Rotator Cuff Tear - How Did It Happen? and What Next?

By: Nick Bryant Click author's name for more of his/her articles

The rotator cuff is the name for a group of four muscles that hold the top of the humerus in place in the shoulder joint. Without them the shoulder would simply dislocate each time that you tried lifting anything. All four of these muscles connect to the shoulder blade or scapula at one end and the humerus or upper arm bone at the other and form a cuff around the shoulder joint, hence the name.

If one or more of these muscles gets torn you have a rotator cuff tear either through wear and tear or a knock or fall. One analogy I have heard is that of comparing the tendons of the cuff to an old car tow rope. If you try pulling something that is too heavy the rope will snap or tear and if you have been using the same tow rope for many years it can start to fray through use.

Cuff Tears sometimes come about through a sudden trauma. If, for example, you were to fall and put your arm out to catch yourself the sudden load can tear the muscle. Lifting something heavy could have the same effect but the damage would be different as the load is likely to be added more evenly and gradually. The tendons and muscles can also just wear out through a repetitive action either through age or because a work or leisure activity over uses the muscle. Anyone who throws a baseball repeatedly is putting strain on these muscles. Any repetitive overhead action like decorating can have teh same effect.

If you tear your rotator cuff you will experience specific symptom such as pain with certain movements like reaching up or behind you, weakness in the arm. The test for a tear will usually involve getting someone to gently push against the doctor's hand whilst mimicking these movements; this will usually result in pain confirming the diagnosis.

Treatment can vary depending on the age of the person and the severity of the tear. Small or short tears are easiset to fix and will probably only need anti-inflammatory drugs and gentle shoulder specific exercise, whilst larger tears may involve corrective surgery to repair the tear or free up space for the inflamed muscle to move more easily reducing or eliminating pain altogether.

If you are younger when you have surgery the greater the success rate. As you age the success rate of the procedure can drop to around 60%. It is sometimes worth thinking about what you see as a successful outcome. Obviously, if you are a keen sportsperson the best outcome would be a return to total fitness. On the other hand, if you lead a fairly placid lifestyle the aim may be to be able to carry out certain tasks and movements pain free.

Rotator cuff tears come in a variety of shapes and sizes and so they can vary quite considerably in terms of prognosis and treatment. Physiotherapy will always be a part of any treatment but it needs to be rotator cuff specific exercises aimed at strengthening and exercising the group of muscles without causing any further damage.

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About The Author: If you want to know how rotator cuff surgery can be avoidedthrough exercise check out my story at my blog www.myrotatorcuffcure.blogspot.com