Basics of Rotator Cuff Injuries
One of the most frequent musculoskeletal injuries is the rotator cuff injury. Sometimes this type of injury is not associated with symptoms, but usually it is quite painful. A rotator cuff tear or rotator cuff tendonitis can cause you to experience pain and weakness in the shoulder when using your arms. It can be especially painful to lift the arm higher than shoulder level. Luckily, there are a number of ways to treat rotator cuff injuries - both surgical and non-surgical. The type of injury you have, your condition, and your age will be determining factors in deciding which type of treatment is right in your situation.
There are two categories of rotator cuff injury. One is rotator cuff tendonitis. The other is rotator cuff tear. Be aware that there are several other conditions that could be the cause of shoulder pain. The only way to get an accurate diagnosis of rotator cuff injury is to see a doctor. He or she will first look at the symptoms and perform a basic physical examination. After this, the physician may use a local anesthetic that will be injected into the injured shoulder. This will help determine whether the injury is a muscle tear or tendonitis. If the injury seems to be a rotator cuff tear, the doctor may order some imaging tests. These will help confirm that the injury is a tear and isolate the location of the injury.
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.
Click here for more on rotator cuff tears .
Rotator cuff injuries can be treated surgically in three ways:
1. Open repair surgery: With this option, the surgeon makes a full incision into the shoulder. This method gives the surgeon a great deal of freedom of movement; however, it is the largest incision option of the three available methods.
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.
After examining and diagnosing your injury, your doctor will be able to make a sound decision as to which method will work best for you.
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.
Complications resulting from rotator cuff surgery are quite rare. The most commonly experienced complication is tendon re-tear. This is only experienced by about six percent of patients. Nerve injury may be experienced by one to two percent of patients. Infection may be a problem for one percent of patients. Fewer than one percent complain of stiffness. Less than one percent may have problems with deltoid muscle detachment. - 17274
There are two categories of rotator cuff injury. One is rotator cuff tendonitis. The other is rotator cuff tear. Be aware that there are several other conditions that could be the cause of shoulder pain. The only way to get an accurate diagnosis of rotator cuff injury is to see a doctor. He or she will first look at the symptoms and perform a basic physical examination. After this, the physician may use a local anesthetic that will be injected into the injured shoulder. This will help determine whether the injury is a muscle tear or tendonitis. If the injury seems to be a rotator cuff tear, the doctor may order some imaging tests. These will help confirm that the injury is a tear and isolate the location of the injury.
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.
Click here for more on rotator cuff tears .
Rotator cuff injuries can be treated surgically in three ways:
1. Open repair surgery: With this option, the surgeon makes a full incision into the shoulder. This method gives the surgeon a great deal of freedom of movement; however, it is the largest incision option of the three available methods.
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.
After examining and diagnosing your injury, your doctor will be able to make a sound decision as to which method will work best for you.
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.
Complications resulting from rotator cuff surgery are quite rare. The most commonly experienced complication is tendon re-tear. This is only experienced by about six percent of patients. Nerve injury may be experienced by one to two percent of patients. Infection may be a problem for one percent of patients. Fewer than one percent complain of stiffness. Less than one percent may have problems with deltoid muscle detachment. - 17274
About the Author:
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, Portland Labral Tear Repairs and Shoulder Doctors in Portland.
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