Medical experts have reported that if you think you may have developed Postarthroscopic glenohumeral chondrolysis, (PAGCL), a painful condition caused by the deterioration of cartilage (a dense connective tissue that, among other things, allows movement in joints) around the shoulder area, there are several things you should do. Here’s what they recommend:

See your doctor

While this is always the obligatory first step and fairly obvious to most, it’s important to see your doctor right away as he or she can take an x-ray to determine how much, if any, cartilage has deteriorated in your shoulder. From there, your doctor can recommend whether prescribing anti-inflammatory medications will help or if further surgery is a viable option.

In some cases, patients must undergo a procedure known as arthoplasty which reconstructs the shoulder using metal and plastic parts to replace the damaged shoulder joint. However, this option is obviously major surgery and may require a great deal of recovery time.

Understand your symptoms

As any medical professional will tell you, shoulder pain can be the result of a variety of factors including bursitis, arthritis, rotator cuff tear, tendonitis – and the list goes on and on. To determine if you have PAGCL, consider whether you have any of these symptoms:

• Shoulder pain whether in motion or at rest
• A narrowing of the joint space in the shoulder area (which will be detected on an x-ray)
• Clicking, popping or grinding of the shoulder (called Crepitus)
• Shoulder stiffness or weakness
• Decreased range of motion

Medical experts who understand PAGCL say that these symptoms generally occur between three months to a year after someone has had shoulder surgery and used a pain pump directly afterwards to manage the pain during recovery.

Seek counsel

If you have developed PAGCL after using a pain pump, you should know that manufacturers have known about this problem for several years, but have done little to correct it. Two major studies, one done by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons in 2006 and another by Dr. Charles Beck published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine in October 2007 both concluded that pain pumps may be directly related to PAGCL. Many lawsuits have already been filed against the manufacturers and legal experts say that many more will likely follow. To contact an attorney who specializes in pain pump issues, click here.