Einstein shoulder and elbow specialists offer both surgical and non-surgical care. Many conditions require a combination of treatment methods, such as rest, medication and exercise. Click a link below to learn more.

Surgical Treatments

Non-surgical Treatments

Surgical Treatments

If your shoulder or elbow problem cannot be solved by non-surgical treatment, our expert surgeons can help. With years of training and vast expertise in the latest and most complex surgical techniques, our orthopedic surgeons can ease pain, restore function and get your back to your life. Click a link below to learn about some of the surgical options offered at Einstein.

• Arthroscopy
• Joint Replacement

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Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive operation. Using a teeny video camera and pencil-sized instruments inserted through small incisions, your surgeon can see inside your joint to diagnose and fix problems. Arthroscopy can help doctors diagnose and treat many problems including torn cartilage, torn ligaments and joint instability. It can also help doctors decide if joint replacement is a good option for you.

Joint replacement surgery can relieve pain and provide more strength and movement to the joint. During surgery, an orthopedic surgeon replaces all or part of the diseased joint (a ball and socket joint for shoulders, a hinge joint for elbows) with a prosthesis — an artificial joint made of metal and plastic. The operation takes about one and half to two hours. Recovery in the hospital takes between two to five days. People who have joint replacement surgery must have physical therapy to help them regain mobility and flexibility.

Non-surgical Treatments

Einstein’s shoulder and elbow experts will create a personal treatment plan for you that may combine several non-surgical approaches. Click a link below to learn more about non-surgical treatment options offered at Einstein.

• Exercise
• Immobilization
• Injections
• Medication
• Physical therapy
• Reduction
• R.I.C.E.
• Ultrasound

Exercise helps strengthen muscles and improves blood flow, which can speed healing.

Immobilization means limiting motion of a joint or injured part of the body. Slings, splints, casts or braces may be used to support a joint or fractured bone, relieve pain and prevent muscles from contracting too much. These devices are used to treat broken bones, dislocations, arthritis, tendon and ligament problems and other disorders.

Injections of medication around tendons and muscles can relieve pain and reduce inflammation.

Medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen can help reduce pain and inflammation. If these don’t relieve your pain, your doctor may try other more powerful medicines. For instance, corticosteroids are very powerful anti-inflammatory drugs usually given by injection.

Physical therapy consists of special exercises to help stretch and strengthen the muscles and to restore movement. It also helps improve flexibility. Einstein’s partnership with MossRehab gives our patients access to some of the world’s best diagnostic and rehabilitation resources.

Reduction is a procedure in which doctors put dislocated joints back into their sockets. It is usually followed by immobilization (placing the injured body part in a splint, sling or cast until it has healed).

R.I.C.E. stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. This is the best, immediate treatment for almost all sudden athletic injuries. Resting helps reduce swelling and bleeding. Ice helps reduce pain and inflammation by causing blood vessels to contract. Compression (wrapping an injury with a bandage) and elevation (keeping an injured limb above heart level) both help reduce swelling.

Ultrasound uses sound waves to apply deep heat to your body. The sound waves penetrate into tissues, raising the temperature. This rise increases blood flow, relaxes muscle spasms and speeds healing. Ultrasound is used to treat tendon, ligament and muscle injuries, contracture, and joint problems such as arthritis.

Reviewed for clinical accuracy by Jonathan C. Hersch, MD.