Exercises for Rotator Cuff

When a person would get himself in an injury with the shoulders, there are different signs to look out for that suggests the need for attention. The first one would have to be pain. This could be a passive feeling, or could be felt only when the shoulder joint is being moved. Other symptoms would be that of any bruising or swelling.

Now, in order to remedy this, it would be appropriate to adhere to the best rotator cuff exercises since those will be able Read more…

A rotator cuff tendon tear is a common injury from falls particularly in the elderly. Falling on an outstretched hand is a typical cause of a rotator cuff tendon tear but the injury can also be caused by occupations that require repeated heavy lifting as well as sports where the arms are lifted high over the head.

The symptoms of a rotator cuff tendon tear include pain and or weakness when holding the arm overhead or stretched out horizontally. Elderly people may complain of pain when dressing, or moving their arm in an upward or outward motion.

It may be difficult to pinpoint the exact source of the rotator cuff tendon tear though the weakness may be apparent on a physical exam by a doctor. Rays may appear normal and a partial tear is not always visible even when using MRI.
If a rotator cuff tendon tear is suspected, non-invasive treatments are usually prescribed before surgery is considered. First steps in treatment of a rotator cuff tendon tear are applying cold or heat to the affected area and treatment with anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen. A sling may also be worn to rest the arm that is affected by the rotator cuff tendon tear.

In addition to these non-invasive treatments, electrical stimulation of the nerves and muscles, cortisone injections, and ultrasound may be prescribed for treatment of a torn radiator cuff tendon. If these treatments are not successful, arthroscopic surgery or an open surgical repair of the rotator cuff tendon tear may be required. After surgery an extensive round of physical therapy may be required to regain range of movement.

The symptoms of rotator cuff strain include pain and weakness when the arm is held overhead or stretched out horizontally from the body. Pain when performing activities such as dressing and brushing your hair are common symptoms of rotator cuff strain. Although some injuries to the rotator cuff are traumatic such as sports injuries or falls, the predominate reason for symptoms of rotator cuff strain are wear and tear on the shoulder especially in those over forty years of age.

Symptoms of rotator cuff strain and tears include atrophy of the shoulder muscles and pain when lifting the arm both overhead and horizontally away from the body. There may also be pain when lowering the arm after it has been fully raised and weakness when rotating or lifting the arm. Other symptoms of rotator cuff strain include a crackling sensation called crepitus occurring when the shoulder is moved in certain positions.

The symptoms of rotator cuff strain may come on suddenly in the case of a traumatic injury with sudden weakness and sharp pain. The symptoms of rotator cuff strain may be more subtle if the injury is coming from wear and tear. You may notice atrophy of the muscles around the shoulders, dull pain even when not moving the shoulder and sharp pain during activity.

Sometimes the symptoms of rotator cuff strain help the doctor diagnose the problem better than tests such as x-rays and even MRI’s since the injury may not show up on the tests. If the symptoms of rotator cuff strain are not alleviated by conservative measures such as wearing a sling, therapy, and anti-inflammatory medication, your doctor may recommend that you have surgery to stop the symptoms of rotator cuff strain.

Symptoms of rotator cuff problems are pain and weakness when holding the arm up over the head or when stretching it out horizontally. Painful symptoms of rotator cuff problems may surface when dressing, sleeping, brushing hair, or any activity that involves moving the arm in an outward or upward motion.

Pinpointing the exact source of the symptoms of rotator cuff problems may be difficult but the weakness can be apparent to a doctor during the physical exam. X-rays may look normal and partial tears aren’t always visible to the eye even when using imaging technology such as MRI’s.

If the symptoms of rotator cuff problems point to the diagnosis, non-invasive treatments are normally prescribed before invasive treatments such as surgery are considered. The first treatment of rotator cuff problems tendon is usually applying hot or cold packs to the painful area and treatment with anti-inflammatory medications such as oral NSAIDS or ibuprofen. A sling may also be prescribed so the arm that is affected by the torn rotator cuff can rest.

In addition electrical stimulation of the muscles and nerves, ultrasound, and steroid injections may be recommended for the treatment of a torn radiator cuff. If these non-invasive treatments are not successful at alleviating the

symptoms of rotator cuff problems, arthroscopic surgery or an open repair of the rotator cuff tear may be pursued. After arthroscopic or open surgery is performed extensive physical therapy may be required to regain strength and normal range of movement.

In the case of rotator cuff damage, a doctor’s exam and your symptoms may go further in figuring out what the problem is than tests like X-rays and MRI’s. Many times rotator cuff damage is difficult because X-Rays can look normal and small tears cannot always be seen even with imaging technology.

Pain and weakness are classic symptoms of rotator cuff damage, so is pain when dressing or doing something as simple as brushing your hair. If you have these symptoms it is likely that you will receive a diagnosis of rotator cuff damage from your doctor. When you first receive a rotator cuff damage diagnosis, your doctor may put the affected arm in a sling to rest your shoulder and recommend that you take NSAIDS or ibuprofen for the pain and inflammation.

Depending on the severity of the pain, he may prescribe a round of physical therapy or send you home with some exercises to strengthen the muscles in your shoulder. This is standard procedure with rotator cuff damage. Other conservative treatments that your doctor may prescribe if you have rotator cuff damage are hot or cold packs, ultrasound therapy and cortisone shots.

If you have received a rotator cuff damage diagnosis and the pain doesn’t improve after awhile your doctor may recommend surgery. With rotator cuff damage arthroscopic surgery is the less invasive procedure but an open procedure can sometimes be required. After the surgery is complete physical therapy is usually recommended to regain strength and range of motion in the shoulder and arm.