Can a Torn Rotator Cuff Heal? Home Rehabilitation May Be the Answer

Is your shoulder pain getting to the point where you need to do something about it? You had hopes that, with a little rest, it would heal. But sure enough, your doctor tells you that your RC has a small tear. What do you do from here? Corrective surgery, physical therapy or a combination may be recommended by your doctor. Can a rotator cuff heal without surgery? Yes, many times it is possible to heal a torn rotator cuff without the need for surgery. Just make sure you talk with your doctor before making a final decision.

Generally speaking tendons are durable, but if too much stress is placed on them, especially repetitive movements, swelling may result. Resting the inflamed tendons is crucial, otherwise a tear may follow. Falling on an outstretched hand is a also a common way to injure the rotator cuff.

The complex network of small muscles and tendons must be approached gently and patiently when going through a rehabilitation program. Always pay attention to strict form when learning new exercises and of course talk with your doctor before taking on a new rotator cuff rehab program.

Stretching should be added to any good rotator cuff rehab program. The benefits of proper stretching include improved circulation and increased mobility and range of motion. The small muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff don't receive a lot of blood flow, so improving circulation with stretching, massage and applying heat is important to the overall healing process.

By slowly and progressively strengthening the rotator cuff through intelligent physical therapy, it may be possible to heal the injury.

Rotator cuff injuries sometimes take a while to heal. Make sure you are committed to any therapy you undertake and stay consistent. Rotator cuff exercises, if done properly, can do wonders for healing and strengthening your shoulder. The key is to be patient and consistent.

Use common sense and avoid the temptation to start performing exercises without the proper guidance. The rotator cuff is a sensitive area and healing must be approached in a very specific way. There is not a lot of margin for error and you could easily make your injury worse. Under certain circumstances you can heal a torn rotator cuff especially if you follow and intelligent rehab program designed by a specialist in rotator cuff injuries.

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Rotator Cuff Tendonitis Symptoms and Treatments

When we talk about Rotator Cuff Tendonitis we must also take in consideration Bursitis. The two are linked together and simply describe an inflammation of two different but adjacent areas of the shoulder joint. Tendonitis is the inflammation of the tendons of the rotator cuff, Bursitis is the inflammation of the Bursa, a sack laying next to the tendons to prevent them from rubbing against the shoulder bones.

Sometimes the space between shoulder bones becomes too narrow and both the tendons and the bursa become inflamed, leading to a thickening of these structures, thus to a self fueling situation of higher and higher friction and inflammation. When moving the arm over head, it is typical to feel a pinching sensation, from which the name of this condition: Impingement Syndrome. So Tendonitis, Bursitis and Impingement are all related.

The symptoms of rotator cuff tendonitis are: pain in over head motions, pain more acute at night, and specifically on the side of the shoulder. Tendonitis can strike at people involved in repetitive movements like tennis players, but not only.

Treatments in place for this ailment range from rest, to ice packs, anti inflammatory drugs, prescription drugs, and in the most sever cases cortisone injections or surgery. Also shoulder exercises must be taken into account.

All of them are effective, with the distinction that drugs and injections have side effects and cannot be taken as a long term solution. Unfortunately the shoulder is a complex joint that can take months to recover, leaving the main choice for a natural, fast and lasting recovery to rotator cuff exercises. A specific rotator cuff rehabilitation program can considerably cut down on recovery times, pain and inflammation to few weeks only. It will also help you avoid invasive surgery.

It is important to avoid movement such as military presses that only irritate the tendons even further until further notice. For all types of shoulder conditions it is best to stick to specific stretching exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff and reduce inflammation in the area.

If you suffer from Tendonitis, Bursitis and Impingement, there is no need to put up with pain, misery and drugs for months. A proper rehabilitation program for rotator cuff tendonitis can restore your shoulder in no time at all. Find out how to implement your program by clicking on rotator cuff tendonitis.

