We too have seen this within our practice among elite golfers seeking consultation for back pain.'

With more than 300 swings a day the golfer experiences minor traumatic injuries to the spinal discs. Over time this can result in RTD.

Tiger Woods

4 back surgeries

• More than half of those who golf for a living suffer from back pain, with a third of weekend enthusiasts falling victim to similar conditions (Pictured, Tiger Woods)

Dr Walker believes biomechanics and extra gym sessions explain the growing number of injuries - especially among younger players.

The findings, published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, could now lead to better treatments.

Dr Walker said: 'While seemingly innocuous at first glance, the forces necessary to generate swing speeds that allow golfers to hit the ball at their current distances are significant and place extraordinary loading and torsional stress on the spine.'

Some estimates indicate professionals experience about 7,500 Newtons of compressive force during the downswing - eight times the average human body weight.

Dr Walker said: 'The long-term effects are not trivial - particularly for a sport that allows for decades of participation.

'As technology has propelled driving distances forward, so too has the focus on creating swing paths that produce the most power.

'To achieve the acceleration required for club head speeds greater than 100 mph in one-fifth of a second, a slow deliberate backswing is followed by an explosive rotational downswing.

'By rotating their hips, shoulders, and hands backward, players generate wound-up, spring-like potential energy that is then released in a concentric movement as the club comes back down.

'During this phase, the hips slide forward - hence the phrase 'leading with the hips' - and both hips and shoulders twist toward the target to pull the club into the follow-through.'

The intervertebral discs act as 'cushions' between the spinal bones.

Discopathy causes them to lose flexibility, elasticity and shock-absorbing characteristics.

The outer fibres that surround the disc become brittle and are more easily torn. At the same time the gel at the centre of the disc dries out and shrinks.

Justin Rose

• Global superstars Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose (pictured) and Rory McIlroy are among those whose careers have been blighted by the issue

The biggest hitters could be most at risk. McIlroy once hit the ball a whopping 436 yards off the tee at the Scottish Open - twice that of an average club hacker. 

But to illustrate how injury can occur the researchers chronicled Woods' years of debilitating spine pain.

He holds the record for a drive on the US PGA tour - blasting the ball 498-yards on the 18th at Kapalua, Hawaii, during the 2002 Tournament of Champions.

Dr Walker said: 'We believe Tiger Woods' experience with spinal disease highlights a real and under-recognised issue amongst modern era golfers.'

Last year, the 43 year-old returned to the game after three operations on his incapacitating back that began in 2014 - claiming to be finally pain free and a 'walking miracle.'

Dr Walker said: 'His victory at the Tour Championship may be considered one of the greatest comebacks in all of sports history.'

In the US alone nearly 32 million people play golf - one-in-ten of the population.

In the UK about 1.5 million adults play at least once a week - almost twice the participation rate of tennis.

Dr Walker said: 'As spine surgeons, we appreciate golf's impact on spinal health.

'RTD results from years of degenerative 'hits' or strains on the spine resulting in early onset breakdown, instability and pain.

'We hope medical practitioners - and surgeons in particular - will be able to diagnose and treat golfers with RTD in a specialized fashion going forward.'

By FAITH RIDLER FOR MAILONLINE

Euan is Back to Being a Kid Again........Success with pediatric orthopedics

My son Euan broke his arm early in the summer. Although he was disappointed with all of the things he’d miss out on, we knew right where to take him to ensure he’d have a speedy recovery - Pinnacle!

We had met the team before and felt our son would be in great hands. After Euan’s cast was removed, Mark provided personalized care to fit him with an ortho cast. Stefanie oversaw his treatment care and communicated all of the details with me. Euan enjoyed working with Torin as well, doing exercises and “work outs” He looked forward to PT each week!

The feedback from his surgeon was encouraging - Euan had healed phenomenally and exceeded the doctors expectations. Euan has enjoyed swimming again, jumping on the trampoline, and finally being able to ride his bike. Thank you Pinnacle! -J.W.

Rotator Cuff Tear? Think Physical Therapy Before Surgery.

Can Physical Therapy for Rotator Cuff Tears Prevent Surgery?

