Physicians see more rotator cuff injuries than almost any other musculoskeletal injury. A patient with a rotator cuff injury will experience pain and weakness in the shoulder, but not swelling. Sometimes the patient does not have symptoms. Usually, though, the patient will have increased weakness and pain when active. This is especially true when raising the arm higher than shoulder level. Fortunately, there are quite a few treatments available for rotator cuff injury. The type of treatment that is suitable would depend upon the patient's age and the type of injury experienced.
In addition to the two types of rotator cuff injuries already mentioned - tear or tendonitis - you should be aware that there are other conditions that may exhibit similar symptoms. Be sure to see your doctor to get the right diagnosis. He or she will give you a physical examination and will probably inject your shoulder with a local anesthetic. These procedures help your doctor to determine exactly what is wrong with your shoulder. If your doctor believes that you have a rotator cuff tear, the next step may be imaging tests to confirm the diagnosis and find the exact location of the tear.
The more common diagnosis is rotator cuff tendonitis. Treatment for rotator cuff tears and rotator cuff tendonitis is quite similar. Both may be treated conservatively with rest, ice, compression and elevation (known as RICE) therapy. Additionally, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen is recommended. The physician may make a referral to a physical therapist for exercise therapy and modification methods that will help with ADL (activities of daily living). Persistent pain caused by tendonitis may be treated with local injections of a steroid/anesthetic mixture. This will help relieve pain in the joint.
This sort of non-surgical intervention usually has a 50-50 chance of being effective. If it is to work, you will probably see results in 6 - 12 weeks. Using non-invasive techniques of this sort can be good in a number of ways. When you do not have surgery, you also do not have recovery time. Furthermore, you do not experience any of the risks commonly associated with surgery such as complications caused by anesthesia, permanent stiffening of the joint, or infection. One thing to realize, however, is that this approach can cause the original tear to increase in size. Additionally, even though there is not a set recovery time, you will be operating at less than your usual ability until you have completely recovered. Aside from these considerations is the fact that non-invasive techniques may not be effective. You may end up having surgery after all. If your injury is quite severe, your doctor may bypass the non-invasive option and recommend surgery right from the start.
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rotator cuff injuries.
Rotator cuff injuries can be treated surgically in three ways:
The first way is open repair surgery. When open repair surgery is chosen, the surgeon will make a full incision into the shoulder. This large incision has the potential of leaving a large scar; however, this method allows the surgeon to have a great deal of freedom of movement.
2. Mini-open repair surgery: This method is like open repair surgery, but it also utilizes arthroscopy. The advantages of this method are that it is an outpatient procedure that leaves a smaller scar.
The third method is known as all arthroscopic surgery. This is the simplest option in that it is an outpatient procedure, and it also leaves the smallest scar.
The doctor will determine which procedure will work best based on the specific injury.
The majority of patients who have rotator cuff surgery experience a decrease in pain and an increase in ROM (range of motion) within four to six months following surgery. In fact, eighty to ninety-five percent of people who have this surgery report satisfaction with the results.
There are a number of things that will influence the outcome of your rotator cuff surgery. Foremost is the expertise of your surgeon. Aside from this, the type of injury you have experienced, the quality of the injured tissue, your age, and how well you follow your doctors orders will influence how well you recover.
It is rare to experience complications with rotator cuff surgery. Tendon re-tear, which is the most commonly experienced complication, only occurs in about 6% of patients. One or two percent may have nerve injury. As little as one percent of patients may contract infection. Detachment of the deltoid muscle and/or stiffness are experienced by fewer than one percent of patients.
More Information:
Dr. Edelson is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in sports medicine. His clinic, Sports Medicine Oregon, focuses on athletes of all ages. Click here to learn more about Dr. Edelson,
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