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Barb - In a message dated 97-04-21 20:36:15 EDT, you write, regarding shoulder pain: > >The last major flare was about 2 weeks ago, and my orthopedist has now >strongly urged me to have surgery to repair the torn rotator cuff in the >shoulder and to clean up the joint itself. Barb, and others who are diagnosed as having a torn rotator cuff, I'd like to offer this: Based on Dick's experience, and what we later learned from his neurologist/PD Specialist, do *not* rush to have surgery! I agree with you about trying acupuncture or whatever else first. Several years ago, Dick experienced progressively worsening shoulder pain, which was diagnosed as a torn rotator cuff. He first had cortisone injections in that shoulder (I'm told his fingerprints are still embossed into the metal table where he sat when he received the injection). The cortisone offered minor and very temporary relief. At that point, the orthopedic specialist was quite honest with him in telling him that the only other thing she could offer was surgery, which is, she said, only successful in about 50% of cases. He opted to forego the surgery as long as he could limit use of that shoulder and live with the pain. A few months down the road, he noticed - lo and behold - no more pain. The next time he saw his neurologist, he mentioned the torn rotator cuff, and the doctor responded almost casually, "Oh, yes, we see a lot of that in PD patients." He went on to add that the tear may go on to repair itself, which is what Dick's apparently did. I guess the moral is that if you have a PD specialist you trust, it doesn't hurt to run such seeming unrelated ailments as shoulder pain by them, especially if another doctor diagnoses something requiring surgery. Good luck, and here's hoping your torn cuff also repairs itself or magically vanishes or whatever! Margie Swindler [log in to unmask]