By Mike Reinold

Rotator cuff repair surgery and postoperative rehabilitation continue to be some of the most debated topics on the shoulder at orthopedic and physical therapy conferences.  Numerous studies have been published showing the failure rate of rotator cuff repair surgery ranges anywhere from 25-90%.

Supraspinatus Tendon Tear

Full thickness tear

While this failure rate is certainly alarming, the term “failure” must be defined.  In traditional study models, success is defined as an intact rotator cuff, which makes sense.  However, one of the more interesting findings in most of these studies is that despite the “failed” repair, most patients are quite satisfied with their functional status and outcome.  This really does have to make you question how we define “failure” as patient outcomes and satisfaction seems more important than radiological findings.

These studies have sparked debate over the role of postoperative physical therapy follow rotator cuff repair surgery, with many physicians becoming more conservative and slowing down their protocols.  This obviously implies that some physicians believe that early physical therapy is the reason why failures occur.  This thinking may be flawed and factors such as tissue quality, tear severity, patient selection, surgical technique, and others may be more likely related to ultimate failure rates.

Another perspective to consider is that despite having a failed rotator cuff repair, patient satisfactions were good.  From experience, I can tell you that patients are satisfied when they:

1. Have less pain

2. Regain their mobility

3. Return to functional activities

So the question really should be asked – if there is up to a 90% surgical failure rate but significant increase in satisfaction and outcomes, can physical therapy for rotator cuff tears alone without surgery be just as beneficial at helping patients reduce pain, regain mobility, and return to their activities?

Can Physical Therapy for Rotator Cuff Tears Prevent the Need for Surgery?

A recent study in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery looked at this exact question.  The MOON Shoulder Group, which is a multi-center network of research teams around the country, followed a group of 381 patients with atraumatic full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff for a minimum of two tears.  The mean age of the patients was 62 years with a range of 31-90 years.

The patients performed 6-12 weeks of nonoperative physical therapy focusing on basic rotator cuff strengthening, soft tissue mobilization, and joint mobilizations.

At the six-week mark, patients were assessed and 9% chose to have rotator cuff repair surgery.  Patients were again assessed and the 12-week mark.  At 12-weeks, an additional 6% chose to have surgery.  In total, 26% of patients decided to have surgery by the 2-year follow-up mark.  Statistical analysis revealed that if a patient does not choose to have surgery within the first 12-weeks of nonoperative rehabilitation, they are unlikely to need to surgery.

** Nearly 75% of patients avoided rotator cuff repair surgery by performing physical therapy despite having full thickness cuff tears. 

Keys to Nonoperative Rotator Cuff Rehabilitation

The results of this study could have a large impact on how we treat rotator cuff tears.  Physical therapy should be attempted prior to surgery, even in the case of a full thickness tear.  To maximize these outcomes, a comprehensive rehabilitation program should be developed.  When working on patients with rotator cuff tears, I tend to focus on 3 key areas.

Restore Shoulder Mobility

This includes both passive and active mobility.  For passive mobility, it seems to me that shoulder range of motion is gradually lost as the rotator cuff symptoms increase.   Perhaps it is a pain avoidance strategy, disuse, or some other factor.  You’ll often find glenohumeral joint capsule hypomobility and soft tissue restrictions.  Soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilizations, and range of motion exercises should be designed based on the specific loss of motion exhibited by the patient.

Restore The Ability of the Rotator Cuff to Dynamically Stabilize

This is essentially the same as restoring active mobility of the shoulder.  The rotator cuff has to function properly to allow active mobility without restrictions.  In a previous article, I discussed the suspension bridge concept and how you can have a rotator cuff tear without symptoms.  You can see in this diagram that if you have properly functioning anterior and posterior rotator cuff muscles, you can often still elevate the arm despite a tear to the supraspinatus.

Proper joint mechanics preserved despite Supraspinatus tear

Movement can still be pain free

Exercises designed to enhance strength and dynamic stability of the shoulder should be incorporated.  In my experience external rotation strength tends to be the most limited and needs to most attention.

