By Dr. Goodman, DC + Dr. Bradberry, DC | ReliefNow Laser Charlotte | Charlotte, North Carolina
Shoulder pain affects approximately 18 to 26 percent of adults and is the third most common musculoskeletal complaint in primary care. For Charlotte’s golfers, tennis players, overhead athletes, CrossFit competitors, and the swimming and volleyball communities of Mecklenburg County, shoulder injuries are a familiar obstacle, and a significant proportion of patients are sent toward surgery before tissue-level conservative care has been meaningfully explored. The Regenerative Medical Laser™ protocol at ReliefNow Laser Charlotte is a non-surgical approach focused on the rotator cuff tissue, offered as a conservative option for patients to consider before more invasive interventions.
A landmark 2017 BMJ randomized controlled trial found that surgical repair of degenerative rotator cuff tears produced outcomes no better than structured physiotherapy at 12 months. A 2018 BMJ randomized controlled trial found that arthroscopic subacromial decompression was no more effective than sham surgery. The evidence does not support surgery as the first meaningful intervention for most shoulder presentations.
Dr. Goodman has worked with PGA and LPGA golfers and USTA tennis players, the overhead and rotational sport populations most affected by rotator cuff tendinopathy. Dr. Bradberry’s CCSP credential includes specific shoulder assessment and management training, and his background with Olympic athletes from four nations includes extensive overhead sport shoulder care. That combined experience informs a detailed approach to shoulder evaluation.
What Is the Rotator Cuff and Why Does It Fail?
The rotator cuff consists of four muscles and their tendons, stabilizing the humeral head in the glenohumeral socket. Its tendons are chronically underperfused in a vascular watershed zone that limits natural healing. The AAOS estimates that rotator cuff tears affect approximately 2 million Americans annually. Research in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery found full-thickness rotator cuff tears in approximately 25 percent of individuals over 60, many of them asymptomatic. Imaging that shows a tear is not by itself a surgical indication.
How Does the Regenerative Medical Laser™ Protocol Work?
The Regenerative Medical Laser™ protocol delivers medical-grade near-infrared laser energy to the area of the rotator cuff tendons, the subacromial bursa, and the surrounding musculature. This category of treatment is studied in the research literature under the term photobiomodulation. A 2017 study in Lasers in Medical Science reported that photobiomodulation was associated with improvements in tendon healing and collagen fiber organization in the conditions it examined.
What Is Dr. Goodman’s Neurokinetic Therapy Approach for Shoulder Patients?
Posterior capsular tightness, inhibited rotator cuff muscles, and overactive superficial shoulder muscles can alter glenohumeral mechanics and concentrate stress on the supraspinatus tendon. Dr. Goodman’s neurokinetic therapy training is used to assess these motor control patterns, the ones associated with increased impingement forces during overhead movement, and to incorporate that assessment alongside the laser protocol. This combination reflects how care is approached at ReliefNow Laser Charlotte.
What About Shoulder Injuries in Charlotte’s Overhead Athletic Population?
Charlotte’s swimming, volleyball, baseball, softball, tennis, and CrossFit communities generate consistent overhead shoulder demand. For Dr. Bradberry, whose sports medicine background spans Olympic-level overhead athletes, and Dr. Goodman, who has worked with PGA, LPGA, and USTA players, shoulder assessment in the athletic context is a core part of clinical practice rather than a secondary referral.
To learn more about shoulder pain care in Charlotte, visit ReliefNow Laser Charlotte. Patient education is available on the ReliefNow Nation video channel. ReliefNow Laser Charlotte is located at 4601 Park Rd, Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28209, and can be reached at 704-527-7246.
About the Authors
Dr. Eric Goodman, DC, studied at UNC-Charlotte and Palmer College, with post-graduate training in neurokinetic therapy, acupuncture, laser therapy, rehabilitation, and nutrition. His clinical experience includes work with PGA, LPGA, and USTA tennis players. Dr. Douglas Bradberry, DC, graduated from the University of Florida and earned honors at Palmer College, and he holds the CCSP credential along with a sports medicine background that includes Olympic-level athletes. Both practice as providers in the national ReliefNow network, founded by Dr. Robert Hanopole, DC.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any treatment program.
