Question:I have OA and have developed large bone spurs under each shoulder that are
rubbing against the rotator cuff when I move my arms. Lucky person that I am,
I have HMO insurance and am learning all about the "referral" (now called
"passthrough") system. Went to my pcp, who referred me to the orthopedic
surgeon about my left shoulder. The ortho injected it with cortisone and sent
me to pt. After several pt sessions, the bone spur in my right shoulder
"kicked" up to the point where I could not continue with pt exercises. Back to
the pcp for x-rays and exam, and referral back to the ortho.
This process has been quite an education. If any of you have had bone spurs,
I'd love to hear your story and the result. The pt said that if I have
surgery, there's no guarantee that the spurs won't grow back. Another said
that I should just "rest" it, and the pain will gradually go away. But I've
also heard that shoulders can "freeze up" from lack of use. Someone also said
that I should have arthroscopic surgery rather than "the other kind." I don't
know the difference; can anyone else educate me?
Answer:I was told about five years ago that I had bone spurs in my right shoulder,
along with OA. PT made it much, much worse... in large part because the
therapist insisted it was all just poor posture. By the time I finished a
couple of weeks of physio I could no longer drive my truck. Got referred to
an RD who then made the diagnosis. He was dead against surgery. Had
cortisone shot - allergic. Tried weight training. With very, VERY light
weights it helped increase my ROM in that shoulder. It took about two more
years, but the pain did subside almost completely. I'm now doing a lot of
walking, with some (but not too much) arm movement, and have nearly no pain
at all. I can also raise my arm straight up above my head. OTOH, I also
looked at my medical records and can't find any mention of the spurs at
all... there is a slight possibility that it was something else, but from
what I read, I doubt it.
