Rotator Cuff Tear & Sub-Acromial Impingement

Rotator Cuff Tear & Sub-Acromial Impingement

About the rotator cuff

The rotator cuff is a tendon that keeps your arm in the shoulder socket. Together with other ligaments, it keeps your shoulder stable and gives it strength when using your arms above your head. When this tendon becomes damaged, it is known as a rotator cuff tear or injury. We can treat rotator cuff injury in Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Worksop.

Rotator cuff injuries and tears are more commonly experienced by older people as a result of ageing and wear on the joint. Or by younger, more active people from strenuous use, such as weight lifting or repeated overhead movements like throwing or decorating.

What are the symptoms of rotator cuff injuries?

Rotator cuff injuries range from inflamed tendons that don’t repair themselves to partial or full tears of the tendons. Symptoms of rotator cuff tears and injuries include pain and limited movement, for example:

• Pain is at the top and side of the shoulder
• Weakness when lifting your arms above your head
• Pain if you sleep on the affected side
• Limited movement of your shoulder
• Clicking or grating when you move your arm

The shoulder isn’t usually stiff, as it might be if it were osteoarthritis or frozen shoulder. Rotator cuff injury symptoms are not exclusive to only the rotator cuff tears, so a proper diagnosis might include scans such as an MRI or ultrasound.

What treatments are available for rotator cuff tears?

Treatments will vary depending on how bad your rotator cuff tear is. For minor cases, you can try the following to see if your condition improves:

• Rest – avoid lifting heavy objects or raising your arms above your head.
• Pain relief – over-the-counter pain killers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, can treat the pain and possibly reduce any inflammation as well.
• Physiotherapy – exercise therapy can improve both the strength and range of motion in the shoulder. A physio will also advise on which movements you should avoid.
• Injections – steroid injections can reduce inflammation and pain in your shoulder. This may make physiotherapy more comfortable.

Surgery is also an option for severe tears or for injuries that don’t seem to be healing as they should.

About subacromial impingement

Sometimes, the tendons in the rotator cuff can become inflamed or pinched as they rub or move over tissues in the shoulder joint. This is known as subacromial impingement. Impingement may lead to damage to the rotator cuff itself and it is possible to have both an impingement and a rotator cuff injury at the same time. Book your treatment for rotator cuff injury in Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Worksop. You can also follow us on social media.

 

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