THE EFFECT OF MEDICAL EXERCISE THERAPY ON A PATIENT WITH CHRONIC SUPRASPINATUS TENDINITIS - DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND - TISSUE REGENERATION - ACASE-STUDY

There is an increased focus on the importance of using active exercise regimes for treating dysfunction in the musculoskeletal system. Howev er, we have little exact knowledge on how to dose and grade exercises or the effect of exercise on the regeneration of low metabolic tissue structures in vivo. This case study deals with both topics and emphasi zes the use of exercise only when treating a 73-year-old patient with a 1-year history of shoulder pain. His evaluation indicated chronic su praspinatus syndrome. Different treatment methods had no effect, and m edical exercise therapy was tried as a last resort. The patient recove red after 2 1/2 months with four treatments per week. Diagnostic ultra sound taken before treatment and after a a 5 1/2-month period showed t hat the supraspinatus tendon had regenerated. These findings are encou raging, supporting the possibility of tendon repair with biomechanical stresses from exercise. To our knowledge, it has never been shown in vivo that it is possible for a low metabolic structure to regenerate u sing exercise only. Instead of having surgery with an uncertain outcom e, today the patient is free of symptoms and living a normal life enjo ying his sporting activities nearly 4 years after he finished the trea tment.