If You've Suffered a Rotator Cuff Injury Do Not Panic, The Answer is Often Simpler Than You Think

Shoulder problems come in all shapes and sizes. It is probably the most involved joint in the body and consequently is one of the easiest to start having a problem with and one of the most common shoulder problems is a rotator cuff injury. Around thirty percent of us will have a problem with these small but important muscles at some point in our lives.

The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles that help to stabilize the shoulder joint by helping to pull the rounded head of the humerus or upper arm into the socket of the shoulder formed by the end of the shoulder blade. These four muscles run over and around the shoulder forming a cuff of muscle, which gives it the name. If you didn't have these muscles it would be very easy to dislocate your shoulder as the ball and socket joint of the shoulder is a very shallow joint to allow the wide range of movement that we enjoy.

If you damage the rotator cuff you can start to Experience a wide range of symptoms. These include difficulty sleeping caused by pain when you lie down, soon begin to realise just how frequently you use your shoulder, so the most sensible advice is to avoid any movement that causes discomfort. The pain in a rotator cuff injury is a sign that damage is being done. Try anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen to bring down any swelling. Avoid working through this type of injury as you can end up turning a fairly simple problem into a major muscle tear that will require surgery.

Once the inflammation and pain has subsided you can start gentle exercise aimed at strengthening the muscle, gradually building up the amount and frequency of exercise until the shoulder is back to full, pain free, movement. Exercises for this type of injury do not involve heavy weights or strong resistance as that will tend to make you use the major muscles of the shoulder rather than the rotator cuff

Finally, don't stop the exercises once you feel better. If you have suffered a shoulder injury once there is a pretty good chance of it happening again so, on the basis that prevention is better than cure, keep your shoulders in shape as you gracefully age and keep up the exercises.

Nick Bryant is an older dad to a young family who acquired a rotator cuff injury which he was told would require surgery. After researching the problem he managed a full recovery with just rest and the right sort of exercise. Read his full story at his blog
http://www..myrotatorcuffcure.blogspot.com

Rotator Cuff Tear Rehab That Can Slash Recovery Times

A rotator cuff tear rehab program should include specific inward and outward movements to help the cuff muscles strengthen after trauma or following surgery. Pain and weakness are the symptoms associated with a tear, difficulty in over head movements and performing tasks. Upon tearing a rotator cuff muscle, it is best resting the joint affected without immobilizing it. Immobilization cold lead to a Frozen Shoulder, so it is better minimizing activity to allow the inflammation to settle down before proceeding to rehabilitation.

The symptoms of a rotator cuff tear are pain, usually on the outside of the shoulder, pain at night, and an inability to hold the arm out or lifting it over head in the worst cases. The majority of tears can be treated without surgery with ice packs and anti inflammatories, both prescription and over the counter, or cortisone injections. However, a better and natural solution is performing specific exercises for the 4 muscles of the rotator cuff that can greatly cut down recovery times. These exercises are different from those performed in the gym for the big shoulder muscles, the Deltoid and the Trapezius.

No heavy lifting over head is required, such as in the military press. Instead, inward and outward rotation movements will target and isolate the rotator cuff muscles that insert in different parts of the shoulder blade on one side and converge into the top of the arm on the other. It is these 4 small but very important muscles and tendons that keep the Humeral Head, the ball, into its place, the Glenoid socket, thus preventing the arm from getting dislodged while allowing for the greatest range of motion of any joint.

Unfortunately, due to its complexity and the fact that we use it every day, once injured it is difficult, painful, and time consuming to recover. A rotator cuff tear rehab program can consistently improve recovery, slashing down healing times, thus cutting down also on anti inflammatories on the long run.

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How to Rehabilitate Rotator Cuff Injury - Without Surgery

Is your shoulder causing you severe pain and limited range of motion? The truth is, overcoming rotator cuff pain is relatively easy. The hardest thing when learning how to rehabilitate rotator cuff injury is knowing what treatment your shoulder needs so you can have pain free, full range use for the rest of your life.

If you do the correct exercises in the right order, even the worst shoulder problems can be fixed rather quickly. There may be cases where surgery is needed, but many people don't require it. They just need to train the correct muscles to do what nature designed them to do.

