Expert Insights with Dr. Butzen

When your shoulder aches after a weekend of yard work, or your wrist starts tingling during long days at the computer, you might wonder where to turn for help. Many people start with their family doctor, and that's a natural first step. But when it comes to shoulder, wrist, and hand problems, there's a compelling case for going straight to someone who lives and breathes these conditions every day. Think of it this way: if your car's engine was making strange noises, you could

Understanding Your Injury Your supraspinatus is one of four muscles that make up your rotator cuff. Think of it as the "lifter" muscle – it helps raise your arm out to the side and keeps your shoulder stable. When this muscle tears, everyday activities like reaching for a coffee mug or combing your hair can become painful or impossible. I've been treating shoulder injuries in Durango for over a decade, and I see patients struggle with this decision regularly. A rancher from C

Last week, I had a patient come into my Durango office with what looked like a simple bump on their index finger. They'd noticed it growing slowly over several months, and it was starting to cause some numbness and tingling. What we discovered during surgery was a 16mm neurofibroma - about the size of a small grape - wrapped around one of the finger's nerves. What Exactly Is a Neurofibroma? Think of a neurofibroma as nature's bubble wrap around a nerve. These benign tumors gr

Understanding Tennis Elbow Tennis elbow, also called lateral epicondylitis, happens when the tendons on the outside of your elbow get irritated and painful. Despite the name, you don't need to play tennis to get it. I see patients in Durango every week who developed tennis elbow from activities like gardening, painting, or even using a computer mouse too much. The condition affects the common extensor tendon, which connects your forearm muscles to the bony bump on the outside