We'd love to hear from you. Whether you have questions, want to book a consultation or have been referred, use the contact options below to get in touch.
Me and my team are dedicated to helping patients with shoulder and elbow problems find the right treatment, whether that’s through specialist surgery or non-surgical care. Booking an appointment is simple and gives us the chance to discuss your symptoms and the best options for your recovery.
One Welbeck, King Edward Vii's Hospital and the Hospital of St John and Elizabeth.
Remote consultations can be arranged if necessary.
Mr Baring has clinics Monday to Thursday every week.
Children under the age of 13 are seen at the Hospital of St John and Elizabeth's only, children over 13 years old can be seen at One Welbeck.
There are many causes of shoulder pain, both intrinsic to the shoulder but also referred from other parts of the body, e.g. neck and heart. There are about five common pathologies seen in the shoulder from damage to ligaments, calcium deposits, frozen shoulders, rotator cuff tendon damage and osteoarthritis (wear and tear), and this tends to change with age Young adults tend to suffer from ligament damage which may be sports related, in the elderly population we tend to see tendon problems and arthritis.
This is a common condition seem typically between the ages of 45 and 55, occurring slightly more in women. It is scarring up and stiffening of the deepest layer of tissue in the shoulder – the capsule. It mainly comes on randomly but can be triggered by either trauma or surgery. We know there is a strong genetic component and more recently we have identified a gene associated with it which increases the risk of developing it. It causes a restriction in range of movement and considerable pain, especially at night. Thankfully it is a benign, self limiting condition which, in most cases, responds well to active treatment.
As a rule tendon start to degenerate from the age of about 40. The speed at which this occurs is highly variable between people depending on subtle differences in genetic make up. it is less to do with occupation or activities, but we do know that remaining active and regularly exercising has a protective effect. Usually tendons degenerate to the point they are weak enough to tear spontaneously – it is less common that tendon damage is caused by direct trauma. The size of the tear, age of the patient and activity level will determine treatment, but in many cases tears do not need surgical repair.
Like any joint in the body the shoulder has the ability to wear out overtime – essentially this is thinning of the articular cartilage (very smooth surface covering the bones), which leads to increased friction and inflammation. As the condition progresses new bits of bone form round the side of the joint (osteophytes) which start to limit the movement of the shoulder. Often the condition can be treated with steroid injections but ultimately advanced arthritis may need a shoulder replacement.
This is highly variable depending on what sort of surgery but a minor procedure such as shaving away a bone spur or removing inflammatory tissue can take a few weeks. More complex procedures like rotator cuff repairs and shoulder replacements can take between six and nine months.
