Rotator Cuff injury
Group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint and keep the head of your upper arm bone firmly inside the socket of the shoulder is called Rotator cuff. If one or more of the rotator cuff tendons gets injured or damaged, it leads to pain and reduced movement. Rotator cuff injuries occur in people who repeatedly perform overhead movements in sports or in their occupation. Examples include carpenters, painters, and people who play tennis or basketball. The risk of injury also increases with age.
Symptoms of Rotator cuff injury:
- Decreased range of shoulder movement
- Avoiding certain movements because they cause pain
- Difficulty in sleeping on the affected shoulder
- Pain when reaching overhead
- Pain especially at night
- Increasing weakness of the shoulder
- Difficulty reaching behind the back
Sudden tears due to a fall, usually cause intense pain. There can be a snapping sensation and immediate weakness in the arm. Such a situation needs immediate medical care.
Causes of Rotator Cuff injury:
Two main causes of rotator cuff injury are: injury and degeneration
- Injury:
- If a person falls down with an outstretched arm or lifts something heavy with a jerking movement, it can lead to a tear in the rotator cuff. This type of injury can happen with other shoulder injuries like dislocated shoulder or broken bone.
- Degeneration:
- Most tears in the rotator cuff are due to wearing down of the tendons with age. It is due to age-related degeneration of tissues. Several factors are responsible for degenerative or chronic tears:
- Repetitive stress:
- Repetitive shoulder movements can stress your rotator cuff. Tennis, Baseball, Rowing, and weightlifting are some sports that can increase the risk of overuse rotator cuff tears.
- Reduced blood supply:
- With age, the blood supply to the rotator cuff tendons reduces and can lead to a tear.
- Bone spurs:
- Bone spurs can develop on the bone, which can cause a tear in the tendon.
Treatment:
Two main causes of rotator cuff injury are: injury and degeneration
Conservative method- If you have a mild rotator cuff injury, your doctor may advise rest, ice application, physical therapy, and medications.
Injections- If conservative methods do not give you relief; the doctor may recommend a steroid injection into the shoulder joint. This helps in reducing the pain and inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons.
Surgery- Your doctor may recommend surgery if your pain does not subside with nonsurgical methods. Other signs that may indicate that surgery is a good option are:
- Symptoms have lasted for 6 to 12 months
- Large tear
- Significant weakness and loss of function of shoulder joint
- Tear caused by an acute injury
Surgical options include:
Arthroscopic tendon repair- This surgery is performed by an orthopedic surgeon using an arthroscope. It is a minimally invasive procedure through which torn tendon is reattached to the bone.
Open tendon repair- If the tear is large or complex, your doctor may advise an open tendon repair surgery. It is a good option if the additional reconstruction such as tendon transfer is required.
If you are suffering from Rotator Cuff Injury that is causing pain, discomfort, and restricted shoulder movement, book an appointment with Dr. Gustavel, who is an experienced and highly skilled Orthopedic Surgeon, practicing since 2002 and can help you understand your injury and how to treat it.
If you are experiencing pain in the Boise, Idaho region regarding knee pain, contact Boise's top orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Michael Gustavel.