Frozen shoulder – or adhesive capsulitis, as it’s known technically – is a condition I see among a small percentage of my patients. In technical terms, adhesive capsulitis means there is an inflammation (capsulitis), resulting in tissue thickening and adherence to other tissues (adhesive). While it’s a generalisation, it is a condition found most often … Continued
An AC injury is a common one among both professional athletes and weekend sporting warriors. Not to be confused with a shoulder dislocation, an AC injury is also known as a shoulder separation. Occurring in the acromioclavicular (AC) joint – hence the AC acronym – an AC injury is usually caused by blunt force to … Continued
It’s a rare Monday during football season when I don’t see a least one player injured with a shoulder dislocation. While shoulder dislocation occurs in elite athletes, it’s frequently an issue for many aspiring ones too. Often teens in their final years of school, university students, or weekend enthusiasts, these younger players put their bodies … Continued
What you need to know about recovery from a rotator cuff injury As a focused shoulder specialist, I’m asked a lot of questions about recovery from a rotator cuff injury. Before answering that question, I find it’s necessary to step back a little and paint a picture. The reason? To build understanding and awareness about … Continued
The bursa is an element of shoulder care and treatment that gets considerable airplay. It is also prone to a lot of confusion. Clearing up the confusion is my intention with this blog. What is a bursa and what’s bursitis? A bursa is a tiny sac filled with fluid. Functioning as a gliding surface in … Continued
It used to be that shoulder replacement was the kind of surgery best avoided, and if it must be performed, it was a treatment pathway to be embarked upon with realistic, even low, expectations for the outcome. Frequently compromised by premature failure arising from poor surgical planning and prolonged duration of surgery increasing medical and … Continued
Before deciding if shoulder replacement surgery, or arthroplasty, is your best treatment option on the roadmap to recovery, it’s helpful to understand what conditions it’s good for treating. Shoulder replacement would be considered when a person has long term and degenerative arthritis of the shoulder. Otherwise known as osteoarthritis, this progressive degeneration of shoulder joints … Continued
I’ve been a surgeon now for well over a decade. It’s not a job; I love what I do. The great news for me and my patients is I’m enjoying it more and more as my chosen specialty area – shoulders – becomes even more refined as my technical skills strengthen and my understanding of … Continued
You’d think after having completed six years of undergraduate medical studies, another 10 years specialising as an orthopaedic surgeon, including sub-specialty studies, that I’d have had enough of study. And certainly, on those days when another late night loomed large I found myself kind of wishing I didn’t have to face another exam, but study … Continued
After many years of clinical practice and working with patients through their recovery, it became really clear to me that patients want relief from three things when faced with a challenging shoulder issue. They want to know: How their condition will impact their life long term What certainty can be provided around treatment options What … Continued