Rotator Cuff Tear

What causes a rotator cuff tear?

The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles that hold the upper arm bone (humerus) in the shoulder joint. These muscles stabilize the joint and move your arm. That means the rotator cuff endures a lot of stress, making it vulnerable to tears.

Rotator cuff tears typically affect the tendons attaching the muscle to the shoulder bones. Tears can occur after an injury, such as falling on your arm or taking a direct blow to the shoulder. However, these tears more commonly develop due to overuse injuries.

Repeatedly making the same arm movements causes small tears. If your rotator cuff doesn’t get enough rest, the tear enlarges and swelling develops.

Overhead movements during activities like baseball, weightlifting, tennis, painting, and carpentry increase your risk of tearing the rotator cuff.

Age-related tissue degeneration also weakens the tendons, gradually resulting in a rotator cuff tear.

What symptoms will a rotator cuff tear cause?

A torn rotator cuff causes symptoms such as:

• Shoulder pain and weakness
• Arm pain and weakness
• Pain when lifting and lowering your arm
• Difficulty using your arm
• Pain when pressure is placed on the shoulder
• Crackling or popping when using your shoulder

When an injury tears the rotator cuff, the pain occurs immediately. By comparison, you’ll have mild symptoms that gradually worsen if the tear is caused by overuse (repetitive and overhead movements or age-related degeneration).

How are rotator cuff tears treated?

After examining your shoulder, Dr. Ihn may need imaging like X-rays or an MRI to accurately diagnose whether a tear or another problem is the underlying cause of your pain.

For most people, rotator cuff treatment begins with non-surgical treatments. Dr. Ihn focuses on reducing inflammation and improving shoulder function with treatments such as: 

• Rest
• Activity modification
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Strengthening and stretching exercises
• Physical therapy
• Corticosteroid injections
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections

Dr. Ihn may recommend surgery if the tear is large, your pain doesn’t improve with non-surgical therapies, or the shoulder remains weak. You may also need surgery if you’re active, want to stay engaged in athletics, or your job requires overhead activities.

Surgery for a torn rotator cuff typically involves reattaching the tendon to the bone. Dr. Ihn typically performs arthroscopy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure that uses small incisions.

If you have shoulder pain, schedule an appointment by calling Hansel E. Ihn, MD, or requesting one online today.