On Pace
Don’t Live with Shoulder Pain Advanced treatment options can help patients shrug off shoulder pain. Written by John Ferrari
22 | Pulse Magazine Spring 2022
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very joint in your body plays a role in your daily life. When we think of joint conditions, knees get the most attention. But they aren’t the only joints that experience daily wear and tear; we use our shoulders just as much. We put strain on our shoulders almost every time we use our arms. And as with knees, shoulders suffer from overuse, injury and degeneration. Fortunately, like knees, treatments for shoulder conditions have advanced with the widespread adoption of minimally invasive surgeries, as well as nonsurgical options. Pulse spoke with orthopedic surgeon Stephen Nuccion, MD, to catch up on the latest options for shoulder treatment. The first step in any treatment is a diagnosis based on the individual’s medical history, a physical examination and X-rays or MRI scans. Many shoulder complaints are diagnosed as overuse injuries that can be treated through a combination of rest and activity modification. Sports and exercise are common sources of overuse injuries. “Playing different sports in different seasons allows certain muscles to rest and recover,” Dr. Nuccion says. Young athletes who play a single sport all year long, and recreational athletes who take advantage of Southern California’s weather to the play the same sport year-round, don’t give those muscles a rest. The preventive measure is simple: varying sports and exercise routines. High-intensity activity isn’t the only cause of overuse injuries though. Something as basic as office ergonomics or poor sitting posture can have an impact. “Coming in for evaluation and treatment can be as simple as recommending a new pillow or ergonomic adjustments,” Dr. Nuccion says. If the pain persists and the shoulder isn’t healing, physical therapy is the next treatment option. “This can definitively fix many issues,” Dr. Nuccion says. “Physical therapists have added a lot of tools in the last 10 to 20 years.” Other options include the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections**, using the body’s own regenerative processes to stimulate healing in a specific area. In this procedure, platelets that have been filtered out of whole blood
