Teen Gymnast with Multiple Shoulder Dislocations Doing Well at 4 Months

A teen gymnast with multiple shoulder dislocations in her career has remarkably improved after having Regenerative therapy utilizing stem cell science with Dennis M. Lox M.D. She is now four months out of the Regenerative Medicine Stem Cell treatment to her shoulder.

Before treatment it got so bad she only had to throw her arm overhead, and her shoulder would dislocate out of the socket. Not good for teen gymnast with multiple shoulder dislocations under her belt seeking a college scholarship.

She now has no pain in her shoulder. And her shoulder movement is very good without any discomfort.

Sport Specific Protection

In order to keep her training and physically fit, we allowed certain gymnastic routines without any stress on that shoulder.

She worked with her coach and was spotted by him during routines to keep her from overextending that shoulder. Being spotted by her coach, allowed protection, and also the watchful eye of a coach who had dislocated his shoulder as well.

Her coach got the go ahead from Dr. Lox to keep her on this course. He is determined she can resume being part of the team, but not do overhead dismounts.

Weighing Risk Versus Benefit

A decision was made early on by the patient, her mother, Coach, and her doctors not to have shoulder surgery. There was a great chance with this type of surgery, she would not return to gymnastics.

The gymnast with multiple shoulder dislocations, for a total of three times, tore her shoulder capsule, glenoid labrum, and part of her rotator cuff. A very bad injury for a competitive gymnast.

Having decided on Dr. Lox for his experience with elite athletes, she opted for Regenerative Medicine Stem Cell science treatment.

For her the risk of surgery was too great, as her goal was to continue gymnastics at the high school level, and hopefully continue on to college participation.

Surgery would tighten the structures torn, but still not guarantee further dislocations, and tightening her up might restrict her to a greater degree, and also the recovery time would lose her last season of high school gymnastics. For her, this was not worth the risk.

What happens when surgery to the shoulder is not Successful?

Competitive athletes like gymnasts and baseball pitchers are highly dependent on the ability of the shoulder to handle great stresses, and rotate through extreme ranges of motion.

When this is lost, often the elite capability of athletic function decreases as well. This is easily seen and measured in baseball pitchers with labral and rotator cuff tears. Baseball pitchers are measured by radar guns assessing their fastball in miles per hour. If it drops so does their “value” as a pitcher. Sad but true.

Many professional baseball pitchers with 95 m.p.h. fastballs, who drop into the 80 m.p.h. range after shoulder surgery, unfortunately are out of a job.

Regenerative Medicine as an Alternative to Surgery

Regenerative Medicine as an alternative to surgery is becoming more popular as athletes are also aware of the statistics, and some just don’t want to be another casualty, and be replaced.

In a major league professional baseball study looking at shoulder surgery on the glenoid labrum, found only 1/3 returned to pitch in the major league.

Of that 1/3 the average duration of their post operative career was 100 innings pitched. Not long at all.

Now, there are always the exceptions.

Those who go on to have long superb careers. But the majority do not. Therefore some pitchers are looking at Regenerative Medicine as a first round treatment to surgery.

They can always elect to have surgery if the Regenerative Medicine treatment fails, but if they surgery and never get the speed back on their fastball, their career is done.

Dr. Lox has treated Many Elite Athletes

Having treated athletes with shoulder injuries form a variety of sports, Dr. Lox has the experience to discuss options with patients. After all it’s about getting the patient better, or in this case as good as you can get them with their goals as their measurement of success. This personalized individual approach is what sets Dr. Lox apart.