Exercise as good as surgery for shoulder injury

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study shows that graded exercise training works equally well as surgery in treating rotator cuff injury of the shoulder.
Arthroscopic decompression surgery is being used increasingly to treat a common shoulder problem called rotator cuff injury. However, evidence for the superiority of surgery is said to be unconvincing.

Doctors at Herning Hospital, Denmark, now present results of a comparison. A group of 41 patients with rotator cuff injury had surgery and 43 graded exercise training. After a one year follow-up, there were similar improvements in pain and functioning in the two groups. Larger studies are now needed to see if there are sub-groups of patients who might benefit more from surgery or from exercise so each individual can be assigned to the best treatment.

Source
Annals of Rheumatic Disease May 2005

Please take a moment to give us your comments. For questions about Health matters you may check our "Questions & Answers" Portal and Service.