Reduce the Impact of the Kinetic Chain

In addition to restore mobility and stability of the shoulder, you should also consider the impact of the kinetic chain on shoulder function.  Read my past article on the different types of shoulder impingement to understand some of these concepts.  Any dysfunctions of the scapulothoracic joint, cervical spine, thoracic spine, and lumbopelvic complex should be assessed.  These areas all have a significant impact on the alignment, mobility, and stability of the glenohumeral joint.

If you want to learn more about how I perform nonoperative rehabilitation for rotator cuff tears, I have a past webinar on shoulder impingement that discusses many of the same keys to treatment.

Using these principles, you can formulate a rehabilitation program that could potentially save 75% of people with rotator cuff tears from needed rotator cuff repair surgery.  Hopefully studies like this will continue to shed light on the impact physical therapy can have on the satisfaction and outcomes of patients with rotator cuff tears, with or without surgery.

You cannot unsee your MRI report

Can it be harmful to view your MRI report?  Clearly the answer is yes.  Maybe not for all of you… but certainly for a good number of you. I have seen many people significantly curtail their activities because of something they saw on an MRI report.  The MRI report might have been discussing a normal “age-appropriate” finding, but you can’t get past the fact that something was listed as being “torn.”  What’s the downstream cost of a self-imposed limited quality of life — the loss of something you enjoyed doing— and an associated decrease in your physical fitness? 

“You cannot unsee your MRI report.”

Robert was a pleasant and very active 52-year-old.  He coached soccer, and he was an accomplished trail runner. That’s how we met. He was super fast, and that helped me.  He loved climbing hills as much as I did.  These weekend runs together helped both of us more than we would ever know. I might be very winded while ascending a steep hill that didn’t appear to bother him. But I wasn’t going to stop :-). 

Almost no one over 40 will have a “normal” MRI report of the shoulder, knee, spine, or hip.  Many of the changes seen on an MRI are considered to be “age-appropriate” changes to some of the structures in these joints.   Most of those changes can be ignored and will not impact on your activities.  

This graphic shows the MRI findings of active people without joint pain. 

1. 87% of people without back pain have disc bulges

2. 72% had a labral tear (SLAP tear) in their shoulder

3. Nearly 50% had knee meniscus findings.

4. 69% had a labral tear in their hip.

Imagine this scenario.  Your shoulder has a labral tear in it. You just don’t know it.  Upwards of 70% of adults will have a labral tear on their MRI—even if they have NO PAIN.  So, you have a labral tear… you’re playing tennis, you’re active with your children and you workout in the gym regularly.  Two years later you wake up with an ache in the shoulder. You have an MRI, and they find that labral tear.  Is that tear, which has been there for years, or decades, a cause of your pain? Probably not. But your mind will assume that it is. Will that affect your decision making about going to the gym? Playing tennis? It might. 

We discussed MRI findings in normal shoulders in this post. 

Middle-aged patients with shoulder pain presumed to be due to a small rotator cuff tear have been studied. It turns out, if you MRI their other shoulder, which is not painful, we will often find the same size tear! Why are we saying that one tear hurts, but one tear doesn’t?  Again, is the tear the cause of pain? We do not know.  Bear with me… 

Sometimes an MRI can complicate decision making more than it helps. 

Robert’s shoulder had been bothering him for a week or so.  We had discussed it during one of our runs. Given his lack of injury, I suggested waiting it out for a while.   But like many of us, he didn’t think that pain was normal at our age. Even though his pain was “mild” and didn’t affect his activities, or affect his sleep, the thought that something might be wrong bothered him.  “Pain can’t be normal… can it”?  

We are an over-diagnosed society: Too many MRIs are performed each year. 

Millions of MRI scans are performed in the US each year.  The cost is astronomical.  And as we will explore, that cost involves more than actual dollars spent. We are spending upwards of $25,000 a year for a family insurance policy. If you do not think that the current over-imaging environment is contributing to that, you would be wrong. 

 How many of you insisted on an MRI, and by the time you went to review the results with your doctor, the pain was starting to improve already?  Despite feeling better, you cannot unsee your MRI results. 

