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How do you treat a frozen shoulder? Most frozen shoulders get better without surgery, although the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons notes that recovery may take up to 3 years. The treatment with the best evidence is a steroid injection into the shoulder joint...

Is stem cell treatment covered by insurance? Usually not. Medicare and private insurers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, pay for stem cell transplants for certain blood and bone marrow conditions, but they treat stem cell injections for joint, back or tendon...

What are the most common elbow injuries, and how are they treated? Most elbow pain comes from overuse of the tendons: tennis elbow on the outside and golfer's elbow on the inside. Then come ligament injuries in throwing athletes, tears of the biceps tendon at the...

Can a torn ACL heal on its own? A partial tear in a stable knee often settles with physical therapy, and recent studies show that some complete ruptures regain continuity on MRI without surgery. But a completely torn ACL does not heal reliably, and if your knee keeps...

Will a rotator cuff tear heal on its own? There is little evidence that a torn tendon reattaches to the bone by itself (studies that re-scan tears mostly find them stable or larger), but that does not mean you need surgery. Many people, especially with partial or...

Can a meniscus tear heal without surgery? Sometimes, and it depends mostly on where the tear is. Tears in the outer third of the meniscus, the "red zone" with a rich blood supply, may heal on their own, while tears in the inner two-thirds lack blood flow and cannot...

What is the best country to get stem cell therapy? There is no single best country. The best choice is a clinic that works within its country's rules, can document how its cells are processed, has a physician review your case before you pay, and says plainly that the...

Is there an alternative to spinal fusion? Often there is, but it depends on why fusion was recommended. For chronic low back pain from worn discs without instability, a randomized trial found fusion was not clearly better than intensive rehabilitation, and for spinal...