Dr. Patrick Denard explains when shoulder replacement makes sense. Chronic pain and lost range of motion that keeps you from work, self-care, or activities you love is the main reason. Surgery comes only after anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, and injections have failed.
So when is a shoulder replacement needed? Well, it's an individualized decision, but generally speaking, the number one driver for people to see me for shoulder conditions in general is lack of sleep. As you know, lack of sleep affects your mood, it leads to fatigue, and importantly, it affects your recovery and also your overall health. It's increasingly recognized that if you're not getting good sleep, this has a really big detriment on your overall health. So when is a shoulder replacement needed? Well, when conservative measures have not worked, things like anti-inflammatories, activity modifications, and physical therapy. We can also consider injections, but essentially it comes down to a decision where somebody is having a daily impact on their quality of life with limited range of motion and pain that is limiting their ability to either work or take care of themselves or do the things that they love.