 Many physicians will likely find it easier to MRI a joint that hurts, rather than take the time to explain why it isn’t necessary.  Time is money. Healthcare is a business.  Another issue, physicians are rated by their employers by their patient satisfaction scores.  Saying no to a patient who adamantly insists on an MRI might negatively affect that score.  

Robert decided to see his primary care doctor about his shoulder.   While at his primary care doctor’s office, he insisted on having an MRI.  That was a fact he boasted about when he called me later that night.  Tough guys don’t always finish first.  

Robert’s MRI showed a tiny rotator cuff tear and some inflammation.  This is often what a shoulder MRI of an active 50 something shows. Robert picked up his MRI report before his doctor had a chance to call him.  He went straight to Google and read all that he could about rotator cuff tears.  

Robert lacked the knowledge necessary to put the results into perspective. Context matters. 

• Was the tear acute?

• Was it chronic?

• Was the cuff tissue thin?

• Did he have a cable dominant cuff pattern?

• Was there tendinosis?

• Any associated muscle atrophy?

• Any tendon retraction?

These are issues that shoulder surgeons think about when we view the MRI images. Not all radiologists know this… so it might not be addressed in your MRI report. 

Robert’s doctor called him the next day.  His doctor wasn’t sure about how to handle this finding on his shoulder MRI, so he referred Robert to a specialist.  

The following Saturday, Robert and I were supposed to run together.  He didn’t want to go.  He didn’t have a game to coach. His legs felt great. He was afraid of hurting his shoulder more.  That might seem to be intuitive.  I tried to convince him to run, but I wasn’t his doctor, so I ran alone that fine day.   

Robert saw a local Orthopedic Surgeon.  Without even examining him, Robert was told he needed surgery.  Yes, some docs might treat an MRI report finding.  How was my friend to know that these tears usually don’t require surgery?  That’s what his doctor was supposed to tell him.  But we are experiencing a high-tech low-touch evolution in health care.  The art of the physical exam is being lost.  The art of listening to people and educating them about their choices based on everything they shared with us and their imaging findings is at risk of being lost too.  

Healthcare is an RVU/productivity driven world.  It is a fee for service world. The more services, the higher the fees.  It pays to keep that in mind when you are told that you need to have something done.  

Robert had his surgery.  It didn’t go well.  His pain persisted, and he also developed a frozen shoulder.  After six months of stretching exercises, and costly physical therapy, his range of motion returned to normal, but he still had pain. Now he wasn’t sleeping well.  He hadn’t been running in 8 months, he gained 25 pounds, and he wasn’t the same guy I knew a year ago. 

Robert’s pain eventually subsided, but the damage was done.  Is this an extreme case? Perhaps.  Is this a rare problem? No.    

YOU CANT UNSEE YOUR MRI REPORT 

Insisting on an MRI of a joint that just started bothering you isn’t always the right answer.  We often know which shoulder or knee requires an MRI.  Many of the findings that show up on our imaging studies are “normal” for our age.  You often do not need to curtail your activities at all. Quite often, the pain will subside if you wait long enough.  Our wonderful physical therapy colleagues are very successful at crafting a rehabilitation program to assist you in feeling better.  

An MRI is necessary if it might affect our treatment plan. Otherwise, there is no rush to crawl inside a magnet.  Trust that your doctor often knows what findings to look for on your examination to determine if an MRI is necessary.  Even if those findings aren’t present, we will order an MRI if your pain doesn’t improve with time, medications, and physical therapy.  Walking into an office and demanding an MRI might start you down a path that you do not want to go down.  

Disclaimer:  this information is for your education and should not be considered medical advice regarding diagnosis or treatment recommendations. Some links on this page may be affiliate links. Read the full disclaimer.

What is causing your back pain?

3 Top Causes of Low Back Pain — (and what to do for them)

We’ve been looking around and doing some “internet research”, and there is a lot out there about the most common causes of back pain. But we’ve found many of the lists conflict, not just with the data and what we know, but with each other. And some lists we’ve found are 14 and even 25 reasons long! There can’t be 25 “most common” reasons for low back pain. While back pain can be complicated and there are many causes, the most common reasons are, well, the most common. So, here are the top 3.