If you are looking how to naturally heal your shoulder, you may have looked up some shoulder exercises. Most people who do this random "winging it" approach end up disappointed with the results (or make the problem worse.)

Examples of rehab exercises include strengthening and stretching exercises like the overhead stretch. To perform the overhead stretch, lie flat on your back either on the floor or on a exercise bench. Your arms should be at your sides. Raise one arm straight up over your head. With your free hand, grasp your elbow and slowly apply pressure and stretch your arm. Do this as far as you can without causing great discomfort.

The overhead stretch is just one example of the many exercises that, when done in a specific and progressive manner, should eventually lead to full rehabilitation of your shoulder. The time needed for full recovery has a lot to do with your dedication the program. Usually it will fall in the 2-12 week range before you can return to normal, pain-free range of motion.

The good news is, yes, you can learn how to rehabilitate rotator cuff injury and quite possibly avoid surgery. The most important thing to do is find a proven program that progressively heals you and don't just follow a random group of exercises you find on the internet.

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How to Rehabilitate Rotator Cuff Injury - Without Surgery

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Video of Rotator Cuff Surgeries - Live Webcast

It's not a medical drama. It's the real thing. Log on and watch John Uribe, M.D., renowned orthopedic surgeon and medical director for Doctors Hospital's Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, as he performs shoulder rotator cuff repair surgery during a live webcast.

Video of Rotator Cuff Surgeries - Live Webcast



The webcast will be moderated by Tampa Bay Buccaneers team physician and Doctors Hospital orthopedic surgeon John Zvijac, M.D., and simultaneously translated in Spanish by Luis Vargas-Ortiz, M.D., sports medicine educator for the Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.

Tears of the rotator cuff tendons are among the most painful and debilitating injuries of the shoulder. They can occur in athletes and non-athletes, affecting people of all ages. Dr. Uribe, who is team physician for the Florida Panthers and the University of Miami athletics department, will perform the procedure as part of Baptist Health South Florida's effort to broadcast various surgeries and procedures on the web, giving viewers an insider's look at the OR.

Video of Rotator Cuff Surgeries

My Shoulder Hurts. My Doctor Told Me I Have A "Rotor Cuff" Problem... What's That?

Rehab for Tendonosis of Rotator Cuff

The term "rotor" cuff, actually- the rotator cuff- refers to a group of muscles and associated tendons that connect the scapula (shoulder blade) to the humerus (upper arm bone). The rotator cuff tendons sit on top of the humerus and permit movement in all directions. In fact, the shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body. Because of the wide range of motion that the shoulder joint has... plus the amount of work that the shoulder has to do doing activities of daily living, the rotator cuff becomes prone to overuse and injury. Excessive stress on the rotator cuff leads to shoulder pain.

Rotator cuff injury is fairly common and can be due to repetitive stress, trauma, and aging.

Repetitive stress can be occupational- people who do work with the arms raised above the level of the shoulder- can develop shoulder problems easily. Examples would be auto mechanics, dry wall installers, house painters, and electricians.

Sports activities such as golf, tennis, softball, and other athletic endeavors that require repeated shoulder movement can also be a problem.

Trauma, particularly falls are a common cause of rotator cuff injury.

As people get older, the tendons that comprise the rotator cuff become more prone to injury and degeneration. The tendons of the rotator cuff are made of tough fibrous connective tissue similar to connective tissue located elsewhere in the body. Examples of connective tissue include ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. Connective tissue tends to degrade with age. Combining repetitive use with the aging process is a recipe for significant rotator cuff injury.

Injuries to the rotator cuff usually are due to inflammation. This is called tendonitis or tendonopathy.

More serious injuries result in partial tearing of the tendons. Even more serious is a "full-thickness" or complete tear. While there are many causes of rotator cuff injury, the most common is when the rotator cuff tendons are squeezed between the humerus and the scapula. This squeezing occurs when the arm is raised above the level of the shoulder.

Symptoms of rotator cuff related malfunction usually are pain related. Pain at night is very common and is caused by inflammation in the both the tendons as well as the adjacent bursa. This bursa- called the subacromial bursa- is a sack that contains a small amount of fluid and cushions the shoulder. When it becomes inflamed, the condition is called bursitis. Muscle spasm may also contribute to the pain. Pain is most intense at night.

