Retired Engineer Obtains 100 Percent Relief from Pain After Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery
Barbara teaching her great-grandson how to use a computer.
Barbara Miller is an 83-year-old mother of four, grandmother to seven, and great-grandmother to three children. She is originally from El Paso, Texas, but has lived in Arizona for over 40 years. Barbara, now retired, enjoyed a full career as a Honeywell software engineer and before that was a college professor of math and computer sciences.
Many years of progressive arthritis and shoulder pain led Barbara to reach out to Dr. Brian Gruber, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Integrated Orthopedics. She has recently undergone a total shoulder replacement surgery to alleviate the pain in her right shoulder and is thrilled with her results!
Barbara’s Story Before Her Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery
Over the course of five years, Barbara began noticing an increase in pain in both shoulders, with her right shoulder being most affected. She had visited several specialists, including a pain center to help manage her pain. To temporarily relieve the pain in her right shoulder, she was forced to take strong pain medications. In addition to the medications, she tried nerve-blocking procedures, or injections, in her right shoulder that block the pain from specific nerves.
Looking for a more effective and permanent solution, Barbara decided to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gruber, who came highly recommended by her other doctors.
Barbara’s Visit with Dr. Gruber and Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery
In October 2018, Barbara met with Dr. Gruber. She explained her concerns to Dr. Gruber and shared with him all the previous treatment methods she’d tried to remedy her pain.
“During my appointment, Dr. Gruber was both very gentle and thorough in his explanations, which I greatly appreciated,” shared Barbara.
An x-ray revealed the severity of damage to her shoulder. Barbara and Dr. Gruber discussed options and decided it would be best for her to have a total shoulder replacement surgery.
Barbara’s Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery & Recovery
In January 2019, Barbara had a total shoulder replacement surgery. After surgery, Barbara spent three days in the hospital recovering. In addition, she completed one month of rehabilitation, before being sent to physical therapy (PT) for two months. Barbara chose to enroll in Integrated Orthopedics’ PT program, which she recently completed in April.
“I’m no longer on any pain medications and am now 100 percent pain-free,” she shared with great enthusiasm. “I’ve gotten my mobility back!”
In addition, she reports having a better range of motion than she ever thought was possible. In fact, she’s so happy with her outcome, that she’s considering having the same procedure done on her left shoulder soon with Dr. Gruber!
Barbara is forever grateful for Dr. Gruber and the PT team. She urges others looking for an orthopedic surgeon to go visit Dr. Gruber, whom she says is the “best surgeon!”
Barbara Miller pictured with her three granddaughters.