For Dislocated Shoulder, Just Say No To Surgery

Yes, shoulder dislocations hurt. So does recovery from the surgery that often follows dislocations. Now comes a study from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto suggesting that surgery can do more harm than good, by prolonging the recovery period from a shoulder dislocation. Researchers at the hospital studied the progress of 83 patients who suffered moderate or severe shoulder dislocations. Some patients received either plate-and-screws surgery followed by rehabilitation and others had non-surgical treatment with sling and rehabilitation. Ready? the envelope please….The non-surgical patients showed greater mobility than the surgical patients at follow-up sessions six weeks and three months after their injury. There were no significant differences between the groups at six months, one year or two years after their injury. But wait, there’s more. A St. Michael’s Hospital news release reports that of the 40 patients who received surgery, seven experienced major complications such as a loose plate or a deep wound infection. Seven more experienced minor complications such as a minor infection or numbness at the point of the incision. In the non-surgical group of 43 patients, there were only two major complications and both were a result of repeat falls that further injured the AC joint.