Shoulder and elbow surgery in Droitwich

We rely on shoulders and elbows for countless movements, activities and functions each and every day. Whether we’re getting dressed, making a cup of tea or carrying in bags of food shopping from the car, our shoulders and elbows are involved in making these things possible.

Pain, stiffness or weakness in the shoulder or elbow can make many of our daily activities much more challenging, if not impossible.

Shoulder and elbow problems can affect all ages and may be caused by trauma (acute or chronic), inflammation or ‘wear and tear’ degeneration. Common symptoms include: 

• Pain and/or inflammation 
• Stiffness  
• Weakness  
• Feeling of instability or frequent dislocations 
• Pain at the end of the collarbone (clavicle)

If you have any type of problem in an elbow or shoulder, you’ll appreciate being able to access expert help as soon as possible. The Consultant Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons at The Droitwich Spa Hospital are highly experienced in treating the spectrum of shoulder and elbow complaints and have helped many people to get out of pain and back to better movement and function in their arm once again. They would be delighted to help you too.

Both the shoulder and elbow are incredibly complex structures, providing a great deal of movement, function and strength to the upper limb. Unfortunately, they are also prone to injury or damage.  

Some of the shoulder an elbow complaints and conditions frequently seen by the Consultants at The Droitwich Spa Hospital include: 

• Osteoarthritis – a degenerative condition, causing pain and stiffness in the joint(s). Non-surgical treatments are often able to manage the symptoms in the earlier stages of the disease, but when it is more severe, joint replacement surgery may be needed.  
• Sports injuries – very common and can vary from milder sprains and bumps through to a fracture or dislocation. Acute trauma is usually treated by the NHS in A&E.  
• Frozen shoulder – a common condition that can occur for no obvious reason. Causes pain and stiffness in the shoulder.  
• Rotator cuff injury/tendon tear – the rotator cuff is a collection of tendons and muscles around the shoulder joint that help to hold in securely in position. A tear in the rotator cuff can be very painful and people will often try to avoid using their arm as much as possible.  
• Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow – caused by overusing the muscles involved in twisting motions (Tennis Elbow) or by overusing the muscles involved in gripping movement (Golfer’s Elbow). 
• Frequent shoulder dislocation – a shoulder dislocation is normally treated through A&E, where the joint will be moved back into its normal position. However, problems may continue and a shoulder that has dislocated once is more likely to dislocate again in the future.  
• Bursitis - inflammation of a fluid-filled sac (bursa) in your elbow or shoulder. 
• Bicep tendon rupture – causes a sharp pain at the shoulder or elbow. 

Whatever problem you’re experiencing in your shoulder or elbow, whether it has only recently developed or has been getting progressively worse over many months, our experienced Consultant Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons can provide you with the help you need.

When you first meet with your Consultant, they will take a clinical history and ask you about your symptoms. They will want to know things like:

• What symptoms you have and when they started 
• Whether there was an obvious reason for your symptom (for example, a fall onto your shoulder)  
• If any particular movements make your symptoms worse  
• Whether you have any numbness or weakness in your hand or fingers 
• Whether you’ve had any type of treatment already, such as physiotherapy 
  They will carry out a physical examination of your upper limb, checking range of motion, strength and function. 

Due to the complex anatomy of the shoulder and elbow, additional investigations may be needed to confirm a diagnosis. Often, a plain X-ray will be all that’s needed, and this can show any abnormalities in the bones. For other conditions, such as a possible rotator cuff tear, an Ultrasound or MRI scan may be arranged as these are better at showing soft tissues.

The comprehensive diagnostic capabilities at The Droitwich Spa include MRI, CT, Ultrasound and X-ray, so these can be easily arranged if you require them. On-site radiologists (doctors who are trained to interpret diagnostic images) help ensure results from these investigations are delivered promptly.

Your Consultant will talk through the results of any investigations with you and discuss suitable treatment options. If you have any questions or concerns, they will be very happy to talk these through with you.

It can be reassuring to know that many shoulder and elbow problems can be successfully managed with non-surgical treatments. These include: 

• 'Watchful waiting'
• Physiotherapy 
• Pain relief medication 
• Steroid Injections

If non-surgical treatments aren’t able to relieve your symptoms, surgery may be advised.

Rotator cuff tears will often need keyhole surgery to repair.

A frozen shoulder will resolve itself naturally, but this may take many months. Physiotherapy and steroid injections into the joint can help ease symptoms for many people. However, some people will have particularly bad pain or stiffness that doesn’t respond to these treatments. In these cases, a keyhole surgical release may be carried out.

Where osteoarthritis in the shoulder is bad enough to limit mobility, shoulder replacement surgery, where the worn, damaged joint is replaced with a new artificial one (a prosthesis) can be a particularly good operation. There are different ways this operation can be done, and your Consultant will use the best option for your particular shoulder.

Whatever treatment you require for your particular condition is easily arranged for you at The Droitwich Spa. Treatment will be tailored to your specific requirements to ensure you see the best results.

Many of our patients are from Droitwich Spa and the surrounding areas, but others travel from further afield to benefit from the expertise of our Shoulder and Elbow Consultants.

People are referred to us by their GP, physiotherapist, osteopath or private health insurance provider, while others have been recommended to us by a friend or family member.

We treat people with private medical insurance and self-pay patients.

When you visit The Droitwich Spa Hospital for your shoulder or elbow treatment, you will benefit from:

Access to an expert, ASAP – If your symptoms have lasted more than a few weeks, are particularly severe or are interfering with daily life, you’ll want to get help quickly. At The Droitwich Spa, your Consultant will thoroughly investigate the cause(s) of your symptoms and arrange any treatment required for you as soon as possible.

Fast turnaround of diagnostic tests – on-site radiologists provide prompt reporting of diagnostic scans. With the results back with your Consultant sooner, diagnosis and treatment can be planned at an earlier stage.

Convenient appointments – appointments are available throughout the week, so it is easy to book a time that’s convenient for you. For your convenience, bookings can be made online or by telephone.

An experienced team – your Consultant is supported in their work by a multidisciplinary team including radiologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and nurses. With input from experts in other specialities when required, you will be well looked after at every stage of your treatment and recovery.

Superb aftercare – Physiotherapy can be incredibly beneficial for a number of shoulder and elbow conditions. We have an extremely experienced team who will oversee your recovery from any surgery, helping you to regain function, movement and strength in your arm and shoulder again safely and at a sensible pace.

Recommended by patients– In an independent survey, 95.7% of people we treated said they were likely or highly likely to recommend us to their friends and family.

Book your appointment with us today.