1. Herniated Disk

Intervertebral disks are the structures that hold our vertebral bodies together, and maintain the space between them. Disk is really a misnomer. Though we call it that, this structure that

image credit: AAOS, orthoinfo.aaos.org

allows you to bend and move your spine, as well as maintain your height, is really more like a jelly doughnut, just with a much tougher outside but still with a jelly-filled center.

Herniated disks are really a sprain, a stretch, tear, or injury, to the ligamentous material, that tough outside, that connects one vertebral body to another.

Disk herniations frequently happen with bending forward and twisting. Bending forward loads the disk with the weight of your body and anything you’re carrying. The twisting puts torsion on the tough outer material, straining and stretching it. This combination can cause the disk to get irritated or “fail”.

Pain often occurs and increases with bending forward or prolonged sitting. The injured disk, and resulting inflammation, may create irritation to the nerve roots and sometimes produces pain, tingling or numbness down the back of the thigh and leg.

The good news is disks can heal! There is a growing body of evidence showing disk healing without surgery. Effective treatment includes:

• symptom management and reduction to get you out of pain and moving again

• core stabilization exercises to strengthen the muscles and tissues that will prevent future injury

• leg flexibility (stretches) to allow for good motion, not dragging your low back along for the ride

• body mechanics training to move in ways that will reduce the risk of future injury

2. Spinal Stenosis (Also referred to as arthritis or degenerative disk disease)

Stenosis is a word from modern Latin that means “abnormal narrowing of a passage in the body”.

image credit: spines.com

Foramen means “an opening, hole, or passage, especially in a bone”. The spinal foramen are the holes your nerve roots exit through to send and receive signals to and from your muscles, joints, and skin.

Foraminal Stenosis just means these holes are narrowing.

This can occur as a result of too many, or severe, disk herniations, bony build up, chronic irritation and inflammation of the facet joints, and wear and tear. Stenosis occurs quite commonly with advancing age.

This kind of stenosis can cause compression, friction, and irritation to the nerve roots and in turn may produce pain, tingling or numbness down the thigh and leg. Irritation to the facet joints can cause centralized low back pain. All of these symptoms are often aggravated by walking, especially when transitioning from sitting to standing & walking, working overhead, or standing, like when waiting in line or cooking a meal.

There is good news here, too. The symptoms resulting from stenosis can also be treated and managed, often without surgery.

Effective treatment includes:

• symptom management and reduction to get you out of pain and moving again

• low back and core strengthening to maintain an upright position and prevent future symptoms

• leg flexibility (stretches) to allow for good motion, just usually the opposite of those used in the treatment of disk herniations

• body mechanics training to move in ways that will avoid continued and future irritation, also usually the opposite of that used in the treatment of disk herniations

image credit: Dr. Foksha via Wikipedia

3. SI Joint or Pelvic Problem

This is the trickiest one of the three. SI, or Sacroiliac, joint problems don’t usually show up on an MRI or X-ray. At least not until they have progressed a long way. And some people think that because they can’t see it on a diagnostic film, it doesn’t exist. In fact there is much MRIs and X-rays don’t show, especially early on.

image credit: Fairview.org

SI joint problems can be a result of prolonged sitting like on a long flight, especially if twisted or a little off center. They can also be the result of a fall or of lifting something really heavy. It is very typical for the symptoms to slowly build or suddenly appear, unrelated to the activity that caused the problem This only adds to the trickiness of figuring this one out and solving the problem.

Symptoms typically include pain, and sometimes “feeling a little off”. In addition to the pain, people will sometimes complain of feeling like they are twisted, off kilter, or their hips don’t feel quite right. The pain can be very focal around the low back or tailbone, or it can travel down the thigh & leg. Sitting and changing positions may exacerbate the pain, but it does not always follow this pattern. Sometimes lying down on the wrong side or flat on your back can even aggravate it.

This one is truly harder to figure out. Assessing this issue requires movement observation and movement testing, particularly looking for asymmetries of movement and position, as well as reproduction of symptoms during the examination.

Upon successful assessment, solving SI joint problems becomes much easier.

