Partially Torn Rotator Cuff
March 9, 2011 by Dr. Marc Darrow, M.D.
Filed under Shoulder Pain
Doctor Marc Darrow, M.D., J.D.
Discussions from our Radio Show:
Caller: I have been suffering with a partial torn rotator cuff and a bit of bursitis and tendonitis, it has lasted about four months. I have been going to physical therapy for about a month and it has not gotten any better.
Dr. Darrow: Prolotherapy works really well on those types of syndromes in the shoulder, but a consultation is needed, however, it is the kind of thing that is very simple to heal in most cases.
Caller: My physical therapists say and I read that rotator cuffs take a long time to heal.
Dr. Darrow: I do not find that to be the case, Prolotherapy is something that is very unique, very simple, very easy to do. You would come in and get an injection in your shoulder, at at least on point, maybe more depending on what we find.
By doing these injections we would stimulate your immune system to create a little bit of inflammation and you would walk out of the clinic right then, you would not have any down time, you may feel a little bit stiff, maybe not.
Maybe for your situation it may take four treatments the bursitis, tendonitis, tendinosis, to clear up. Based on percentages that I am aware of, it sounds like you have an 80-90% chance of improve.
Caller: Is this different than a cortisone shot?
Dr. Darrow: I would not do a cortisone injection for a person like you. If someone was in such distressed pain, I may consider doing a cortisone injection but it is not the best way, it does not heal these things and it is not the first line work that we do, Prolotherapy is because it is stimulating or proliferating new tissue growth and it is a healing technique I think you will find very good.
