Progress Report of Non-Surgical Rotator Cuff Repair
Rotator cuff repair surgery results are not that great. Several published studies, including this one, have shown that outcomes are not much better with surgery than without. Large tears tend not to heal well, and re-tears are common. Even after “successful” surgeries patients may not recover full range of motion and end up with limited strength and function of the […]
Stem Cell Therapy FDA Approved?
Is stem cell therapy FDA approved? This is one of the most frequent questions presented by our patients. This is an issue we have to address several times a week. I usually answer that question by asking patients if they have received other treatments, such as epidural injections, joint injections with corticosteroids, ACL repair surgeries, rotator cuff surgeries, etc., and […]
Joint Corticosteroid Injections: How is This Still a Thing?
Intra-articular injections with corticosteroids is a very common medical treatment for the pain caused by joint osteoarthritis. Most patients do not know that corticosteroids are not a treatment for arthritis and does not heal the joint. They work by reducing inflammation and usually provide quick relief of pain. This pain relief, however is short lived: usually lasting only for no […]
Letter From a Grateful Father
This letter is from the father of one of our youngest patients. Hunter is a high school student who came to our clinic with his father seeking an alternative to surgery after an injury to his right shoulder prevented him from pitching for his high school team: “My son Hunter is a pitcher for Gaither High school and a defensive […]
Epidemic of Unnecessary Surgeries
I have blogged several times before about the epidemic of unnecessary spine and joint surgeries performed in our country. Spine surgery is the single most costly surgery for Medicare. The rate of spine and joint surgeries in the USA is 2-3 times higher than in any other industrialized country, with incredibly large regional variations. The widespread use of MRI scans, […]