20 May 2019
 Categories: , Blog

Rotator cuff injuries can cause considerable pain and physical limitations. Over time, scar tissue can develop that causes your shoulder to freeze. Depending on the extent of the problem, there are several treatment approaches that might be helpful.

Conservative Treatments

Minor rotator cuff injuries might become better on their own with conservative treatments. Generally, your doctors will recommend resting your shoulder until the pain subsides. It may be helpful to use a sling, even if it is just used as a reminder to keep the shoulder immobilized and not use it for lifting. Retail pain relievers that have anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce pain and any swelling you experience. You should try experimenting with heat and cold therapy during the recovery period. In the early stages of your injury, icing your shoulder might keep swelling to a minimum. Over time, heat can be more comfortable and effective and can promote healing.

Surgical Intervention

Surgical intervention is necessary for extensive rotator cuff injuries or those that do not improve over time. An extensive rotator cuff injury can leave the shoulder unstable and the upper-arm bone may move around in the socket or come out with little to no effort. During surgery, the torn tendons are repaired to increase the support and function of the shoulder. There are different approaches to surgery, which depend on the severity of the tears and how complex your procedure will be. If possible, surgeons may prefer to use an arthroscopic approach, which allows the tears to be repaired by inserting a small camera. Sometimes the surgeon needs more space to work, and they will use an open approach.

Physical Therapy

Even minor rotator cuff injuries can benefit from physical therapy. Physical therapy involves performing exercises that can strengthen your shoulder. This may include a range of motion exercises and lifting light weights. For people who have had surgery, their physical therapy will start with more basic exercises, especially if they also experienced weakness after their injury. Post-operative exercises may start with an unweighted range of motion activities, such as extending the arm and moving it in a circular motion. A major benefit of these types of exercises after surgery is to keep the shoulder moving so it is less likely to develop scar tissue that can limit motion. Swimming is a good rehabilitative exercise for shoulder injuries or after the surgical incision has healed.

Rotator cuff injuries can leave people with chronic, severe shoulder pain and instability of the joint. Addressing shoulder injuries quickly will make it easier to reduce pain and fix the underlying problem. Talk to a surgeon like Christopher C. Schmidt, M.D for more information.