headed toward a shoulder replacement...

[hermetic]

and of course stay away from non-scientific alternative therapists.

Excellent advice except for this. There are some very beneficial alternative therapies out there that work.

 

[Bare Bass]

If you go to a shoemaker he'll find holes in your shoes, if you go to a psychiatrist he'll find holes in your head. You need to have an involvement in your care, otherwise you'll get filled with pills and other stuff with a ton of side effects.

I think that's true, we all have a professional biases, but my primary doc is quite happy that I'm able to maintain good blood pressure and chlorestoral levels with regular exercise and diet. And all three of the orthos I saw about my degenerative meniscus tissue issue recommended surgery to treat pain only. As my pain dissipated once I quit running, none of them saw a need for surgery (this is of course specific to my case). So there are some conservative docs out there relatively uncorupted by Big Pharma and the medical industry. I think for honest/unbiased docs, sometimes pills/surgery are prescribed because they know the patient is incapable of getting more involved in their own care/health. In other cases, say an aneurysm, it may be the only thing that works, regardless of lifestyle.

 

[mjmeche]

Doing PT and whatever else they give you will go a long way. Don't wait just get it over with.

 

[Ewo]

Hey, thanks everybody for your thoughts on this. I gotta ponder it a bit more, but I'm leaning toward having the replacement done. I very much appreciate your suggestions of alternatives, and advice for the post-op rehab.

Here's what got me going in that direction:

1. Family history of debilitating arthritis.
2. Several diagnoses, by different docs, that the joint was worn out, going back a couple years.
3. Long use (continuing) of glucosamine/chondrointin joint supplement.
4. Failure of a known rehab program (Robin McKenzie's) to help the joint.
5. A decent habit of exercising.
6. Recent increase in pain, decrease in mobility, decrease in strength, and a grinding sensation in the joint if I try to lift anything much heavier than a coffee cup.

Thanks again, all, for helping me think this through. TB rules.