Your shoulders are the most flexible joints in your body. With almost every action you do – whether it’s dressing, brushing your teeth, driving, eating food, or working on your computer – you rely heavily on good working shoulders.
If you develop shoulder injuries such as impingement, bursitis, fracture, or separation, or if you suffer from shoulder arthritis, you are bound to experience a high degree of difficulty completing even the smallest tasks. You will likely see an orthopedic doctor and possibly receive pain-relief injections, but these may eventually lose their efficacy and the shoulder pain continues.
When noninvasive and minimally invasive treatments don’t work anymore, it may be time to consider having shoulder replacement surgery. Let’s talk about some of the main benefits of having this surgery and who you can ask about treatments that would work for you.
Why Should I Have Shoulder Surgery?
Shoulder replacement surgery has been life-changing for so many Americans with diseased or damaged shoulder joints. If your doctor has recommended that you undergo shoulder replacement surgery, here’s why you should consider having this operation:
To Prevent Further Damage
Advanced shoulder arthritis is characterized by damage to the tissues and supporting structures of the shoulder. This creates severe, debilitating pain and a loss of joint function.
When arthritis reaches this point, conservative treatment methods will no longer produce lasting results, if any results at all. Shoulder replacement surgery is performed to replace the damaged parts of the shoulder – the ball-and-socket glenohumeral joint – with prosthetic parts, so your shoulder works well again.
It is advisable to have this surgery before the damage becomes more extensive and becomes much harder to treat later on. Moreover, delaying surgery may result in more complications after surgery.
To Prevent Chronic Shoulder Injury
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder is not the only degenerative condition that is frequently treated by shoulder replacement surgery. Chronic rotator cuff problems may also be addressed with shoulder replacement surgery, as small tears in the shoulder’s rotator cuff become larger and more widespread, creating more and more limitations in the shoulder’s range of motion. Shoulder surgery gives you a brand-new shoulder joint so you can live normally again and enjoy life.
To Prevent Muscle Atrophy
Shoulder pain, stiffness, numbness, and weakness can cause you to use your shoulders less, and you may even use a shoulder or arm brace. However, prolonged lack of use can lead to muscle atrophy, which can pose challenges to recovery after surgery – so having the operation sooner is usually your best option, rather than waiting until you suffer paralysis in the shoulder.
Joint Replacement Surgeons in San Antonio, TX
Here at the Center for Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, our orthopedic surgeons are highly skilled and experienced in all types of shoulder replacement surgeries. We aim to try conservative treatment methods before recommending joint replacement surgery, so we will explain your options for achieving ultimate relief from your shoulder pain.
For a consultation with one of our orthopedic surgeons, call the Center for Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine today at (210) 692-7400 or request an appointment now via our online form. We look forward to helping you get back to the active lifestyle you love.
