Shoulder Care in Butler, PA
Get Real Answers for Your Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain can interfere with everything from reaching overhead and getting dressed to working, exercising, or throwing a ball. Dr. Anthony Mustovich treats a broad range of shoulder conditions, including rotator cuff tears, shoulder instability, labral injuries, bursitis, impingement, and arthritis.
Not every shoulder problem needs surgery. Many conditions can be treated effectively with physical therapy, activity modification, medications, or injections. When surgery is appropriate, Dr. Mustovich performs arthroscopic and reconstructive procedures including rotator cuff repair, labral repair, and shoulder stabilization, as well as anatomic and reverse total shoulder replacement for patients with advanced arthritis and other conditions that have significantly damaged the shoulder.
The goal is to identify what's actually causing your symptoms and choose the treatment that best fits the problem, your activity level, and what you want to get back to doing.
Request an appointment below to find out what's causing your shoulder pain and which treatment makes the most sense for you.
Finding the Right Starting Point
Do You Need Surgery, or Something Less Invasive?
Most shoulder problems start with a conversation, not a scalpel. Conditions such as bursitis, impingement, rotator cuff problems, and arthritis can often be treated initially with physical therapy, activity modification, medications, or injections depending on the diagnosis.
Surgery may become appropriate when symptoms continue to interfere with sleep, work, sports, or everyday activities despite appropriate nonsurgical treatment. In other situations (such as certain traumatic rotator cuff tears, recurrent shoulder instability, or more advanced structural damage) surgery may be considered earlier based on the injury, your age and activity level, and your goals.
For patients with advanced shoulder arthritis or other conditions that have significantly damaged the joint, shoulder replacement may be an option when nonsurgical treatment is no longer providing acceptable relief.
If you're having persistent pain, weakness, loss of motion, or a feeling that your shoulder is slipping out of place, an evaluation can help determine what's actually causing the problem and which treatment makes the most sense.
What Actually Happens, By Condition
What to Expect From Treatment
Rotator Cuff Repair
Not every rotator cuff tear requires surgery. Treatment depends on factors such as the type and size of the tear, how it occurred, your symptoms, strength, activity level, and whether nonsurgical treatment has provided enough relief.
When rotator cuff repair is appropriate, Dr. Mustovich typically performs the procedure arthroscopically through several small incisions using a camera and specialized instruments. Sutures and anchors are used to repair the torn tendon back to the bone. Most patients return home the same day and use a sling afterward to protect the repair while healing begins, followed by a progressive rehabilitation program to restore motion and strength.
Shoulder Instability and Labral Injuries
Shoulder instability can range from a first-time dislocation to recurrent episodes or a persistent feeling that the shoulder may slip out of place. Treatment depends on the injury, your age and activity level, the structures that have been damaged, and whether the shoulder remains unstable despite rehabilitation.
When surgery is appropriate, Dr. Mustovich typically performs shoulder stabilization arthroscopically, repairing the injured labrum and supporting structures to restore stability to the joint. The goal is not only to prevent another dislocation, but to help patients regain the confidence to return to work, exercise, and sports without feeling that the shoulder may give way.
Managing Bursitis, Impingement, and Other Shoulder Pain
Many common causes of shoulder pain can be treated without surgery. Depending on the diagnosis, treatment may include activity modification, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, or an injection to reduce pain and help restore function.
The important first step is determining what's actually causing the symptoms. Shoulder pain can come from the rotator cuff, biceps tendon, AC joint, bursa, arthritis, or even the neck, and treatment that works well for one problem may not help another. Dr. Mustovich tailors treatment to the diagnosis rather than using the same approach for every painful shoulder.
Shoulder Arthritis and Shoulder Replacement
Shoulder arthritis can cause progressive pain, stiffness, loss of motion, and difficulty with everyday activities. Treatment often begins with nonsurgical options such as medications, activity modification, physical therapy, or injections. When arthritis becomes advanced and those treatments no longer provide acceptable relief, shoulder replacement may be an option.
Dr. Mustovich performs both anatomic and reverse total shoulder replacement. An anatomic shoulder replacement is generally used when the shoulder joint is damaged but the rotator cuff remains functional. A reverse shoulder replacement changes the mechanics of the joint and may be appropriate when significant rotator cuff dysfunction, certain fractures, or other complex shoulder conditions make an anatomic replacement less suitable.
The type of shoulder replacement, when one is needed, is determined by your anatomy, rotator cuff function, imaging, overall health, and goals.
Healing After Shoulder Treatment
What Recovery Looks Like
Recovery after shoulder surgery depends on the procedure performed and, just as importantly, what needs to heal. Dr. Mustovich individualizes rehabilitation based on the injury, the surgery, and your progress during recovery.
- Rotator cuff repair: A sling is typically used for several weeks to protect the repaired tendon while it heals back to the bone. Rehabilitation progresses from restoring motion to rebuilding strength, with recovery continuing over several months. Larger or more complex tears may require a more gradual progression.
- Shoulder stabilization and labral repair: A sling protects the repair during the early healing period, followed by progressive rehabilitation to restore motion, strength, and stability. Returning to lifting, contact sports, and other high-demand activities comes later as the shoulder heals and strength and control return.
- Shoulder replacement: Patients typically begin moving the arm and working on mobility early after surgery, with activity gradually increasing as healing progresses. Many everyday activities return during the first several weeks, while strength, motion, and overall function can continue improving for several months.
Dr. Mustovich follows your progress throughout recovery and adjusts activity and rehabilitation based on how your shoulder is healing and the demands you ultimately want to return to.
