{"id":9624,"date":"2023-08-14T17:16:21","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T00:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/?page_id=9624"},"modified":"2026-03-16T10:25:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T17:25:22","slug":"flexibility","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/about-samaritan\/together\/flexibility\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Flexibility Together"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

Busy Mom Finds Appreciation for Little Things<\/h1>\n\t\t\t
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\u201cI hoped my shoulder would heal on its own, but it didn\u2019t. It was time to do something about it.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

~Audrey DeKam<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Busy Mom Finds Appreciation for Little Things<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Audrey DeKam, a mother of two boys and a spunky golden retriever, life\u2019s simplest tasks were a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trouble started when she was cleaning and reorganizing a storage area in her Albany home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn January 2019, my shoulder began hurting very bad and eventually it locked up to where I couldn\u2019t move it,\u201d said DeKam. \u201cI dropped the project and left the storage area in disarray.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon, simple everyday activities like lifting cordless blinds, reaching for a plate in the cabinet and folding sheets were difficult. Sleeping was difficult, too, as the pain was non-stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DeKam suspected her painful, limiting condition was frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, as she\u2019d had frozen shoulder on her other shoulder seven years prior. Adhesive capsulitis is a painful, limiting condition that can sometimes resolve on its own.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI hoped my shoulder would heal on its own over time, like it had on my other side, but it didn\u2019t. After doing almost everything one-handed for a year, it was time to do something about it,\u201d said DeKam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DeKam sought help from Lauren Hansen, MD,<\/a> from Samaritan Medical Group Orthopedics \u2013 Albany<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many patients, DeKam hoped for a cure without surgery, so Dr. Hansen suggested an image-guided cortisone injection that goes directly into the joint capsule as a first step. After about a week it was clear the injection wasn\u2019t helping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was suspected that there were bands of scar tissue in the shoulder joint that would not go away without a different treatment, so DeKam and Dr. Hansen discussed other options.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI really appreciated the opportunity to decline any treatment option I wasn\u2019t comfortable with. Dr. Hansen was flexible when it came to me choosing what felt right for me.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

~Audrey DeKam<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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One of those options was manipulation under anesthesia or MUA (pronounced moo-ah).\u201cI liked the idea of it \u2013 a \u2018closed surgery\u2019 with no cutting,\u201d said DeKam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, if MUA doesn\u2019t work, Dr. Hansen would perform a laparoscopic clean-out of the scar tissue. DeKam, however, declined the second procedure and opted to try only the MUA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI did a lot of research before seeing Dr. Hansen, and I really appreciated the opportunity to respectfully decline any treatment option I wasn\u2019t comfortable with,\u201d she said. \u201cDr. Hansen was flexible when it came to me choosing what felt right for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The surgery took place on New Year\u2019s Eve \u2013 which DeKam called a fitting end to an entire year of not using her left arm.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cOn the day of my surgery, I felt more like a queen for a day than I did a patient,\u201d she said. \u201cI had my own nurse, who was amazing, and everyone at Samaritan Albany General Hospital was so nice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The non-invasive MUA procedure was a success. Dr. Hansen and her team were able to bring back the full range of motion in DeKam\u2019s left shoulder immediately after surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After returning home, DeKam delicately tried out her range of motion on her own after the nerve block wore off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was like, hallelujah! It worked,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DeKam completed approximately six weeks of physical therapy to gently build strength and ensure the joint didn\u2019t lose its newly regained agility \u2013 or range too far and create a new injury.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cLike so many others when it comes to joint surgeries, I find myself thinking that I only wish I\u2019d done it sooner!\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

~Audrey DeKam<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Her advice for others: Explore all your treatment options, and don\u2019t be afraid of surgery if you need it. She said, \u201cIf there are parts of any procedure that don\u2019t feel right for you, ask your doctor about alternatives. They are there to guide you in health care decisions that make sense for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLike so many others when it comes to joint surgeries, I find myself thinking that I only wish I\u2019d done it sooner,\u201d she said. \u201cIt feels great to be able to move my arm all around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can walk my dog, do my own hair, scratch my own back and put on a seat belt with my left arm,\u201d said DeKam. \u201cGoing to the bank\u2019s drive-up teller is not a problem now. You really miss the simple things when they\u2019ve been gone for a year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the storage area project, DeKam said, \u201cWell \u2026 I\u2019m getting to it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Frozen Shoulder Is Common in Middle-age <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If persistent shoulder pain is bothering you and your range of motion has decreased, you may have a frozen shoulder. Learn more about your options for treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn More<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Meet Dr. Hansen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lauren Hansen, MD,<\/a> explains how she became interested in orthopedic surgery and shares her approach to patient care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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