If you have persistent shoulder pain and find it difficult to reach or move your arm from side to side, you may have a damaged or torn rotator cuff.
Here are the symptoms of this common orthopedic injury and how your orthopedic surgeon can reduce your pain and help you regain shoulder and arm function.
What Is The Rotator Cuff?
The rotator cuff is a group of four shoulder muscles and their connecting tendons. They are attached to the upper end of the humerus, the large arm bone which extends from the shoulder to the elbow joint.
The rotator cuff enables your complex shoulder joint to move the arm in many directions–up, down, and side to side. The rotator cuff also accomplishes full 180-degree rotation of the arm in the shoulder socket, or glenoid.
How Is Shoulder Pain Related to The Rotator Cuff?
Because the shoulder joint is more flexible and mobile than any other body joint (such as the knee or hip), it is also the most injury-prone. People injure their rotator cuffs through any number of acute or chronic problems, and typically, a person’s non-dominant arm is the one that experiences these symptoms:
- Shoulder pain
- Stiffness
- Poor range of motion
- Weakness
- Inability to rotate the affected arm or move it laterally across the body
- Limited ability to reach the hand up above the level of the shoulder
- Snapping or popping sounds coming from the shoulder joint
These uncomfortable symptoms can happen at any age. However, advancing age is a predisposing factor for the tendon fraying, stiffness, and bone spurs associated with osteoarthritis of the shoulder.
On the other hand, young people–especially athletes (pitchers and golfers) and workers who lift and carry heavy objects–develop tears and shoulder dislocation/instability due to repetitive motions. The rotator cuff also can sustain damage from falls or bone spurs stemming from arthritis.
How Will My Orthopedic Surgeon Treat My Damaged Rotator Cuff?
Your shoulder surgeon in Pasadena, MD, will consult with you about your persistent shoulder symptoms. They will perform a hands-on examination– looking at the function and range of motion in your affected arm–and also review your symptoms, medical history, and more.
To pinpoint the exact nature of your shoulder problem, the doctor may perform an MRI, ultrasound examination of the joint, and/or other kinds of state-of-the-art imaging. From there, treatment can be planned.
Fortunately, most people with damaged rotator cuffs do not require surgery of any kind. Non-invasive methods of treatment include:
- Over-the-counter pain medications, such as ibuprofen
- Application of heat and/or cold therapy
- Physical or occupational therapy to preserve or recover flexibility and function
- Cortisone injections into the joint to relieve inflammation and pain
Surgical options truly are last resorts. They can include small incision debridement of tendon fraying and calcifications or open/mini surgical repair of rotator cuff tendons.
Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder in Lutherville, Maryland
Our ten board-certified orthopedic surgeons and their support staff provide excellent diagnosis, treatment, and continuing care for a wide range of upper extremity conditions. We can help you with your damaged or torn rotator cuff and get you back to the full life you love.
Call us for a consultation at (410) 296-6232. We have seven locations to serve you. You may also request an appointment online.
