Rotator Cuff Injury Treatments

Nonsurgical Treatments for Rotator Cuff Injuries

If you're experiencing shoulder pain, it may well be a problem with your rotator cuff, the group of four small muscles and tendons that hold your shoulder in its socket. They are fairly easily strained by repetitive motions, especially if the activities are overhead.

The kind of care you get at Bowden Family Spine and Sport has been shown to be as effective as surgery when it comes to chronic, non-traumatic injuries to the rotator cuff.

Watch Out for the Symptoms of a Rotator Cuff Injury

• Localized pain in the front and outside of the shoulder
• Pain radiating down your arm
• Pinching feelings when you move your arm
• Difficulty in lifting your arm
• Difficultly sleeping

Hardworking Shoulders Face Many Challenges

Bursitis - The most common of shoulder complaints, bursitis is caused by inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs known as bursa that lie between your tendons and your skin or between your tendons and your bones.

Rotator cuff tendonitis - Tendonitis occurs when your tendons get compressed and inflamed beneath the rigid bony structure of the shoulder. It's caused by general wear and tear, aging, and from activities that required repeated use of the shoulders.

Arthritis - Less common than arthritis in the knee or hip, shoulder arthritis can still lead to joint replacement surgery. It occurs as the joints gradually narrow and lose their protective cartilage.

Rotator cuff tear - This kind of tear separates the tendons from the bone and sometimes leads to surgery.

Frozen shoulder - Also known as adhesive capsulitis, this joint stiffness can be treated with physical therapy and stretching.

Calcific tendonitis - When calcium deposits develop within a tendon, most commonly in the rotator cuff, treatment will depend on the extent of the symptoms.

Labral tear - There are two of these, the Bankart lesion and the SLAP lesion. Bankart lesions are usually due to a shoulder dislocation and cause persistent stability problems. SLAP lesions are often caused when your stretch your hand out during a fall.

Shoulder instability - Loose joints can be caused by an injury, such as a dislocation, or by a developed condition.

Shoulder dislocation - These occur when the top of the arm bone disconnects from the scapula.

Shoulder separation - Also known as an AC separation and very different from a dislocation, a separation is the result of a disruption of the acromioclavicular joint.

Biceps tendon rupture - These happen when the tendon of the biceps ruptures near the joint. They're also called a proximal biceps tendon rupture.