Expert: Dr. Victor Dolan, DC, DACBSP - 7/9/2008

Question
hi, i dislocated my collar bone 2 years ago (grade 2) which ment i needed a ac joint reconstruction. i was told after this op i would be back to normal activities with little or no pain however this was not the case i still had problems with movement of the shoulder and severe pain and i basically had to pester the doctors into giving me a scan to check for tissue damage. they result of this was that they discovered i had damaged tendons which they said was not caused by the op. after months of post op pain they decided i had a frozen shoulder and told me i should have an arthroscopic surgery to check for further damage and also to release it for more movement. a couple of months after this and Im still no further forward. after the athroscopy they told me they found the cartlidge in my shoulder was so badly damaged that i would be in pain for the rest of my life, Im only 32. today i went for my first check up after athroscopic surgery and now they are telling me i have arthritis and it was not caused by any surgery i have had however they have contradicted themselves so many times and changed what they have told me that i don't believe them.
and i have basically to suffer this pain for another couple of months until they decide what to do.
please help, any advice on what to do would be very much appriciated as this has been going on for 3 years now and left me very depressed as i was a very active person before, but now the pain rules my life.I'm on 30/500 co-codamol and tramadol 50mg full dosage everyday it only helps a little. sorry for the very long message but Im clearly desperate. was also thinking of seeking legal advice on this matter. thanks for taking the time to read this ;)

Answer
Hello Pauline,

Sorry to hear of your shoulder problems.  As a Doctor of Chiropractic in Staten Island (New York), my practice is, by law, upon the human spine.  I would not be legally recognized as an expert in shoulders and must tell you this upfront.  You may ask the same question(s) to our expert orthopedic MDs or even the physiatrist MDs on this board.

The above being said, I will comment on some natural approaches that may be helpful.

First, understand that when we become ill or injured,,,, sometimes there are good answers, sometimes no answers, and sometimes good answers that do just go bad.  Health maintenance, injury/ illness prevention is the best approach- but sometimes things are unavoidable.

I am not sure if a grade 2 dislocation absolutely has to have surgical reconstruction (best to ask an orthopedist that question).
Besides the surgery, there would be a prolonged rehabilitative period.
Much time- perhaps months would be necessary for successful rehab. Did you do all that you could during that rehab period?  Even now- is there any physical therapy that might be helpful-- even if prolonged in time?

The medications I cannot comment upon.

From a nutritional aspect:
I would try an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle.  Proteolytic enzymes could be helpful to bring down inflammation and pain.  Glucosamine and Chondroitin and MSM could help the joint repair itself.  Calcium, magnesium, Vitamin D, Boron would all help the bone and joint to mend.

Natural approaches like physical therapy, exercise, nutrition could take many months even a year or more to make major changes, but could be very helpful.

Surgery changes your biomechanics.  Sometimes with excellent results, but sometimes with poor results.  Once surgery has been done- the changes made are permanent- that is why surgery should be the last resort.

I wish I had more to offer, but sometimes there are no quick or easy answers.

Wishing you good luck and good health naturally, your Staten Island Chiropractor,

Dr. Victor Dolan, DC

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