Corticosteroids or Cortisone is a steroid that is produced in the body naturally but can also be produced synthetically. It is often injected into soft tissues and joints to help decrease inflammation/swelling.
While cortisone is not a pain reliever, pain may diminish as a result of reduced inflammation. In orthopaedics, cortisone injections are commonly used as a treatment for chronic conditions such as bursitis, tendonitis and arthritis to reduce swelling, pain, and joint stiffness.
At the moment in Australia I do not believe that there is enough scientific evidence to support the use of stem cell therapies for the treatment of arthritis and I therefore do not recommend it for my patients. This is a view supported by the Australia College of Sports Physicians position statement: http://www.acsep.org.au/content/Document/ACSEP%20Stem%20Cell%20Position%20Statement%20final%20171117.pdf
This is a treatment with many potential side effects and does not seem to help the majority of people who receive it.
Joint replacement surgery is an operation that is performed to replace an arthritic or damaged joint with a new, artificial joint, called a prosthesis. The worn out bones are replaced with medical grade metal and plastic components.
It is always preferable to have a referal letter as this details your present medical condition and past medical history. Your GP can also assess whether Dr Sher is the correct medical specialist for you to see. You will not be able to get a rebate from Medicare without a referral letter but you can be seen. Our reception staff are happy to advise you on this when you make your appointment.
Unfortunately you will not be able to get a Medicare rebate with a referral from your physiotherapist. However, I always value the input from your treating physio if they wish to give you a letter to bring with you.
I see many overseas students with injuries. If you require surgery I would need to get prior approval from your insurance company to proceed with this.
If you do not have private health insurance your sports insurance will probably only cover a portion of your fees. Some will cover some of your hospital fees but not the doctor fees and others will cover physiotherapy only. Please check your individual policy carefully.
A quote can be provided to you for treatment in the private hospital system. This will give you access to the same level of care as a patient in a top level private health fund and allows you to choose the timing of your treatment.
Choosing to ‘self insure’ through the public system allows you to choose your own specialist at the public hospital rather than have the hospital allocate a doctor to you. This may be a more viable option for patients who do not have private cover but still want to choose their own specialist surgeon. Unfortunately this does not reduce the waiting list time and you will not get to choose the timing of your operation. A quote can be arranged at the time of your consultation.
Having an MRI available to view at your first consultation may save time and your GP may elect to get this done prior to your visit. There are many cases where an MRI scan is not required. If a scan is needed Dr Sher will organise it for you at the time of your consultation. In most cases an MRI arthrogram of the shoulder provides more information than a plain MRI scan.
My practice hours are from 8am to 5:30pm, Monday through Friday. Appointments can be made by telephoning my practices at Concord on 02 97442666 and Randwick on 02 93995333
Yes but you will need pre-approval from your insurance company to be able to make an appointment.
Dr Sher operates at 3 different hospitals, including:
- St Lukes Private Hospital
- Prince of Wales Private Hospital
- Sydney Private Hospital
Yes, Xray facilities are available at both the Concord and Randwick rooms and are bulk billed if you are covered by Medicare.
At Concord there is ample free parking at the practice. In Randwick Free on street parking is difficult to find. The closest off street parking is available in the Coles car park (enter via Clara Street). Slightly further away but more parking spaces are available in The Royal Randwick Plaza shopping centre (enter via Avoca street).