Non-Surgical Shoulder Replacement™ (NSSR)
Shoulder degeneration can make everyday life frustrating—reaching, lifting, training, sleeping, even putting on a coat. Many people are told their only option is surgery, yet they’ve never had a truly thorough evaluation of how the shoulder is moving, stabilizing, and compensating.
At Cornerstone Health, Non-Surgical Shoulder Replacement™ (NSSR) is our custom, shoulder-specific branch of Non-Surgical Joint Replacement™—built to help the right candidates avoid or delay surgery through expert assessment, targeted non-invasive therapies when appropriate, and a customized rehabilitation plan.
What makes Cornerstone different for shoulder arthritis
“I could finally lift my arms over my head again!”
Many shoulder arrthritis patients are treated based on imaging alone. At Cornerstone Health, we treat the person using with the shoulder.
Your exam focuses on:
- How the shoulder is handling reaching, pulling, pushing, and dressing
- How your work and sleep positions are affecting joint stress
- Where motion is restricted (or unstable)
- When neck and upper back mobility disrupt the shoulder
- Scapular mechanics (the shoulder blade is the base)
- Rotator cuff capacity (control under load)
- The exact movement positions that provoke the joint repeatedly
- What must change so repair can outpace breakdown
- A severity/grading approach that guides the plan
This is what patients often describe as:
thorough, specific, clear and finally—motivating.
How NSSR works
Phase 1: Identify the drivers through comprehensive exam
We pinpoint what’s keeping your shoulder in a cycle of irritation—mechanics, load, tissue sensitivity, compensations, and weak links.
Phase 2: Stimulate repair + calm the pain cycle
Based on your findings, we may incorporate advanced non-invasive therapies such as:
- Radial shockwave therapy for broad tissue improvement and pain modulation
- Focused shockwave therapy for deeper structures, arthrtis, cartilage
- EMTT / Magnetolith to support biologic signaling and healing processes including stem cell migration
- Traction and Joint Mobilization to increase the mobility and nutrient exchange in stiff joints
- Nutritional plan to reduce inflammation and accelerate healing
Phase 3: Rebuild capacity so you continue to rebuild and repair your shoulder even after you complete treatment.
A knee can feel better temporarily and still fail under load if capacity isn’t rebuilt. Your plan includes progressive exercises and guidance so improvements translate to real life and you continuouly reverse the process of degeneration.
Who is a good candidate for NSSR?
You may be a good fit if you:
- Have shoulder osteoarthritis or degenerative changes including bone-on-bone
- Want to avoid or delay shoulder replacement surgery
- Have frozen shoulder and that won't improve
- Have pain reaching overhead or behind the back and getting dressed
- Have tried injections, PT, or general care with limited success
- Want a plan tailored to your shoulder—not a generic protocol
When we may recommend a surgical consult instead:
If your functional capacity, degeneration severity, or goals indicate surgery is the more predictable route, we’ll tell you. The goal is to give you all the best options so that you can make the right decision.
