OLBH Orthopedic Surgeon Offering New Technique
to Alleviate Shoulder Pain
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Michael Goodwin, M.D.
OLBH Orthopedic Surgeon
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The shoulder is the body’s most mobile joint. Unlike other joints in the
body, the shoulder is able to move through a complete 180-degree circle,
as well as extend at a 90-degree angle from the body. The “rotator”
cuff is a collective term for a group of four muscles and their associated
tendons that join together within the shoulder.
A healthy rotator cuff gives the shoulder strength, flexibility, and stability.
Rotator cuff injuries are common and painful, and may result from aging,
trauma, repetitive stress, or overexertion of a weakened shoulder muscle.
Michael Goodwin, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital,
is the only orthopedist in the Ashland area offering a new and unique technique
to repair rotator cuff tears. The procedure is called arthroscopic rotator
cuff repair, and is performed at the OLBH Same Day Surgery Center.
Arthroscopic surgery, or arthroscopy, is a primary tool of orthopedic surgery
and involves the use of a small fiber-optic viewing instrument – the
arthroscope, which projects images onto a monitor, allowing the surgeon
to look deep inside the joint and correct any injured areas.
“In the past, treatment of joint injuries, such as a rotator cuff
tear, involved extensive surgery including large incisions, a hospital stay,
and prolonged recovery periods,” Dr. Goodwin explained. “With
today’s technology and instrumentation, rotator cuff tears can often
be repaired with minimally invasive surgery. It begins with three small
incisions, each less than half an inch in length. This usually makes the
procedure less painful and the rehabilitation process faster. In fact, patients
can go home from the OLBH Same Day Surgery Center an hour or two following
surgery.”
Tears to the rotator cuff can occur in athletes due to overloading the tendons
from repetitive overhead arm movements, such as swimming, throwing a baseball,
or in football. “More commonly, rotator cuffs are due to natural aging,
which causes a gradual degeneration of the tendon,” Dr. Goodwin added.
A rotator cuff tear can be repaired arthroscopically by reattaching the
torn tendons to the bone. “Reattachment is achieved using absorbable
anchors that are eventually absorbed by the body after approximately two
months, once the tendons have healed,” Dr. Goodwin explained.
Dr. Goodwin performed arthroscopic rotator cuff repair on Geraldine McCleese,
of Garrison, Ky., in late January. McCleese states that she was “really
surprised” at the dramatic reduction in pain she experienced after
the surgery. “I really have no pain and my range of motion has definitely
improved,” McCleese said. “Before the surgery, I physically
had to lift my arm with the other arm. Dr. Goodwin is a wonderful doctor,
but I give God the credit. Dr. Goodwin prayed with me and my family before
the surgery. I believe God used him to heal me.” Dr. Goodwin also
believes in the power of prayer and healing and incorporated it into his
medical practice in 2000. “The reaction I’ve received when offering
prayer along with conventional medical techniques to my patients has been
unbelievably positive.”
For more information about arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, please contact
Dr. Goodwin’s office at (606) 836-1020.
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