Rotator Cuff Injuries

If you are currently experiencing shoulder pain or difficulty moving your arm, you might be dealing with a rotator cuff injury. Understanding what your rotator cuff is, how it can get injured, and the available treatment options can help you manage and recover from this common condition.

What is Your Rotator Cuff?

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and their tendons that surround the shoulder joint. These muscles are:

1. Supraspinatus
2. Infraspinatus
3. Teres Minor
4. Subscapularis

Together, these muscles and tendons form a “cuff” surrounding the shoulder joint and play a crucial role in stabilizing your shoulder during movement. They enable you to lift and rotate your arm and are essential for many everyday activities, from reaching for items to throwing a ball.

How Do You Injure Your Rotator Cuff?

Rotator cuff injuries can occur due to various reasons, often involving either acute trauma or extended periods of repetitive work. Symptoms of a rotator cuff injury can include pain in the shoulder, especially with overhead activities or at night, weakness in the arm, and limited range of motion.

Prevalence of Small Tears

Interestingly, small rotator cuff tears are quite common and can often be found in individuals who experience no shoulder pain or symptoms. Studies have shown that a significant number of people—particularly as they age—have rotator cuff tears that are visible on imaging tests like MRI or ultrasound, even though they do not exhibit any noticeable discomfort or functional limitations. Many people with small, asymptomatic tears lead normal, active lives without requiring any treatment. However, if you are experiencing shoulder pain or restricted movement, it is beneficial to seek medical advice to develop an appropriate treatment plan.

How Do You Treat Rotator Cuff Injuries?

Treatment for a rotator cuff injury depends on the severity of the injury and how much it affects your daily life. Most rotator cuff injuries recover with a combination of temporary removal of aggravating activities over a period of several weeks. However some injuries can take longer to develop and may require physiotherapy treatment including exercise and manual therapy to help facilitate recovery. In some situations surgery may be required but typically this is reserved as a last resort and the vast majority of rotator cuff injuries recover without this.

If you are currently dealing with shoulder pain that is not recovering on its own, book in with one of our experienced physiotherapists at Kamloops Physiotherapy to get an individualized assessment and treatment plan and get you back to doing the activities that are important to you.