Dad, you're not Superman

By Song Sang-ho

“Man of Steel,” the latest Superman movie, is very popular with film fans. As a student, Superman was an incredible icon. Everybody wanted to be like Superman and become the hero of the hour.

Since my early childhood, I remember considering my father as someone who was somewhat similar to Superman. The way he would complete any type of work or easily lift up heavy items was so marvelous.

However, our fathers are not exactly the same as Superman. From a medical perspective, middle-aged and elderly people are at an age where joints become weak and vulnerable. A lack of exercise and continuous late night shifts can also cause deteriorating health in joints.

Among associated health issues are shoulder disorders. The human shoulder consists of the head of the humerus, which is shaped like a round-ball, stuck onto the glenoid fossa, which is shaped like a cup. As the glenoid cavity only covers about one-fourth of the head of the humerus, it is not a stable structure. As much as it is not stable, there is also a higher risk of injury.

Even though stability is increased with static structures such as the glenohumeral ligaments, glenoid labrum and articular capsule and moving structures such as rotator cuffs and the biceps lesion of the biceps brachii covering the shoulder joint, its mobility is relatively greater than other joints, thus creating greater exposure to a risk of injuries.

In particular, one shoulder disorder that primarily occurs in people in their 40s and 50s is the rotator cuff tear. The rotator cuff refers to a group of four muscles and the tendons that surround the front, back and top of the shoulder. The disorder is usually caused by repetitive use, external injuries or blood circulation problems. As you get older, the tendons also get weaker causing them to break or tear if subjected to excessive force.

In the case of a rotator cuff tear, there are many instances in which patients do not get treatment on time because it is not accompanied by severe pain unlike other shoulder disorders. As complete recovery will be difficult if the damage is neglected, it is very important to receive early treatment.

If you feel pain in your shoulders for no particular reason, it is highly likely that it could be a “frozen shoulder.” This is a disorder in which the tissue surrounding the shoulder spontaneously causes muscle spasms and becomes stiff. It causes a sharp pain in the shoulders as if needles were poking the shoulders and also greatly restricts motion, making it difficult to hold your hands behind your back.

Even people who do not rigorously use their shoulders should be cautious of disorders such as “calcific tendinitis.” Calcific tendinitis is a disorder characterized by deposits of calcium compounds in the tendons which serve to rotate the shoulders. It causes a numbing and splitting pain in the arms. Although it is typically treated by conservative methods such as the “extracorporeal shock wave method” which uses an ultrasonic generator, if such treatment does not show any effects, arthroscopic removal surgery is conducted.

Although shoulder disorders are usually treated with medication or physical therapy, an arthroscopic surgery is conducted depending on the degree of damage. As arthroscopic surgery allows a direct view of the damaged joint area for treatment, it can minimize damage to the normal tissue. As the surgery is done through a small incision of about 5 to 7 mm, it is less burdensome to the patient thanks to a shorter operation time and recovery time.

The images of our father that we used to have when we were young gradually change as we get older. Our fathers’ height, shoes and clothes, which all seemed to be very big, are no longer so. Our fathers’ appearance from behind becomes smaller and smaller as they become older and causes us to feel sympathy for them. It took me quite a long time to realize that my father is no longer a Superman. Simultaneously, I then thought to myself that I should assist my father just like Superman. As the image of Superman changes with each film of the series, I believe that another superman is created in someone else’s life as well.

The writer is the president of the Wellton Bone & Joint Hospital.