More than two million patients experience rotator cuff tears yearly in the United States. Rotator cuff injuries are painful and make upward and rotating arm movements difficult. Torn rotator cuffs can be disruptive to everyday life as we use our shoulders for a number of things.
Left untreated, your injury can limit your movements and affect your work, time with loved ones, and overall quality of life. Here’s what happens if your torn rotator cuff is left untreated.
Symptoms May Worsen
If you sustain a rotator cuff injury, you may experience symptoms like deep pain, especially when you lift your arm. Other symptoms include difficulty moving and weakness of the arm and shoulder. Some patients also observe popping sounds and sensations when they move their arms.
If you leave your injury untreated, it can get worse. Your symptoms may worsen, especially if you continue to use your arm like normal. Patients may start to feel more apparent, constant, or even debilitating pain. Severe cases of rotator cuff tears can even prevent you from getting proper sleep and rest.
Letting your injury go unattended can aggravate it and cause it to fray. As the tears grow bigger, the pain-relieving effects of medication may weaken, leaving you in need of more serious treatments, like surgery.
Difficulty in Everyday Life
One of the leading symptoms of a torn rotator cuff is difficulty moving your arm and shoulder. That said, you can expect to have trouble going about your everyday life if your injury goes untreated. You may experience chronic pain, which can keep you from enjoying your free time. A torn rotator cuff can also cause disturbance to your sleep and rest, leaving you restless and tired. Simple tasks like reaching for food on a shelf, combing your hair, or even driving may become Herculean in difficulty.
Further, an untreated rotator cuff tear can prevent you from working efficiently. If your job entails physical labor or has you in frequent motion, you may experience pain and weakness in your shoulder more frequently. You should also avoid playing sports altogether, especially the more high-intensity ones like weightlifting, volleyball, and basketball. By forcing yourself to continue to perform difficult tasks, you risk aggravating your injury even further.
May Cause Further Damage
You might have to adjust the way you move if you have a torn rotator cuff, since it’ll leave you unable to move normally. Otherwise, you will be more susceptible to developing conditions like:
- Shoulder arthritis or damage to your cartilage or the rubbery cushions in your joints
- Shoulder instability or when the ball of your upper arm moves from its stable position in your joint socket
These conditions are characterized by pain, decreased mobility, loss of function, and other symptoms. You may need to seek additional medical care if you suffer from these conditions.
If you play sports, engage in high-intensity activities, or perform vigorous work, you may sustain other injuries on top of your torn rotator cuff. This is because in carrying out these kinds of activities, you are likely to apply untoward pressure on the other parts of your body to compensate for your shoulder’s inability to support your movements. When this happens, you increase your risk of straining other muscles, becoming off-balance, and falling.
Rotator Cuff Repair In Eldersburg, MD
A rotator cuff tear can be disruptive to your everyday life because it brings pain, stiffness, and difficulty moving. If left untreated, a torn rotator cuff’s symptoms can worsen, meaning you will experience even more pain, swelling, and stiffness. In addition, if you keep forcing your shoulder, you may aggravate your injury.
If you’re looking for a clinic that performs rotator cuff repair in Eldersburg, Maryland, look no further than Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder. We have a team of board-certified orthopedic surgeons that can give you the comprehensive care you deserve. If you want to know more about our services, you can call our friendly staff at (410) 296-6232. If you want to book a consultation, you may use our secure online appointment request form.
We look forward to serving you at one of our seven convenient locations in Maryland!
