I know there have been lots of threads about shoulders, but not this problem specifically. I have a large bone spur in my shoulder, but there is no rotator cuff tear. The doctor recommends removal and says the surgery is about 30 minutes long and I could be back in the water in 3 weeks, since it "just" a matter of shaving off the spur arthroscopically.
Have any of you had this procedure done and what was the recuperation like? I am a 50 year old woman if that matters in the recup time.
He probably recommended removing the bone spur because of the liklihood it will cause real problems in the (near) future. A bone spur on the end of the clavicle can eventually cause pain from scraping tendons in the rotator cuff and this can result in torn tendons and a longer and more difficult recovery from surgery.
By all means, if you're not confident in your doctor's diagnosis and solution, get a second opinion. Was your doctor an orthopedist, sports medicine doctor, PT? The expertise and perspective of the doctor should also be considered. However, bone spurs have caused lots of shoulder problems in swimmers and the diagnosis seems quite reasonable.
Nancy
He probably recommended removing the bone spur because of the liklihood it will cause real problems in the (near) future. A bone spur on the end of the clavicle can eventually cause pain from scraping tendons in the rotator cuff and this can result in torn tendons and a longer and more difficult recovery from surgery.
By all means, if you're not confident in your doctor's diagnosis and solution, get a second opinion. Was your doctor an orthopedist, sports medicine doctor, PT? The expertise and perspective of the doctor should also be considered. However, bone spurs have caused lots of shoulder problems in swimmers and the diagnosis seems quite reasonable.
Nancy
