Specialties

Not always caused by playing the condition’s namesake sport, tennis elbow develops from repeated overexertion in motions involving the bending and straightening of the arm. Pain and tenderness stems from the lateral epicondyle, meaning the side of the elbow facing away from the body.

A similar diagnosis to the sister condition listed above, golfer’s elbow can be caused by a number of non-sports related activities. Pain and tenderness stems from the medial epicondyle, meaning the side of the elbow facing inward toward the body. Extending the arm and gripping objects with any pressure can cause pain when this part of the elbow is inflamed or torn.

The carpal tunnel or carpal canal is a passage way from the forearm to the palm of the hand that houses several tendons as well as the median nerve. Fluid buildup, broken bones, obesity, tumors, aging, repeated wrist and hand movements, and arthritis can all put pressure on the median nerve and reduce space in the canal needed for regular movement. Symptoms include numbness, wrist and forearm pain, tingling similar to the hand “falling asleep,” and finger stiffness in the morning.

Also known as stenosing tenosynovitis, this condition creates a tension that holds the finger in a bent position until exertion snaps it into a straightened position. This is often painful and is caused by a sheath that surrounds the tendon narrowing and restricting the tendon’s movement. Treatments include corticosteroid injection and surgical remedy.

A surgical solution rather than a condition, knee arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows join tissue to heal properly. The orthopedic surgeon uses a small tubed camera to see inside the joint and diagnose the damage. The doctor will then use specialized tools to scrape or remove the torn or otherwise damaged ligaments, menisci, or cartilage. This procedure can also be used on different joints on the body such as the shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle, hip, or foot.

Like many musculoskeletal injuries, shoulder conditions can come about as a result of athletic activity, strenuous manual labor, or simply a progressive deterioration over time. It is important to learn proper form when doing shoulder intensive activities. Motions where the arm goes above your head are generally prone to shoulder overexertion. Examples of these activities include throwing a baseball, serving a tennis ball, lifting boxes up onto shelves, shoulder press exercises, and bench press weight training exercises.

Feeling like your shoulder can easily fall out of the socket and an inability to raise the arm out to the side or to the front without considerable pain are both symptoms of rotator cuff injury. Pain often stems from the upper shoulder area and shoots down the arm toward the elbow. Lastly, difficulty sleeping at night due to pain when lying on your side is evidence of shoulder injury.

Shoulder and rotator cuff surgery is an outpatient procedure allowing you to return home the same day as surgery. Dr. Shaia uses arthroscopic tools and small incisions to repair torn tendon and connect it back to the bone.

You must immobilize the shoulder for 4 – 6 weeks after surgery in order to allow the tendon to heal back to the bone. If the tendon is not torn but just inflamed, the period of immobilization is just a couple of days. Full recovery usually requires about 4 to 5 months for tendon tears and 3 months for inflamed tendons. Physical therapy is usually required after surgery.

Detailed post-operative instructions can be seen on our patient education page.

Pain stems from the eroding of the cartilage and meniscus in the knee. When these parts are full and healthy, the leg bones can bend at the joint with a sufficient cushion to absorb impact and facilitate the movement. When they break down, the bones can rub together or rotate against torn and inflamed connective tissue. Knee replacement creates a new joint by attaching inserts on the ends of both the femur and tibia in the leg. The components glide along a plastic spacer instead of bone ends rubbing along worn or damaged cartilage. Dr. Shaia specializes in this kind of procedure and can help you understand which level of treatment is appropriate for you, be it conservative or surgical.

It is best to spend three weeks taking it easy, and allowing the muscles and tissues surrounding the new joint to heal and strengthen. Many patients experience pain free movement very quickly after surgery, but it takes time to easily perform weight bearing movements such as walking stairs. Patients are typically back to a full and active lifestyle in 2 to 3 months. Always follow your physician’s instructions for the recovery period, as they may be specific to your particular severity of condition.

A surgical solution rather than a condition, knee arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows joint tissue to heal properly. The orthopedic surgeon uses a small camera to see inside the joint and confirm the pathology. Dr. Shaia will then use specialized tools to scrape, remove, or repair the torn or otherwise damaged ligaments, menisci, or cartilage. This procedure can also be used on different joints of the body such as the shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle, hip, or foot.Detailed post-operative instructions can be seen on our patient education page.

After it has been assessed that symptoms are no longer responding to conservative treatment, hip replacement is the final surgical solution to returning someone to their active and productive lifestyle. This procedure creates a new joint by attaching inserts to the top of the femur and bottom of the pelvis where the leg meets the hip. The new ball and socket move and rotate against a plastic spacer instead of the bones rubbing against thinned or damaged cartilage. Dr. Shaia specializes in this type of surgical procedure and work with you to determine whether or not conservative treatment options have been exhausted, bringing you to the point of hip replacement surgery.

Upon arriving at the hospital on the day of surgery, you will be prepped for the approximately hour long procedure and anesthetized. Doctor Harry Shaia will remove the arthritis and implant a metal ball and shell for the hip joint.

You will perform light physical therapy after the surgery once that day and twice each of the next 2 or 3 days until being released from the hospital. The connective tissues will need time to heal and strengthen, but patients can often quickly feel relief from the chronic joint pain that plagued the inflamed joint before surgery.

Always follow the orthopedic surgeon’s instructions for your particular recovery circumstances, but most patients are recommended to take it easy for three weeks after the operation. Continuing with rest and light physical therapy allows the connective tissue to heal, strengthen, and begin to work seamlessly with the prosthetic joint. This period of rest and light activity is a small road bump in your return to an active and pain free lifestyle for years to come. Patients are normally completely healed and experience a strong, full range of motion in 2 to 3 months.

Detailed post-operative instructions can be seen on our patient education page.