Effective treatment includes:

• manual treatment to restore symmetrical position and movement

• symptom management and reduction, again to get you out of pain and moving

• strengthening of the abdominal and pelvic muscles to maintain an even posture

• gentle leg flexibility (stretches) to allow for movement without irritating the SI joint symptoms

• postural education and body mechanics training maintain symmetrical movement and prevent recurrence

Resolution

The treatments may sound similar here, and they are, at least in their foundation and theory. Mechanical problems are best addressed with mechanical solutions. What those specific mechanics, exercises, positions, and postures are can vary a good deal depending on the nature of the root problem and cause. It is not uncommon for the stretches, or strengthening exercises to be the exact opposite for different problems. Tailoring the treatment to each individual’s goals and limitations is a key component of a successful treatment plan.

Stay active! Keep moving. We want you to be and stay healthy.

We hope this is useful to you and maybe to someone you know. Please share if you think it might be.

And if you need us, we’re here to help.

Dislocated Shoulder: Think PT First

Dislocated Shoulder: Think PT First

6 weeks of PT leads to improvements for athletes dislocated shoulder

One shoulder dislocation increases the risk of injuring it again in the future

The shoulder is the most frequently dislocated joint in the body, which is mainly due to the difference in size between the large end of the upper arm bone (humerus) and the small space it fits into (glenoid cavity). Shoulder dislocations usually occur after direct trauma or a fall onto an outstretched arm, and these injuries are common in sports like rugby, football, and hockey. Unfortunately, after a first dislocation, the shoulder can become unstable, which increases the chances of another dislocation occurring. This risk is particularly high in younger athletes and those involved in contact sports. Some studies have even suggested that the rate for regular shoulder dislocations is as high as 95% in young athletes who dislocate their shoulder once. These figures show why it's so important to prevent these injuries from occurring in the first place and rehabilitating them properly when they occur. Physical therapy that focuses on strengthening the shoulder is one of the best ways to accomplish this, but it's not clear which exercises are most effective towards these goals. Therefore, a study was conducted on the use of elastic bands and other strengthening exercises to improve joint strength in individuals diagnosed with a first-time shoulder dislocation.

Six weeks of therapy are divided into three stages

Researchers identified 12 physically active male athletes who had experienced a first-time shoulder dislocation who fit the necessary criteria to be included into the study. Two weeks after their injury, these participants began a six-week physical therapy rehabilitation program divided into three stages. The first stage consisted of a variety of strengthening exercises that were intended to build strength and control the pain and inflammation from the dislocation. These exercises were performed at a low intensity. The second stage focused on restoring a higher level of muscle strength and also increased flexibility, and the exercises were performed at a slightly higher intensity. The third and final stage focused on further improving endurance, strength and flexibility, and the intensity of the exercises increased even more. All stages of this physical therapy program included a variety elastic resistance bands for building strength in these muscles. Participants were evaluated before the program began and then again after two, four and six weeks for various measures of shoulder strength and flexibility.

Exercise program leads to injured shoulders becoming nearly as capable as uninjured shoulders

Results from the tests performed prior to the physical therapy rehabilitation program revealed that many patients had weakness in a number of their shoulder muscles as a result of pain, swelling and inflammation from the shoulder dislocation. After the six-week exercise program, however, these patients experienced considerable improvements of more than 90%. In fact, these improvements in strength and flexibility were so great that the values between the injured and uninjured shoulders were extremely similar in the final measurements. These findings suggest that a physical therapy rehabilitation program that includes elastic resistance bands and weight machines can be effective for improving strength and flexibility in patients who dislocate their shoulder. Following this type of treatment program after an initial dislocation may in effect reduce the likelihood of the patient experiencing another shoulder dislocation and needing surgery as a result. Therefore, while more research on the topic is needed, patients are strongly encouraged to visit a physical therapist after their first shoulder dislocation for appropriate treatment, as it may save them from additional shoulder injuries in the future.

-As reported in the June '17 issue of the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation

July 26, 2018

We offer no-cost consultations to pinpoint the source of your pain and explain what treatment options are available to you. Click the button above to schedule your complimentary consultation.