What to Know About Coverage
Understanding the Cost of Shoulder Treatment
The cost of shoulder treatment depends on the care you need and your individual insurance coverage. Office visits, physical therapy, injections, imaging, and surgery may each be subject to different deductibles, copays, coinsurance, or other plan requirements.
Insurance plans, including Medicare, commonly provide coverage for medically necessary shoulder surgery when applicable coverage requirements are met. Your individual out-of-pocket cost will depend on your specific benefits and the treatment or procedure being performed.
If you have questions about your coverage or expected costs, please contact our office. You can also visit our insurance page for information about plans accepted through West Virginia University.
The Right Treatment for the Right Shoulder
Shoulder Care Built Around the Diagnosis
Shoulder pain can come from many different structures, and similar symptoms don't always have the same cause. A rotator cuff problem, instability, arthritis, biceps or AC joint pathology, and even a problem originating in the neck can sometimes present in similar ways.
Dr. Mustovich's approach starts with identifying the source of the problem before deciding how to treat it. For some patients, the right answer may be physical therapy, an injection, or simply time and activity modification. For others, arthroscopic repair or reconstruction may provide the best path back to activity. And when advanced arthritis or other significant joint damage has made shoulder replacement appropriate, both anatomic and reverse shoulder replacement are available.
The goal isn't to choose the most aggressive treatment. It's to choose the treatment that makes the most sense for your shoulder, your symptoms, and what you want to get back to doing.
More Than One Way to Treat a Shoulder
Dr. Anthony Mustovich, Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon
Dr. Anthony Mustovich is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. His background includes more than a decade of service in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, where much of his early orthopedic experience involved treating sports injuries and other musculoskeletal conditions in a young, active, high-demand population.
Today, his shoulder practice reflects that broad background. Dr. Mustovich treats sports-related and traumatic shoulder injuries, performs arthroscopic procedures including rotator cuff repair and shoulder stabilization, and offers both anatomic and reverse shoulder replacement for patients with advanced arthritis and other conditions that have significantly damaged the joint.
That range allows him to evaluate shoulder problems across different ages and activity levels, from an athlete trying to return to competition to an active adult whose arthritis is making everyday life increasingly difficult.
Frequently Asked Questions
Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is performed through several small incisions using a camera and specialized instruments inside the joint. Many common shoulder procedures, including rotator cuff repair and shoulder stabilization, can be performed arthroscopically and are typically outpatient procedures. Open shoulder surgery uses a larger incision to directly access the structures being treated and may be more appropriate for certain injuries or procedures. The best approach depends on the condition being treated rather than one technique being better for every shoulder. Importantly, smaller incisions don't necessarily mean a faster overall recovery. After procedures such as rotator cuff or labral repair, the repaired tissue still needs time to heal, and that healing process often determines how quickly activity can safely progress.
Recovery after rotator cuff repair takes time because the repaired tendon needs to heal back to the bone. Many patients wear a sling for approximately four to six weeks, although the exact duration depends on the size of the tear, the repair performed, and other individual factors. Rehabilitation progresses gradually from protecting the repair and restoring motion to rebuilding strength. Many everyday activities return over the first several months, while heavier lifting, overhead activity, and return to sports may take six months or longer. Larger or more complex tears can require a more gradual recovery. Dr. Mustovich will guide your progression based on how your shoulder is healing rather than a single fixed timeline.
The cost of shoulder surgery depends on the procedure being performed and your individual insurance coverage, including your deductible, copay, coinsurance, and network requirements. Insurance plans, including Medicare, commonly provide coverage for medically necessary shoulder surgery when applicable coverage requirements are met. Your individual out-of-pocket cost will depend on your specific benefits. Our office can help answer coverage questions before surgery, and you can visit our insurance page for information about plans accepted through West Virginia University.
Diagnosing a rotator cuff injury starts with understanding your symptoms and examining the shoulder for strength, range of motion, pain, and other findings that can help identify where the problem is coming from. X-rays are often used to evaluate the bones and joint and look for problems such as arthritis that may be contributing to your symptoms. When more information about the rotator cuff is needed, an MRI can help identify a tear and evaluate its size, location, and other characteristics that may affect treatment. Dr. Mustovich considers the examination and imaging together when deciding whether nonsurgical treatment or surgery makes the most sense. Importantly, finding a rotator cuff tear on an MRI doesn't automatically mean it needs to be repaired. Treatment depends on the tear, your symptoms, strength and function, how the injury occurred, and your individual goals.
Both anatomic and reverse shoulder replacement replace the damaged surfaces of the shoulder joint, but they differ in how the new joint is designed and how the shoulder moves afterward. An anatomic shoulder replacement recreates the shoulder's normal ball-and-socket anatomy and generally relies on a functioning rotator cuff to help move and stabilize the joint. It may be appropriate for patients with advanced shoulder arthritis whose rotator cuff remains functional. A reverse shoulder replacement switches the position of the ball and socket, changing the mechanics of the shoulder so the deltoid muscle can play a greater role in raising the arm. It may be used when significant rotator cuff dysfunction, certain fractures, or other shoulder conditions make an anatomic replacement less suitable. Dr. Mustovich determines which type of shoulder replacement is most appropriate based on your diagnosis, anatomy, rotator cuff function, imaging, activity level, and goals.
Request an appointment online or call our office to schedule an evaluation with Dr. Mustovich. He'll review your symptoms, examination, and imaging to determine what's causing your shoulder pain and whether nonsurgical treatment, arthroscopic surgery, or shoulder replacement is the right next step.