Been to see the consultant about my ongoing shoulder issues.
Had another round of steroid injections beginning of December and they've helped slightly but not a major improvement.
We've discussed other options with the nuclear option of basically chopping the end off my collar bone, grinding my shoulder joint to create more room and trimming some tendons......
The other option is the PRP injections - not something I'm familiar with, but sounds reasonable to give this ago before before surgery.
He did say they can cause more pain initially for upto 6-12 weeks (worse case), but unlike the steroids these injections aim to heal the damage instead of just managing the inflammation.
I've said I'll give them a go and see how it goes.
Anyone had them?
Experiences good and bad appreciated.
What's up with the shoulder. I've had an AC Joint decompression surgery on the left. Tried steroids first, didn't work for long.
Knackered/arthritic AC joint, worn tendons and basically messed up.....
Hane had steroids before and they've worked fairly well. But the last year it's gotten progressively worse again.
Last round of steroids hasn't helped massively - got more movement and less pain but still not great.
Have a read of this and ask your man lots of Qs about prepping the prp, and his experience. Quick scan of Pubmed the US library of medicine seems to suggest the jury is still out, esp for arthritis
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666639125001403
Ianad
I suspect your surgeon is going to inject the tendons with PRP, not the AC joint itself as it's usually the unhappy structures under the AC joint that generate most of pain.
Personally I think I would try it first......
I suspect your surgeon is going to inject the tendons with PRP, not the AC joint itself as it's usually the unhappy structures under the AC joint that generate most of pain.
Personally I think I would try it first......
Yes, he said about injecting into the tendons.
Sounds like orthopaedic “woo” to me. Ever since I was a junior orthopod, ~25 years ago, private surgeons have been offering supposed “cures” for osteoarthritis, which have been a) expensive and b) ineffective.
If it’s not available on the NHS, there’s usually a good reason.
Something that reverses the damage of osteoarthritis is the holy grail of orthopaedic medicine. Whoever discovers/perfects it will make an absolute fortune. But I very much doubt that this is it.
I’ve had this mentioned by a knee consultant, but in a “some people may suggest PRP injections, ignore them”. He suggested that there is some evidence that they help in a very small, specific type of cases but they are largely, at best, a sticking plaster. At worst they’re a waste of your/your insurance companies money and will put you in pain for 4 weeks with no benefit.
I’d like to hear a physiologically plausible mechanism of action for this, as I can’t think of one. As @kramer says it sounds like woo.
My shoulder had bone spurs so surgery was recommended after steroids didn't work. Trigger was getting hit by a car driver and landing on my shoulded.
That shoulder is good now. The other is a bag of spanners not but also has a large rotator cuff tear and bicep tendonitus. It's sore and regularly get pins and needles, but I am leaving it for now. Done the physio.
This platelet thing isn't something I was offered on NHS. Ideally you need to treat the cause but you can't win with arthritis. Ask if surgery would ease the problems. Mine took 18 months after surgery to be totally pain free.