Athletes and manual laborers are prone to shoulder injuries when they have to make repetitive arm movements such as painting, throwing, and swinging. The most common types of shoulder injuries include:
Dr. Absi determines the factors involved in your shoulder pain and injury by physically examining your shoulder joint, evaluating how restricted or free your movements are, and obtaining a digital X-ray and other imaging studies. He may also examine the inside of your joint with minimally invasive arthroscopy using a miniature camera.
As a sports medicine specialist, Dr. Absi only recommends therapies that increase the health and mobility of your shoulder. If your shoulder is dislocated, he moves it back into the socket.
Depending on the type of injury, he may only advise lifestyle changes, including resting your shoulder and undergoing physical therapy to strengthen it and prevent future injuries. However, if your injury is severe or chronic, he may recommend:
Whenever possible, Dr. Abis performs minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery to repair tears in shoulder tendons and your rotator cuff. Arthroscopic surgery uses a miniature camera to transmit a magnified, 3-D image of your shoulder joint to a monitor. Using this view, Dr. Abis can make precise movements with tiny surgical tools that cause less trauma than traditional methods.
However, he may also recommend open surgery in certain cases. After your arthroscopic or open surgery, Dr. Absi gives you aftercare instructions. You may need to keep your shoulder immobile during the early healing phase, and then undergo physical therapy to rebuild strength, increase flexibility, and restore your range of motion.
