What Is a Rotator Cuff Tear and How Do I Know If I Have a Rotator Cuff Injury? 5 Common Symptoms

 


Located in the shoulder area of the upper body, the rotator cuff is comprised of four tendons, the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis and teres minor. The four tendons join together to form the rotator cuff tendon. The tendons attach to the greater tuberosity of the humerus. The supraspinatus tendon is the most common site of injury for a rotator cuff tear and is identified as the watershed region of blood flow.

Rotator cuff injuries including tears and tendinitis are common among many athletes and also increase in frequency as people get older due to age-induced degeneration. Engagement in physical activities like baseball, tennis and rowing can sometimes lead to shoulder injury due to overuse.

According to data reported by the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (Orthopaedic Surgeon Tulsa), between 1998 and 2004 over 5 million visits to doctors in the United States were attributed to some type of rotator cuff tear, injury or related problem. This number represented a notable increase over previous estimates and this could be attributed in part due to changes in demographics with a higher overall percentage of aging individuals in the population.

Here are five common symptoms of rotator cuff injuries including tears:

Pain at night that may be severe enough to wake you up from a sound sleep or prevent you from going to sleep in the first place.

Pain with any type of overhead activity - for example, reaching upwards to put things on overhead shelves.

Difficulty stretching behind your back to reach a shirt button or get a wallet, etc.

Pain on the lateral side of your shoulder.

A dead feeling in your arm during regular daily activity.

The symptoms and signs of tears and tendinitis are very similar. The mechanism of injury may also be similar.

During physical examination, certain physical signs will help a medical professional like a board certified orthopedic surgeon determine whether or not you have a rotator cuff tear or tendinitis. For example, atrophy is not typically seen with tendinitis. Atrophy involving the supraspinatus and infraspinatus fossa is a sign of a chronic rotator cuff tear.

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