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shoulder subacromial spur

MRI shows shoulder subacromial spur.  What can be done instead of surgery?  Before just finding out about this, I have for over a year had physiotherapy, accuputure, etc....  Will ultrasound dissolve the spur?   What else does anyone suggest?  I do range of motion excerises etc......  The last time my shoulder went into the freezing stage of the frozen shoulder sydrome my neck muscles are weaker and my right ear has pain also.
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Avatar universal
Hi.

This time my right ear was affected ( temporary pain and temporary hearing loss).  Writing is still affected with pain.  

I need to strengthen muscles and smooth the spur.  I have to wait at least 6 months for the surgeon's appointment and then a operation after that.

I have about 95% mobility of the right shoulder.  At this time I am only doing range of motion excerises.

My kidneys work at 50% thus I can not take anti-inflammatorial drugs.
I have only had 1 cortison shot.  My family doctor sugguested acupuncture.  It works great for me.
I also use relaxation tapes, breathing excerises and humour.

(I tried to post a comment before.  I do not know where it went.  I had to laugh and try again.)
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Avatar universal
testing.

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Avatar universal
Thank you.

Do physiotherapists, chiropractors, or any other nonsurgical practioners use techniques that employ lasers that can smoothen the spur?

Enjoy your Holidays.



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Avatar universal
Hi.
The spur can be smoothened using a bur, which is like a drill or a rotating file. While this sounds pretty scary, the same tool is used to create holes for access in the skull by neurosurgeons.
There are also techniques that employ lasers that can smoothen the spur. Perhaps this is the closest we can come to the word "dissolving".
At the end of the day, its best you also consider the expertise of the available surgeon who will perform the procedure.
Good luck and Merry Christmas.
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Avatar universal
How do you dissolve a shoulder spur?
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Avatar universal
Thank you for your advice.

My spur is the hooked variety.  The specialist I have been seeing is of Internal Medicine & Rheumatology.  He is sending me to a Shoulder specialist.  I have to wait at least 6 months for the appointment.  The surgery has been suggested by the original specialist.  

I am looking to see what I can do more to strenghten muscles (now that I know about the MRI results that I just found out about December 18, 2007).  

Happy Holidays
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Avatar universal
Hi.
I hope this helps.
Conservative management is unlikely to work if it the symptoms are more than a year there already. Therapeutic ultrasound doesn’t have a role in actually dissolving the spur, but may have some benefit in reducing pain along the structures impinged by the spur. Try to find out if your spur is the flat (type I) or the hooked (type III) variety. The latter is again not likely to respond to conservative management.
Perhaps it is best to evaluate any reasons you have about undergoing surgery, you may like to discuss some details of the surgery. There may be some misconceptions about the surgery that are causing decisional conflict.
Stay positive.
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