Sue Cooper: Joint Pain Free
Every night at bedtime, Sue Cooper would try to find some way to alleviate the pain in her right shoulder. She would try to sleep with her shoulder and elbow propped up by pillows. She tried anti-inflammatories, usually unsuccessfully.
Every morning she would still wake up complaining about a fitful, painful night of sleep. She sometimes moved from the bed to a chair to sleep so there was less pressure on her shoulder.
She tried cortisone shots but they alleviated the pain only for a few weeks.
Her shoulder pain also was forcing changes in her lifestyle.
She couldn’t raise her arm above her chest. She was afraid to ride her bike and couldn’t swing a golf club. She couldn’t swim, and holding a fishing rod on an annual trip was painful. She couldn’t raise any weight, which made it difficult to complete some tasks at work. She couldn’t pick up grandchildren or play with them the way she had.
“I knew I had to do something. I couldn’t deal with the pain or the loss of feeling down my arm,’’ she explained. “There were so many things I couldn’t do that I wanted to do.’’
She was referred to Dr. Suleman Hussain, M.D., at ORA Orthopedics. One of his areas of surgical expertise is shoulder reconstruction. She was diagnosed with having arthritis and a bone spur on her shoulder joint. Joint replacement was suggested.
“One of the best decisions I’ve ever made was having shoulder replacement surgery,’’ she said. “The surgery at Genesis let me return to my life activities joint pain free.
“Everything … from the visits to ORA to the surgery at Genesis to the physical therapy at Genesis … was a positive experience. It all worked to let me get the life back I wanted.
“I can play with the grandkids again without worrying about pain and restricted motion in my shoulder.’’
The orthopedics unit and surgical center are features of a $150 million expansion and renovation of Genesis Medical Center, Davenport, East Rusholme Street. Comprehensive orthopedic services are available at the Joint Pain Institute at Genesis Orthopedic Hospital, including patient rooms and physical therapy on the floor to begin rehabilitation quickly after surgery.
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