Tame the Torn Rotator Cuff: Regaining Strength and Freedom After Injury
Unmasking the Rotator Cuff Tear: Understanding the Anatomy of Shoulder Pain
The rotator cuff is the name for the four muscle-tendon units that surround and help control the shoulder joint throughout its range of motion. A rotator cuff injury is the most common shoulder affliction found in patients living in the Dallas, Frisco and Fort Worth, Texas communities. People with rotator cuff conditions often have pain with many common activities such as reaching and lifting. Two common injuries to this structure, rotator cuff tears and tendinitis can interfere with sleep and become very frustrating. The shoulder specialists at Texas Sports Medicine specialize in rotator cuff injuries and are available to help return patients to the sporting activities they love following an injury.
The rotator cuff surrounds the shoulder joint, much like a cuff on a shirt sleeve, and allows the joint to rotate outward, upward and inward. One or more of the muscle-tendon units that compose the structure can become injured from a fall, sports injury or degeneration from the body aging. In the majority of cases, a rotator cuff tear involves the supraspinatus tendon and muscle, but any muscle-tendon unit can experience damage.
When a tendon becomes torn, there is a separation or “tearing” of the tendon from the humerus head. A rotator cuff tear is classified by shoulder specialists as either a partial or a full-thickness (complete) tear.
- Partial tear- The tendon experiences damage but does not completely sever
- Full-thickness tear- The tendon is torn completely off the attachment site at the bone
Rotator cuff injuries, both a tear and tendonitis, are caused by an acute traumatic injury or degeneration from the natural aging process or continued overuse of the shoulder joint. Two common acute injuries include falling on the shoulder joint or lifting an object too heavy.
From Frustration to Function: Non-Surgical Options for Healing and Relief
- Rest
- Stop all activities that worsen symptoms
- Modify activities
- Change daily and work activities to decrease joint inflammation
- Medications
- NSAIDs to reduce pain and swelling
- Ice
- Use ice and cold compresses to decrease joint inflammation
- Physical therapy
- Designed to restore blood flow, increase joint range of motion and continue the healing process
- Injections
- Platelet rich plasma (PRP) may augment the healing potential for partial tears
Taking Back Control: The Precision Power of Rotator Cuff Repair Surgery
- Rotator cuff repair
- Surgical technique: Instead of making a large incision, a surgeon uses three small incisions during an arthroscopic approach. Through one incision, an arthroscope (small camera) is inserted to look inside the shoulder. Special instruments are then inserted through the other two incisions that allow the removal of scar tissue and bone. A surgeon will then insert sutures and/or anchors with sutures into the shoulder. We use special instruments to weave the sutures through the torn tendon.
It should be noted that heel spurs are often inappropriately thought to be the cause of heel pain. In fact, spurs are common and are nothing more than the bone’s response to traction forces from the plantar fascia. They are commonly present in patients without pain, and frequently absent in those who have pain. It is the rare patient who has a truly enlarged and problematic spur, and the presence of a spur often only serves to divert attention from the true cause of the heel pain.
Rebuilding Your Swing: A Step-by-Step Guide to Post-Surgery Recovery
- Sling use until advised
- Use a machine called a Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) chair to move the affected arm in the correct planes at home for 4 weeks after the operation
- Use ice packs for one hour after each chair session
- Examination 4-6 weeks after surgery to determine when formal rehabilitation will start
- Begin strengthening exercises around 3 months
- Return to play varies from patient to patient
Demystifying the Rotator Cuff: Answering Your Burning Questions
Building a Fortress of Strength: Preventing Future Tears and Strengthening Your Shoulders
Meet Your Shoulder Champions: Expert Specialists on Your Path to Recovery