ROTATOR CUFF INJURIES

Rotator cuff injuries are common as the human body ages. Uncommon in young people, rotator cuff injuries are a type of shoulder injury that can have a wide range of symptoms, onset, pain severity and debilitation. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles that surround the upper portion of the humerous bone in the shoulder. Each muscle in the rotator cuff has a special job that helps move the shoulder through its range of motion.

The most common type of rotator cuff injury is impingement, or a pinching of the rotator cuff muscles under the acromion (a part of the shoulder blade). This injury occurs with overhead activity, heavy lifting, throwing or even sleeping awkwardly. Symptoms include pain, weakness, burning or stabbing pain, neck pain, pain that travels to the middle of the arm and night pain. Rest, anti-inflammatories and gentle motion are the best initial treatments. In cases of prolonged pain, patients should seek medical treatment from their primary doctor or an orthopaedic surgeon. Prolonged symptoms, worsening symptoms including inability to raise the arm can be a sign of a rotator cuff tear.

Rotator cuff tears occur when one or more of the rotator cuff tendons rips or ruptures. These tears can occur with a single injury or with chronic degeneration. Acute tears or injuries are less common but unfortunately usually require surgery to fix the torn tendon. Chronic tears or degenerative injuries are more common, have less symptoms and can usually be treated with minimally invasive options such as therapy or injections.