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C. Lucas Myerson, MD · Shoulder & Elbow Surgery. · Lenox Hill Hospital What happens in your legs doesn't stay in your legs — and if you're heading into shoulder surgery, or trying to avoid it, this matters more than most people realize. Every week I see patients in clinic who have spent years training their chest, shoulders, and arms, and comparatively little time on their lower body. They're often surprised when I tell them that their leg training (or lack of it) is re

By Dr. C. Lucas Myerson, MD — Shoulder & Elbow Surgery, Northwell Health / Lenox Hill Hospital It comes up at almost every pre-operative appointment: When can I drive? For patients who commute, run errands, take care of family, or simply value their independence, this question isn't a minor logistical footnote, it's one of the first milestones they're counting on. The good news is that most patients return to driving well before the two-month mark. The better news is that new

By Dr. C. Lucas Myerson, MD — Shoulder & Elbow Surgery, Northwell Health / Lenox Hill Hospital Sleep is one of the most common complaints I hear from patients in the first weeks after shoulder surgery. You're exhausted, uncomfortable, and every time you drift off, the wrong movement wakes you up. It's frustrating, and it's nearly universal. The good news is that most patients do find their rhythm after a few weeks. The better news is that there are concrete strategies that ca

Every week, a patient asks me about supplements. Collagen, creatine, BPC-157, protein shakes. Here's the evidence-based answer organized by what actually works, what's promising, and what's hype. As a shoulder and elbow surgeon, I spend a lot of time thinking about what happens to tissue after surgery. My job in the operating room is to repair what's torn or damaged. But what happens over the next six to twelve months while that tissue heals, remodels, and regains its strengt

Everyone asks me what they should be doing at the gym to protect their shoulders. Here's the honest answer, and it probably looks nothing like your current routine. The muscles that actually keep your shoulder healthy aren't the glamorous ones. They're not the ones that fill out a t-shirt. They're three groups most people completely ignore: the rotator cuff, the serratus anterior, and the lower trapezius. Understanding why these muscles matter (and how to train them) is the f

A stiffening shoulder. An elbow that aches with everyday tasks. You might be blaming your desk, your sleep position, or just getting older, but there's a well-studied physiological explanation that not enough women hear about. As a shoulder and elbow surgeon, one of the most consistent patterns I see in my practice is this: women in their late 40s and 50s begin experiencing joint problems that don't trace back to a specific injury. Frozen shoulder. Rotator cuff pain. Tennis e

A patient's guide to understanding why these procedures are performed, how they are done, and what recovery looks like. Why is surgery on the biceps tendon needed? The long head of the biceps (LHB) is a tendon that originates inside the shoulder joint, attaches to the top of the socket (the labrum), and travels through a narrow groove in the front of the humerus before connecting to the biceps muscle. Because of its location, it is one of the most commonly injured tendons in

A science-based guide to shoulder tendinitis & bursitis— what's happening inside your shoulder, and why the steps to recovery can't be skipped. Section 01 — What's Actually Happening in Your Shoulder Pathoanatomy of rotator cuff tendinitis & subacromial bursitis Your shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, and that mobility comes at a cost. The rotator cuff, a group of four muscles and their tendons, keeps your humeral head centered in the socket while generating and t

A Practical Framework for Understanding Posterolateral Rotatory Instability (PLRI) and Varus Posteromedial Rotatory Instability (VPMRI) — from stabilizer anatomy and injury mechanism to diagnosis and surgical decision-making. Elbow instability is one of the more under-appreciated problems in upper extremity surgery. It tends to present atypically, get misdiagnosed, and when treated incorrectly, leads to persistent pain and mechanical symptoms that can be difficult to salvage.

A Practical Framework for Deciding Between Nonoperative Management, Arthroscopic Bankart Repair and Bone Block Procedures Anterior shoulder instability is one of the most common problems I see in young, active patients, and is perhaps also one of the most nuanced to treat. The decision between physical therapy, a soft tissue repair, and a bone block procedure is not one-size-fits-all. This post walks through the framework I use to make that call, organized around three questi

A Practical Framework for Deciding Between Nonoperative Management, ORIF, and Arthroplasty Proximal humerus fractures are one of the most common injuries I see, particularly in older adults after a fall. Despite how frequently these fractures occur (accounting for roughly 5–6% of all adult fractures and nearly 10% of fractures in patients over 65) they remain among the most debated injuries in orthopedic surgery. The question of whether to operate, and if so, whether to fix t

What is the goal of an injection? The goal of any injection is to improve symptoms. Some injections focus on reducing inflammation and pain , while others aim to support healing over time . None of these injections “fix” structural problems such as large tendon tears, instability, or advanced arthritis, but they can play a role in symptom management and recovery. Cortisone Injections What is a cortisone injection used for? Cortisone is used to reduce inflammation-driven pain.

Introduction Shoulder surgery can help with pain and movement, but recovery takes time. Knowing what to expect after surgery can make the...

Introduction The rotator cuff is a group of tendons in your shoulder that help you lift and rotate your arm. When one or more of these...

Introduction If you have shoulder pain that does not get better with medicine, shots, or therapy, surgery may help. One option is called...

Introduction If your shoulder has dislocated more than once, surgery may be the best way to keep it stable and get you back in the game....

Introduction If you have shoulder or elbow pain, you may have heard about PRP. But what is it, and does it work? PRP stands for...