Rotator cuff tears

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A rotator cuff tear is a common cause of pain and disability among adults. A torn rotator cuff will weaken your shoulder. Consequently many day-to-day activities, like combing your own hair or getting dressed, can become painful and hard to perform.

Anatomy of the shoulder

Your shoulder consists of three bones: your upper arm bone (humerus), your shoulder blade (scapula), along with your collarbone (clavicle). The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint: The ball, or head, of the upper arm bone fits into a shallow socket within your shoulder blade. Your arm is held in your shoulder socket by the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is a network of four muscles, which come together as tendons to create a covering across the head of the humerus. The rotator cuff attaches the humerus on the shoulder blade and enables you to lift and rotate your arm.

Classification of rotator cuff tears

Most of the time, torn tendons start by fraying. As the damage progresses, the tendon can completely tear, sometimes with lifting a heavy object. There are several forms of tears and these include:
Partial Tear – This kind of tear damages the soft tissue, but doesn’t completely sever it.
Full-Thickness Tear – This sort of tear can also be termed as a complete tear.

Cause of rotator cuff tears

The two main causes of rotator cuff tears are injury and degeneration.

Acute tear
In the event you fall on an outstretched arm or lift something too heavy that has a jerking motion, you could potentially tear your rotator cuff. This kind of tear may happen along with other shoulder injuries, like a broken collarbone or dislocated shoulder.

Degenerative tear
Most tears are the result of a breakdown down of the tendon that develops slowly with time. This degeneration naturally occurs as our bodies age. Several factors play a role in degenerative, or chronic, rotator cuff tears.

  • Repetitive stress
  • Insufficient blood supply
  • Bone spurs

Symptoms of rotator cuff tears

The most typical signs of a rotator cuff tear include:

  • Pain while resting and also at night, especially if lying on the affected shoulder
  • Pain when lifting and lowering your arm or with specific movements
  • Weakness when lifting or rotating your arm
  • Crepitus or crackling sensation when moving your shoulder in certain positions

Treatment for rotator cuff tears

The objective of any therapy is to relieve pain and restore function. There are various chiropractic treatment methods for a rotator cuff tear, and the most suitable option is unique from person to person. In planning your treatment, your chiropractor will consider your age, level of activity, overall health, as well as the kind of tear you’ve got. There isn’t any evidence of better outcomes from surgery performed close to the period of injury versus at a later time. Because of this, many doctors first recommend nonsurgical treatment methods for rotator cuff tears. In approximately 50% of patients, nonsurgical treatment relieves pain, and improves function in the shoulder. Shoulder strength, however, will not usually improve without surgery. Chiropractic treatment solutions could include:

  • Rest
  • Activity modification
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication
  • Strengthening exercises and physical rehabilitation
  • Steroid injection if manual therapy does not provide enough relief
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