Explore the latest in orthopedic care, recovery strategies, and cutting-edge treatments. This section provides expert knowledge, practical tips, and updates to help you stay informed about your musculoskeletal health.
A Reasonable Question When I tell patients that physical therapy can help their torn rotator cuff, I sometimes see skepticism in their eyes. The logic seems backwards: if something is torn, shouldn't it be fixed? How can exercises repair a tendon that's no longer attached to bone? It's a fair question, and patients deserve a clear answer rather than a vague assurance that therapy "usually helps." Understanding what physical therapy actually does—and doesn't do—helps you appro
When the Past Catches Up It might have been five years ago, or fifteen, or thirty. Maybe you dislocated your shoulder playing football in high school. Maybe it happened during a skiing accident in your twenties. At the time, someone popped it back in, the pain eventually faded, and you moved on with your life. Now your shoulder is bothering you again. It aches after activity. It feels unstable sometimes, like it might slip out of place. Maybe it catches or clicks in certain p
The Confusing Diagnosis You went in for an MRI expecting answers, and you got one—just not the answer you expected. The report says you have a rotator cuff tear. But you didn't fall. You didn't get hit. You can't point to a single moment when something went wrong. This scenario plays out in my exam room several times a week. Patients arrive holding their MRI reports with a mixture of confusion and concern. "How can something be torn if I didn't tear it?" a bookkeeper from Dur
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