Non-Surgical Shoulder Pain and Disorder Treatment Options

Many people are understandably hesitant to undergo invasive orthopedic surgery procedures to treat their chronic shoulder pain or limited shoulder mobility. Thankfully, there are several potential shoulder treatment options that don’t require any kind of surgical intervention. Desert Orthopedic Specialists is committed to attempting every feasible non-surgical or natural treatment approach for managing shoulder pain before resorting to surgical options.

Prolotherapy and Platelet Rich Plasma

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and prolotherapy injections are both intended to kickstart the body’s own healing powers. PRP is derived from the patient’s own blood, which is spun up in a centrifuge to separate platelets from the other cells in the blood. When these concentrated platelets are injected into the targeted treatment area, oftentimes ligaments, joints or tendons, they release growth factors and significantly boost the healing cells that help repair the body after an injury.

Patients with shoulder pain due to rotator cuff tears are frequently prescribed PRP treatments.

Prolotherapy treatments have historically received high marks in patient satisfaction due to its reputation for reducing shoulder pain, improving range of motion and minimizing shoulder stiffness. A study of shoulder pain patients who received prolotherapy found that recipients went from an average of 1.2 different pain meds down to 0.3 pain meds after their course of prolotherapy was complete. Approximately 97 percent of those patients reported improvement in their pain after prolotherapy treatments.

Physical Therapy for the Shoulder

Physical therapy is a vital part of recovery after an orthopedic surgery or a shoulder injury. A skilled physical therapist, along with the orthopedic specialists treating you, will work together to develop a specially designed physical therapy regimen to ensure optimal, proper healing.

Shoulder Steroid Injections

The pain caused by certain types of shoulder problems, including some shoulder joint injuries and osteoarthritis, can be managed in part with corticosteroid injections. These injections are a combination of anesthetics and steroids designed to deliver a burst of strong short-term pain relief as well as slightly more moderate pain relief for two weeks to six months.

Steroids can help manage inflammation and the pain inflammation causes, which is why it’s a popular treatment for inflammatory shoulder conditions such as osteoarthritis. It should be noted that cortisone shots are not a long-term solution or treatment for shoulder osteoarthritis and should be used to manage symptoms rather than as be viewed as a magic bullet for dealing with shoulder pain.