Tom Willemann Health Tips

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Avoid Rotator Cuff Surgery with Physical Therapy

Avoid Rotator Cuff Surgery with Physical Therapy

Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint made up of three dominant bones—the humerus, clavicle and scapula. The rotator cuff consists of a group of four tendons and associated muscles that collectively work to keep the arm bone within the socket of your shoulder bladewhile allowing your arm to raise and rotate. Although damage to the rotatorContinue Reading »

Rotator Cuff Surgery for the Second Time

Rotator Cuff Surgery for the Second Time

If you have already gone through rotator cuff surgery, the last thing you want to think about is doing it all over again. Unfortunately, many patients do suffer tears of the same tendons that caused them to need surgery in the first place. Most of the time, this is not the surgeon’s fault, nor doesContinue Reading »

How to pick a Great Orthopedist

How to pick a Great Orthopedist

I recently talked to friend of mine about choosing a surgeon for his upcoming total hip replacement.  Which doctor is best to perform his hip replacement?  Often we choose surgeons based on a vague reputation or advice of a friend.   A true gauge is hard to come by.  Here are a few words of advice:Continue Reading »

“Filling” the Gap After Rotator Cuff Surgery

 You may hear the term “fatty infiltration” for the first time when you see a physician about a rotator cuff injury. After you tear the tendon in your shoulder, a large gap remains between the tendon and the bones, keeping the shoulder muscle from performing its usual actions of shortening and lengthening. The body attemptsContinue Reading »

Strengthening the Rotator Cuff After Fatty Infiltration

Strengthening the Rotator Cuff After Fatty Infiltration

When rotator cuff surgery is needed, the surgeon has to take into consideration whether or not fatty infiltration has occurred. Ideally, the surgeon can perform the surgery at an early enough stage—before fatty infiltration becomes an issue. What is fatty infiltration? Sometimes, when the rotator cuff tendons have significantly pulled away from the bone whereContinue Reading »