The pain may radiate down the side of the upper arm. This is called referred pain.

Rotator cuff problems are diagnosed by taking a careful history and doing a thorough physical examination.

Plain x-rays are of limited usefulness unless the patient also has concomitant arthritis. An MRI is probably the most accurate method for imaging the entire shoulder including the soft tissues, tendons, and bone. Diagnostic ultrasound is another less expensive technology which is probably as effective for visualizing the rotator cuff.

Partial tears can be treated with anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy. In patients with more severe pain or who do not respond to conservative measures, injection of glucocorticoid (cortisone) can be effective. Injections should be done using ultrasound needle guidance. Otherwise, the injection may not be done in the proper location.

Larger rotator cuff tears generally don't heal without intervention. Depending on the age of the patient, length of duration of the tear, size of the tear, and the patient's other medical problems, surgery may be a solution. In cases where more conservative measures fail to provide relief from pain and improved function, surgery is also an option.

Most rotator cuff surgery is performed arthroscopically using small incisions for the insertion of a tiny camera and surgical cutting instruments.

As mentioned earlier, multiple factors go into deciding whether a patient is a good surgical candidate. Other factors determine prognosis. Factors that can influence healing include the size of the tear, the number of tendons that are torn, smoking and patient age.

Physical therapy following surgery is essential to restore full mobility and to protect the surgical repair. This may be arduous, taking several weeks before function is restored adequately.

For prevention of rotator cuff tears, it is good practice to consult a knowledgeable physical therapist who can teach specific exercises.

Warming up and stretching before activities is recommended. Patients should avoid exercises that place the arm at extreme positions, that involve lifting a large amount of weight, or which involve repetitive motion particularly with the arms higher than shoulder level.

About the Author

Nathan Wei, MD FACP FACR is a rheumatologist and Director of the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland.For more info: Types of Arthritis

Rehab for Tendonosis of Rotator Cuff

Rotator Cuff Tendonitis: A Shoulder Injury For All of Us (Rehab for Tendonosis of Rotator Cuff)

Rehab for Tendonosis of Rotator Cuff

When you hear rotator cuff injury, what comes to mind?

For most people, the first thing they think of is your local team's pitcher, who was just placed on the disabled list. Most recently, Orlando Hernandez and Jarid Wright are two of the big names on their respective team’s disabled list because of a rotator cuff injury.

However, shoulder injuries are not issues restricted to baseball players even though they are particularly susceptible to it given the throwing motion and how that impacts the upper part of the shoulder. Essentially, baseball pitchers and players have something called impingement syndrome which eventually leads to rotator cuff tendonitis. Impingement syndrome is commonly referred to as the weekend warrior syndrome.

For those who are not professional baseball players, this syndrome can be exasperated by playing basketball, by serving a tennis ball, by throwing a football, etc. While it is routine to feel somewhat sore after increased activity, particularly as one ages, it is not routine to experience pain in less intense shoulder motions. If routine movements such as turning off the alarm clock or reaching on the top shelf become painful, you need medical attention as it is a symptom of rotator cuff tendonitis. Most of the time rotator cuff tendonitis can be healed and managed with physical therapy and full activity can be restored. Occasionally, steroid injections are needed and more rarely than that , surgery is recommended.

The critical aspect is to treat this problem early, before there is major scarring or rotator cuff tears. Keep in mind that 90% of all rotator cuff tears are the original result of chronic inflammation. It is essentially something that starts small and gets progressively more difficult. If the shoulder is hurting, medical attention should be sought more quickly rather than less.

Michael Carroll, MD is a board certified family physician with a special interest in sports medicine. He is the founding partner of Creekside Clinic, LLC, a progressive primary care center in Traverse City, Michigan and a member of both the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. He also holds special interest in shoulder pain and rotator cuff injuries, specifically with regard to cutting-edge treatments.

Rehab for Tendonosis of Rotator Cuff