Looking for Information on "Shoulder impingement," a medical problem that my mom suffers from. Help!!

Question

This is a terribly painful condition, and surgery is a last sorce, said mom's Doctors!! She is in pain 24/7 and at 87 years old, could use some relief. Thanks to all who try to offer suggestions, or surgens, etc. thewizofoz

Answer 1

Conservative treatment involves resting and stopping the offending activity. It may also involve prolonged physical therapy. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and ice treatments can relieve pain. Ice packs applied for 20 minutes three times a day may help.

Therapeutic injections (lidocaine plus a corticosteroid) are useful both because they are therapeutic and also because they can help the physician differentiate impingement from other problems. Indications for therapeutic injections include the following:

Older patients with clearly operable lesions, such as subacromial spurs, who are not good surgical candidates. Frequently, older, poor surgical candidates can be helped with periodic injections.

I Understand why the doctor does not want to do the surgery. It would be very difficult for your mother to recover from the surgery because strenuous physical therapy is required to get back the use of the arm after the surgery.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

That really depends on the psychological problem, the intensity of the problem and how the individual deals with that problem. For instance, if I happened to like an individual who happened to be schizophrenic, I would easily commit to them. However if they were so consumed by schizophrenia that I can't relate to them or I found myself dedicating all my time to helping them, I would not commit to them. People's psychological issues do not have to define them or their personalities as an entirety. Most people, unless their problems are so severe that they can barely function, still have a choice as to how they deal with what they have and can still express themselves as individuals regardless of what umbrella they're put under. I've been very close friends with at least two people with serious psychological issues because I liked them as people irregardless of their problems. If I like who they are and being with them makes me happy, I will commit to them. I'm not going to put up with someone who I don't like, though, and I'm not going to be so overly politically correct to the point that I would say I'd commit to anyone with a psychological problem - some psychological issues I would probably have a very difficult time relating to and understanding on a personal level. I don't look down on the people who have them by any means, but I don't necessarily want to be around them all the time either. There's probably other people out there who would understand them better. Pisces Sun Gemini Moon Aries Venus Capricorn Mars

Answer 3

I found the following page it has tons of information for you to read. I suspect her age is the reason surgery is a last resort.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/980215ap/fongemie.html