From Shoulder Pain to Orthopedic Triumph: The Amy Bartley Story

Amy Bartley's orthopedic journey started with shoulder pain that constantly interfered with her lifestyle. Amy, a Pre-K speech therapist for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, found herself struggling with this shoulder pain that seemed to not go away so she turned to OrthoCarolina for help.

Seven Years of Ongoing Shoulder Pain

Seven years ago, Amy and her husband moved into a new house. When they finished unpacking, Amy hung up the final hanger in the closet. Suddenly, the clothing rack broke. It fell, bringing all the clothes down onto her shoulder.

Amy went to the doctor who said she had no broken bones and her shoulder would heal naturally. But every time she started feeling better and would work out, the pain came back. Then, another expert recommended a cortisone shot. This helped with the pain for about half a year. Yet, when the pain returned, each new shot was less effective than the last. She decided that she needed new evaluations and ended up going to the OrthoCarolina Sports Medicine Center, drawn by its proximity to her home and past positive experiences.

Discovering Hope with OrthoCarolina

During her initial visit, Amy was impressed by the OrthoCarolina care. She first met with Margaret Lynch, PA-C, who was the first person to want to figure out why Amy was hurting instead of just using a quick fix. This was a surprising and positive change for Amy compared to her past doctor visits. Margaret offered her multiple treatment options and helped her figure out what would be best.

At OrthoCarolina, PAs and doctors work together to give top-notch orthopedic care. They team up with physicians to perform evaluations, assist in surgeries, and develop treatment plans tailored to each patient's needs. This team method ensures patients get expert care at every part of their OrthoCarolina journey.

They decided to start with PT however, after her second set of PT treatments, it was not getting better so Amy decided surgery was her best option for a full recovery. An MRI revealed inflammation in her bicep tendon and bone spurs on her collarbone.

“Prior to the surgery, I struggled with basically anything that involved reaching my right arm," Amy said in an inclusive interview with OrthoCarolina.

A Surgical Solution With Minimally Invasive Arthroscopic Procedure

Dr. Dana Piasecki performed the minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery. In this procedure, 'arthroscopic' refers to the utilization of microscopic cameras through tiny incisions to repair her bicep and remove the bone spurs.

As Dr. Piasecki stated, "Amy is a trooper" and her determination and positive attitude showed as she started the post-surgery rehabilitation process and PT with OrthoCarolina, Physical Therapist Katie Lloyd.

6 Weeks Post-Shoulder Surgery

Just six weeks out of surgery, she was already able to lift her shoulder above her head with ease, something she had not been able to do comfortably in seven years.

Dr. Piasecki wants all patients to get back to where their life was before the surgery. He wants the patients back to their baseline like there wasn’t even surgery.

“After my surgery, even though it hasn’t been that long, I can do things that I wasn’t able to do before and the progress of the recovery has been a lot faster than I anticipated," Amy says.

Amy's Return to Active Living with OrthoCarolina

As Amy is nearing the end of her post-surgery PT, she is starting to get back into workout classes and is feeling better than she has in almost a decade.

"I would recommend OrthoCarolina if anyone had any kind of orthopedic injury, I have been here for several different joints and always have a positive experience."- Amy Bartley

Watch Amy's Full Interview

Watch our exclusive video interview to learn more about Amy Bartley's experience. Listen as she shares her story of undergoing shoulder surgery and her path to recovery without pain.

If you're experiencing pain and would like to visit an OrthoCarolina location near you, click here to schedule an appointment.