What is a Rotator Cuff Tear? Causes, Symptoms and Treatment for Tear

What Is a Rotator Cuff Tear?

Overview The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint formed at the meeting point of the upper arm bone (the humerus) and the scapula (shoulder blade). It is one of the most mobile joints in the body that is capable of a variety of movements. The rotator cuff plays a huge role in making sure the shoulder is capable of these movements.

What is the Rotator Cuff?

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that safeguard the shoulder joint and make various arm movements (like raising the arm up or rotating the arm) possible.

Rotator Cuff Tear An injury to the muscles or tendons of the rotator cuff is called a rotator cuff tear. The tear could be partial or complete. ● ●

In a partial tear, the muscles suffer damage.

In a complete tear, the tendon is completely cut off.

Causes of Rotator Cuff ●

A rotator cuff tear might happen as a result of playing sports like tennis or baseball, which involve the swinging action of the arm.

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Alternatively, it could also be caused by occupational demands; for example, a painter uses his/her arm through the day and the chance of him/her sustaining a tear is more.

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Simply put, anything that demands continuous use of the shoulder joint could result in a rotator cuff tear.

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Another cause is an injury to the shoulder in the form of a road traffic accident or a fall with the person’s weight landing on his shoulder.

Symptoms of a Tear Symptoms may not always manifest, but when they do, the following might be experienced: ● ● ● ● ●

Pain when the arm is raised.

Pain while lying down on the affected arm.

Inability to carry things.

A feeling of weakness in the shoulder.

A clicking sound when moving the arm.

Diagnosis ● ● ●

Your doctor will ask for a detailed medical history to understand the injury.

This will be followed by a physical examination during which the range of movement of the shoulder will be analyzed.

Further investigations like x-ray, MRI, and ultrasound may also be done.

Treating a Tear ● ● ● ● ●

The doctor will begin with physiotherapy to bring back mobility to the shoulder joint.

Pain medication to tackle the pain will be prescribed.

If the pain is severe, steroid injections may be administered. However, pain relief from this will only be temporary.

The doctor will also advise resting the joint to give it time to heal.

Surgery will be advised only as a last option.

Preventing a Tear ● ● ● ●

Exercises to strengthen the shoulder, arm, and upper back go a long way in preventing a rotator cuff tear.

Maintaining a proper posture also helps.

If your job demands repetitive arm action, take frequent breaks in between to rest your arms.

If you suspect a tear, do not delay treatment as it might lead to permanent loss of shoulder movement. An online search with the terms “orthopedic doctor near me” will give you many options to treat your condition.