Shoulder Pain? It Could Be A Rotator Cuff Injury!

Common Causes For Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain can be due to a lot of factors but the most common cause is rotator cuff disorder. Rotator cuff problems can easily be treated by painkillers, a combination of exercises but avoiding overhead ones, occasional steroid injections and physiotherapy. Sometimes one can also opt for surgery.

What’s Really Going On Inside The Rotator Cuff?

Our rotator cuff is composed of four muscles that help our shoulder joint to move and stabilize. One can damage any one of these four muscles or all four. It’s not only the muscles that can be damaged but the ligaments that attach these muscles to the bone can be damaged as well. This can happen due to many factors such as chronic overuse, gradual aging or acute injury. Due to this damage to the rotator cuff one can experience compelling pain and a range of motion and shoulder joint disability.

Our shoulder allows us to move our arm in many directions, this is because our shoulder is a ball-socket joint. It is made up of the humeral head (the upper end of the bone of the upper arm) fitting into the shoulder blade. The humeral head is kept in its place by an elongated cone which is form of thick bands of cartilage. Rotator cuff muscles play a very important role in stabilizing and movement of the shoulder joint. Also they adjust scapula during shoulder movement and in the positioning of the humeral head.

What Could Go Wrong Inside All This?

There are a number of injuries that can occur in rotator cuffs:

• Acute Rotator Cuff Tear – this can happen from a fall or a sharp sudden motion with force
• Chronic Tear – these are found commonly in sports or jobs that require constant shoulder use
• Tendinitis – is caused by wearing out of the muscles and happens at the spot where the muscle connects with the bone (the tendon tissue)

When the rotator cuff is damaged, a variety of issues arise:

• Pain and spasm limit the range of motion of the shoulder.
• The muscles do not make the small adjustments within the joint to allow the humeral head to move smoothly.
• Fluid accumulation within the joint due to inflammation limits movement.
• Arthritis and calcium deposits that form over time limit range of motion.

The seriousness of injury may range from a slight strain and/or inflammation of the muscle, which may lead to no permanent damage. It may also lead to a part or complete tear of the muscle that might eventually need surgery for it to repair.

The First Step is to Recognize What is Wrong, and Then Seek Treatment

If shoulder pain does not go away despite using methods like ice, rest, over the counter anti-inflammatory medicines (such as Ibuprofen) – it may be time to see your doctor. Your doctor will give you a physical exam, evaluate the range of motion and recommend options. It may also require X-rays, ultrasounds and other tests to diagnose the issue.

If the injury does not heal, surgery may be required. Typically physical therapy is recommended regardless of whether surgery is carried out or not. It helps you gain range of motion in increments and helps with structured healing of the rotator cuff injury.

We Are Here To Help You

If you have shoulder pain, our specialists at one of our six HealthMax Physiotherapy clinics would love to help you. For more health advice and information, contact the team HealthMax Physiotherapy Clinics who are here to help you. You can contact us by phone at (416) 431-4000 or via our Contact Form.