Woman's shoulder pain for 3 years "burns like fire"! Is surgery the only option for long bone spurs in shoulders and lumbar vertebrae? Shock wave therapy becomes a trend
An 80-year-old woman in Taichung has been unable to sleep normally for three years due to long-term pain in her cervical spine, shoulders, and kidneys. She even described the pain as “on fire” during the attack. Later, minimally invasive surgery combined with extracorporeal shock wave therapy was used to significantly improve the pain. If the elderly people experience symptoms of shoulder or cervical pain, they should seek diagnosis from an orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible to avoid delayed treatment.
Shoulder pain mean frozen shoulder? Beware of rotator cuff syndrome
Long-term shoulder and neck pain and discomfort, and obvious pain when raising hands or turning shoulders inward, many people mistake “rotator sleeve syndrome” for frozen shoulder. Dr. Zhong Chenghan, director of Hanqun Orthopedic Clinic, said that the rotators include four muscles: supraspinalis, infraspinalis, subscapularis and teres minor. Sports injuries and long-term poor posture may cause overuse of the shoulder and excessive muscle tension. This can lead to injury to the rotator muscles of the shoulder, and in severe cases it may develop into rotator cuff syndrome.
“When you have long-term shoulder pain, you should pay attention to whether it is caused by rotator muscle rupture or bone spurs. Bone spurs not only grow in the waist, but overuse may cause bone spurs to compress nerves or wear out cartilage!”
Dr. Zhong Chenghan pointed out that shoulder rotator muscle pain in young people is mostly caused by muscle tears caused by sports or work injuries. As middle-aged and elderly people age, bone spurs in their shoulders become more common. Bone spurs are actually bone growths that grow after years of use. Severe shoulder bone spurs can irritate the shoulder bursa and cause subacromial pinch syndrome. In addition, the cervical spine, lumbar spine, elbow joint, knee joint, and ankle joint are all common areas where bone spurs occur.
Do bone spurs and disc herniations require surgery? Extracorporeal shock waves help repair and regeneration
Is surgery necessary for long bone spurs or herniated discs in the lumbar spine? Dr. Zhong Chenghan said that the general treatment methods for bone spurs include anti-inflammatory analgesics, anti-inflammatory injections, and physical therapy covered by health insurance. However, for some patients with severe bone spurs, traditional treatment methods can only relieve symptoms and treat the symptoms but not the root cause. Advanced and safe extracorporeal shock wave therapy can be used to help improve the condition after a doctor’s evaluation.
Dr. Zhong Chenghan said that extracorporeal shock wave therapy is a non-invasive treatment that focuses energy on the injured area or pain point to stimulate the regrowth of capillaries and achieve repair effects. For common rotator muscle ruptures and subacromial pinch syndrome, after diagnosis and evaluation by a physician, more than 90% of patients who have ruptures less than 1 cm in size can successfully improve their quality of life using extracorporeal shock wave treatment.
Is it difficult to relieve pain and compression after disc surgery? Integrated pain treatment helps improve
“Many patients who have undergone intervertebral disc surgery still have obvious pain, compression, or sensory nerve lines that feel like they are being pulled. For these severe patients, only a single method of treatment is ineffective. Non-invasive “integrated” methods can be considered. Pain treatment can be improved safely and efficiently!”
Dr. Chung Cheng-han gave an example. He once treated a young adult patient with incomplete bone healing and unstable knee joints after surgery. Before treatment, he had “drop foot” symptoms of severe nerve compression, and his lower limbs were unable to walk normally as if he had suffered a stroke. After diagnosis by a doctor, extracorporeal shock wave therapy combined with high-energy laser, regenerative factors and other treatment methods can effectively improve the nerve compression and return the foot’s muscle activity to normal.
Dr. Zhong Chenghan explained that for severe nerve compression and refractory pain problems, integrated pain treatment can be used. The treatment course covers extracorporeal shock wave system, high-energy laser system, nerve interference device system, fasciotome system and other treatment methods, ranging from minimally invasive to , repair to alleviation, accompanies patients to gradually treat pain, and the multi-faceted and comprehensive treatment methods can better prescribe the right medicine and give patients the best treatment experience.
Don’t fall into the myth of disc herniation treatment! Correct treatment to address the root cause of pain
Cervical and lumbar disc herniation and abnormal sciatic nerve pain are common conditions among Taiwanese people. Dr. Chung Cheng-han said that only correct diagnosis can provide correct treatment, and correct treatment can eradicate the pain problem. Many people have misconceptions about the treatment of disc herniation and are worried that surgery is the only option. They would rather use painkillers for a long time than seek medical treatment early, thereby missing the opportunity for early treatment.
Dr. Zhong Chenghan reminds that when you have symptoms of abnormal sciatic nerve pain such as backache and low back pain, you should seek an orthopedic doctor to diagnose whether it is a herniated intervertebral disc. If traditional treatments are ineffective or there are concerns about surgical risks, non-invasive “integrated pain treatment” can be evaluated. Only by treating the disease correctly according to the severity of the disease can the root cause of the pain be effectively solved.
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