Two Decades of Chronic Shoulder Issues Repaired in Hours by Dr. Mark Wood: Bryan's Tennis Story
May 24, 2024
Bryan Gillespie is the executive manager of Bryan’s Tennis — a family-owned business in Raleigh, NC. Bryan got the idea while working at a local sporting goods store when he felt confident he could provide better access to the tennis equipment his customers wanted and needed. After developing a business plan with family partners, they opened the doors of Bryan’s Tennis on Black Friday of 2012.
Bryan's Tennis is a tennis specialty shop, serving the Triangle area with tennis racquets, court shoes, bags, apparel, tennis accessories and much more.
Bryan was introduced to tennis when he was just five years old. In his early childhood, his dad began playing, got his mom involved, and the two of them started participating in couple's tournaments. So, in time, it became a family sport.
"I like tennis because it is about being my best as opposed to worries of letting someone else down — as is the case in a team sport. It is also mentally tasking, like chess. It truly requires a great deal of skill, so it is a humbling sport. And, since there is no "on field" coach, I have to coach myself through the game and figure out what I need to do to improve in real time."
Shoulder Pain Surfaces
Around the age of 13, Bryan began experiencing issues with his shoulder.
"I had frozen shoulder. I'd get to a match and couldn't get my arm above my head to serve sometimes."
For several years, Bryan tolerated pain and range of motion challenges — with support from sports rehabilitation specialists who told him he had rotator cuff issues. He also used over-the-counter pain relievers to manage the pain. By his freshman year in college, he was forced to take a break from playing. Once he returned, the pain in his shoulder resurfaced.
"I attribute my shoulder issues to wear and tear from incorrect mechanical movement in my forehand over the years. That tiny thing I didn't realize I was doing wrong, caused a buildup in my shoulder issues."
Eventually, Bryan met a physical therapist who figured out the real source of his pain, range of motion issues, weakness, trouble sleeping and swelling. This therapist realized that the swelling was in the front part of his arm, so it was more significant than a rotator cuff issue.
"He took one look at it, and said, 'You've got a different problem. It's your bicep — among other things.'"
Bryan continued in therapy as well as medication management, but the pain remained.
Word of Mouth Introduces Him to Dr. Mark Wood
After opening Bryan's Tennis, customers began to share about an amazing orthopaedic surgeon, Mark Wood, MD, with Wake Orthopaedics, who specialized in shoulders and was also an avid tennis player. They encouraged Bryan to schedule an appointment.
Dr. Wood recounts this meeting, "Anyone who is a tennis or pickleball player in the region, likely knows Bryan — he has touched many lives. So, when he reached out to me, I was honored to help get him back to playing the sport we both love."
Bryan notes, "I scheduled with Dr. Wood. Instantly he knew something was really wrong."
Dr. Wood recommended further diagnostic imaging using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It confirmed a partial rotator cuff tear and a labral tear. The bicep tendon, which attaches to the labrum, looked normal in that region.
Dr. Wood explains, "The extent of labrum and bicep tendon damage is often underestimated on MRI. Given all conservative measures had been exhausted, Bryan decided definitive treatment was his best option, and I agreed."
Dr. Wood scheduled arthroscopic shoulder surgery for March 2016 at Capital City Surgery Center located on the Raleigh Medical Park campus. At the time of surgery, it became evident that the damage was far more extensive than what was seen on MRI imaging. Along with a rotator cuff tear, the labrum had extensive, unstable tears and the biceps tendon was shredded and remained attached by only a few fibers.
"Wow!" Dr. Wood recalls, "No wonder he was in such pain and the non-surgical treatments did not help."
Bryan's surgical repair was complex and required a significant amount of rehabilitation for full recovery. Yet, it was ultimately successful!
"I immediately felt better after I woke up from anesthesia," observes Bryan. "People told me that my shoulder would hurt, but the pain from the surgery was far less than the pain I'd been living with for years."
Dr. Wood reflects, "We are treating more adult-type injuries in younger athletes now due to young athletes competing in year-round, single-sport participation to have the opportunity to compete at an elite level with the goal to play in college. This leads to overuse injuries and eventual tears of anatomic structures which often require surgery to fix."
A Progressive Healing Returns Bryan to His Favorite Sport
Dr. Wood advised Bryan that he would need extensive shoulder rehabilitation. He immediately complied, going three to four days per week. Dr. Wood stated that it could be up to a year before Bryan would begin playing full, competitive, high-level tennis again and that within two years, he would be playing without hesitation or any realization that the shoulder had been damaged.
"I remember after a little over eleven months, he told me I was ready to start back playing. He told me it would feel like I was shredding my shoulder all over again, but it was actually making it better."
Bryan was amazed to find that the suggested progress timeline for his recovery was accurate almost to the day.
"I'll never forget the day I began playing tennis, and I just was like, 'Man, I'm serving really well. Things feel great.' Then, I realized it had been about two years since the surgery. I don't even think about the shoulder anymore."
Today, Bryan is running his business, coaching and enjoying the sport he loves — thanks to expert care from Dr. Wood.
Returning the Favor
Thankfully, Bryan’s commitment to the prolonged rehab process allowed him an optimal outcome and full return to tennis. Over the years, Bryan has also done his part to assist racquet sports players battling injuries.
Per Dr. Wood, “Bryan returned the favor to me a couple of years ago when I had an elbow injury. His expertise was essential in helping me with tennis racquet adjustments and a new stringing construct which enabled me to return to play without pain. He has built a business trusted by our racquet sports community as the one-stop shop for everything tennis and pickleball."
About Mark Wood, MD
Dr. Mark Wood is a board-certified orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon and a founding member of Wake Orthopaedics. His clinical interest include the diagnosis and treatment of knee and shoulder injuries and disorders, with specialty interest in arthroscopic surgery related to rotator cuff repair, shoulder instability and minimally invasive knee procedures such as ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Complementing his clinical interests and specialties, Dr. Wood has expertise in youth sports overuse, ACL injury prevention and safe return to sports.
With his unbending dedication to his patients and community, Dr. Wood believes that providing patient education and involving the patient in the treatment plan are critical to expectations and outcomes. His health library was created for patient education, which provides videos, information, resources and online printable material to help make decision-making, treatment and recovery as quick and pain-free as possible.
Dr. Wood continues to be recognized for his achievements and excellence to the profession. He is the Chief Medical Officer at Swing Racquet and Paddle, a facility being built that is dedicated to racquet sports with a focus on sports science, injury prevention/prediction, physical therapy, sports medicine, health and innovation. He serves as the Medical Director and provides sports medicine coverage for North Carolina FC Youth, the largest youth-to-pro soccer club in the nation, and serves as the sports medicine doctor for Trinity Academy, Grace Christian School and St. David’s School for each organization’s athletic trainers.
About Wake Orthopaedics
For over two decades, Wake Orthopaedics has been serving the Triangle community with comprehensive orthopaedic care dedicated to help patients regain their mobility and restore their quality of life. With specialties and expertise in conditions of the bones, muscles and joints, our team of board-certified and fellowship-trained specialists utilize progressive treatments and state-of-the-art technology to care for everything from shoulder injuries and fractures to ACL injuries and arthritis. In addition to traditional orthopaedic services, Wake Orthopaedics provides Orthopaedic Urgent Care access on nights and weekends, physical and occupational rehabilitation services and sports injury prevention. Wake Orthopaedics is a WakeMed Physician Practice.