Vim & Vigor - Summer 2021 - 50

50

A tear in the rotator cuff is among the
most frequent injuries we see in both
men and women.
-Brian Werner, MD, UVA Sports Medicine orthopedic surgeon

UVA Health
Orthopedic
Surgeons
Specializing in
Shoulder Repair

Brian
Werner, MD

Stephen
Brockmeier, MD

When to See an Expert

Recovery: What to Expect

After rotator cuff surgery, the patient
needs to wear an arm sling for six
weeks, do physical therapy for three
to four months and not lift anything
heavy for six months. Once the person recovers, he or she can return
to playing sports and doing everyday activities.
" The clinical success rate [measured by a reduction of pain and
a return to normal function] for
rotator cuff surgery is quite good, "
Dr. Werner says. " Patients are happy
they had the surgery. " *

The Case for
Strong Shoulders

Although shoulder pain can
result from car accidents or
overuse, it can also simply come
from weak muscles. " Exercises
that include band work can
help keep shoulders strong and
free from symptoms like pain
and stiffness, " says orthopedic
surgeon Brian Werner, MD.

DOCTOR PHOTOS BY UVA HEALTH

If shoulder pain wakes you up at night,
you'll definitely want to seek medical
care. " The rotator cuff is working hard
when you're sleeping because you don't
have gravity helping to hold the joint
in place, " Dr. Werner says. " The big
thing that gets people into my office
is not being able to sleep because of
shoulder pain. If you can't sleep, you're
pretty miserable. "

A UVA Sports Medicine expert
can create an individualized treatment plan. If front-line treatments
don't help, the last option is surgery.
" Repairing the rotator cuff is probably
one of the most common surgeries
that we do here at UVA in sports
medicine, " Dr. Werner says.
With this outpatient surgery, doctors use a scope (a thin tube with a
camera or surgical instruments) to
access and repair the tendons of the
rotator cuff. They can also address
anything else causing pain and
stiffness that could include a bone
spur or a labral or bicep tear,
Dr. Werner says.

SUMMER 2021 VIM & VIGOR

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3/9/21 3:14 PM

PHOTO BY JACKSON SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

W

hen we need to reach a high
shelf, we can thank our rotator cuff. This group of four
tendons stabilizes our shoulder joint
and helps us lift our arm. The rotator
cuff is also a common source of pain-
and not just among tennis players,
swimmers and baseball pitchers.
" A tear in the rotator cuff is among
the most frequent injuries we see in
both men and women, particularly in
patients who are over the age of 40, "
says Brian Werner, MD, a UVA Sports
Medicine orthopedic surgeon who specializes in shoulder repair.
Having a shoulder tear may sound
scary, but the good news is many
small tears don't always cause pain.
And if they do, you often won't need
surgery. " Rotator cuff tearing is a natural part of the aging process in the
shoulder, " Dr. Werner explains. " And
so a lot of rotator cuff tears can at least
be initially managed nonoperatively
with treatments like physical therapy,
anti-inflammatory medications and,
occasionally, steroid injections. "
Injections of platelet-rich plasma are
becoming more common as a treatment
in sports medicine. But these injections
(a concentration of platelets from a
person's own blood) are not covered by
insurance, as their effectiveness has yet
to be proved by extensive research.
Vim & Vigor - Summer 2021

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