Bullet wound: damage to nerves and muscles, suggestions for Posted: 09-11-06 02:30am
I am a 24 year old female who was recently
shot in the right shoulder ( for no reason
and unexpected mind you)..that happened
about 2 months ago. The bullet had entered
from the back of my shoulder and exited
out the front. From what I understand,the
impact of the blast shot off a piece of my
rotator cuff,well,as the doc put it "it
turned to dust",as well as tearing
tendon,muscle,and nerve. I am in physical
therapy for now to try and get a little
movement and break up the scar tissue. As
of now,I can't even lift my arm to put up
my hair or reach for things. The doc is
hoping that the nerve will rejuvinate. My
question is, with your expierence, do you
think there may be a possibility of a
shoulder replacement? and what would you
suggest for the pain?
According to your description (fire-shot
wound of the right shoulder) you have
suffered severe damage to the right
shoulder. You will need much more than 2
months for recovery. The nerves themselves
require 6 months for regeneration.
Permanent anatomic and functional damages
of the shoulder are also possible. A
shoulder joint replacement can solve the
bone damages but can’t fix damages to
the nerves and muscles. You can wait to
see the results from physical therapy and
nerve regeneration. If the condition
remains intolerable you can consult an
orthopedist about shoulder joint
replacement. In the mea time you might
request a prescription for painkillers
(aspirin, ketoprofen, diclofenak,
ibuprofen etc.) to help manage the pain.
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