Heal Your Rotator Cuff

What Is My Rotator Cuff, and Why Does It Hurt?

If there is concern that the pain is coming from the heart, emergency medical services should be activated call if available. It is reasonable to seek emergency medical care if there is worry about a broken bone , if there is numbness or change in sensation in the arm or hand, or if movement in the shoulder becomes acutely limited.

The care provider may want to take a thorough history of the acute injury as well as any previous symptoms that may suggest a more long-term problem.

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The physical examination often involves observation to look for deformities, muscle wasting, and changes in the appearance of the damaged shoulder compared to the normal one. Palpation means touching, including feeling the bones that make up the shoulder joint, as well as the shoulder joint itself.

Do I Need Physical Therapy for a Rotator Cuff Tear?

These bones include the clavicle collarbone , scapula shoulder blade , and humerus upper arm bone. The muscles of the shoulder may be palpated, trying to find areas of tenderness or pain. Plain X-rays are usually taken as a screening exam to look for broken bones or arthritis and bone spurs within or adjacent to the shoulder joint.

Sometimes, calcification can be seen along the tendon. Often, the plain X-ray findings are normal in rotator cuff injury. Initial treatment of a rotator cuff injury begins with rest, ice, and physical therapy to strengthen the muscles of the rotator cuff and to reestablish full range of motion of the shoulder. It may take weeks or longer to reach satisfactory healing.

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There are other nonsurgical options available for treatment of rotator cuff injuries, including steroid injections to decrease inflammation in the tight spaces where the muscle tendons run across the shoulder joint, therapeutic ultrasound, shockwave therapy, and dry needling. If early conservative treatments don't work or if there is a complete tear of the rotator cuff, surgery may be the next alternative to repair those tears that have been identified.

As well, other problems may be addressed at time of surgery including debridement cleaning up of bone spurs, relieving any areas of muscle or tendon impingement, tightening the joint capsule, or repairing a labrum tear. An orthopedic surgeon may use an arthroscope an instrument that is inserted through a small incision to repair the damage.

Depending upon the procedure to be done, an open surgical procedure may be contemplated, where an incision is made into the joint area to allow the repairs to occur. Physical therapy is an important component of treatment regardless of whether surgery was performed. A health-care provider referral may be needed. Oxford Textbook of Musculoskeletal Medicine, 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press, Stoller's Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine: The Shoulder, 1st ed. Rotator Cuff Injury Topic Guide. Take the Pain Quiz. Readers Comments 68 Share Your Story.

What Is It?

Causes of Rotator Cuff Injuries Most of the time, rotator cuff injuries are caused by repetitive stress on the rotator cuff, or degeneration caused by aging. Readers Comments 29 Share Your Story. Cancerous Tumors Multiple Sclerosis.

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While these exercises can help build strength after a minor injury, Your rotator cuff connects your arm bone to your shoulder blade. Learn how to treat the initial injury and promote healing in the weeks that. The rotator cuff tendons cover the head of the humerus (upper arm bone), helping you to Can a rotator cuff tear be healed or strengthened without surgery?.

A rotator cuff tear is often the result of wear and tear from daily use. It also can happen suddenly if you fall on your arm or try to lift something heavy. Tendinitis is inflammation or irritation of a tendon that attaches to a bone.

Rotator Cuff Injury

It causes pain in the area just outside the joint. Bursitis is when the bursa a small sac filled with fluid that protects your rotator cuff gets irritated. That can happen when you repeat the same motion over and over again, like throwing a baseball or lifting something over your head. It also can be caused by an infection.

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Tendinitis and bursitis can get better with rest, a combination of ice and heat, and over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin , naproxen , and ibuprofen. Call your doctor if the pain lasts more than a few weeks or keeps you from doing daily activities. Each one of these muscles is part of the rotator cuff and plays an important role: This holds your humerus in place and keeps your upper arm stable.

And helps lift your arm.