Rotator Cuff Injuries
The rotator cuff muscles hold the head of the long bone of
your upper arm tightly in the socket of your shoulder. Sports that
require moving the arm over the head repeatedly can cause tearing
and swelling of the tendons of these muscles. Baseball pitchers,
swimmers, weight lifters and tennis players often suffer this injury.
Chronic irritation can cause pain, swelling and tearing of the
rotator cuff. If you continue to exercise in spite of the pain,
you will tear the tendons from their attachments.
Initially, pain occurs only when you hold your arm over your
head and bring it down or forward forcibly. Later, it will hurt when
the arm is moved forward for any reason, such as to shake hands.
Usually, it hurts when you push things away and does not hurt when
you pull objects toward you. A torn rotator cuff will cause
tenderness over the tendons, especially when the elbow is raised
above the shoulder. It will hurt when you pull your arm across
your chest, and you will have difficulty raising your elbow over
your shoulder. An arthrogram is often not sensitive enough to
diagnose a partial tear of the rotator cuff but can show a
complete tear.
The treatment is to avoid any motion that hurts and
strengthen the uninjured shoulder muscles. Do weight-lifting
exercises that bring the weights toward the body and do not hurt,
such as upright rows and downward "lat pulls". You may need surgery
if the rotator cuff tendons are torn completely, or if the tendons
do not heal within one year.
Checked 9/29/08