Torn Rotator Cuff Treatment Hardly Ever Needs Surgery

A rotator cuff tear can happen for a variety of reasons. For most of us it will happen as a result of wear and tear as we age. Although this is an injury that is most common in the over fifties, it can also be acquired through a fall or knock or can even be caused by a repetitive action such as throwing a baseball . This is why it is sometimes referred to as pitcher's shoulder.

Surgery is most often restricted to the unfortunate few who either manage a complete rotator cuff tear or whose injury does not respond to conventional treatment.

So what is the best form of torn rotator cuff treatment?

First off you need to rest the muscles! You need to let the muscle heal properly and if you continue to use it, either it will slow down the recovery process or the worst case scenario is that you will make the injury worse. Depending on which of the cuff tendons you have managed to damage some of your shoulder movements will cause pain. The usual symptoms for a Supraspinatus tear for example are pain when lifting your arm above shoulder height or reaching for anything, difficulty reaching behing you and trouble sleeping because the shoulder is so tender. If you continue to do the same movements that are painful you will simply damage the muscle even more which could leave you with a full thickness rotator cuff tear that will definitely need an operation.

Secondly, treat the pain and inflammation. This can be done with anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen or with cortisone injections. Treating the inflammation will sometimes help with any pain or discomfort simply because a lot of shoulder pain is caused by inflamed tendons getting trapped by other muscles and bone. Ultra sound can also be used to help with the inflammation and help to improve healing.

Once the injury has started to settle down and movement has become easier it is time to start exercising the rotator cuff muscles to build up their strength. These exercises will be small exercises with little or no weight or resistance. These are small muscles that often suffer injury as a result of neglect. The majority of us don't understand how important these muscles are until we suffer an injury, but they are fundamental to a healthy shoulder joint, holding the arm into the socket as we lift and move. A small increase in strength of the rotator cuff can have a dramatic affect on the overall strength of the shoulder joint.

Rotator cuff specific exercises are what is called for. If you start working out with weights this is likely to simply work the major muscles of the shoulder and do nothing for the injured muscles. Rotator cuff exercises will isolate these muscles waking them up, building their strength. You'll be surprised just how quickly your shoulder joint will get better once you get these muscles back to full health.

But remember, rest and treat the inflammation before you start any rotator cuff exercises. If you need to modify how you work in order to rest your shoulder then do it. Working through a rotator cuff injury can only lead to further injury.

And finally. It is worth mentioning that self diagnosis of shoulder problems is not a good idea. Different injuries need different treatments and it's worth getting it right just to avoid further problems.