Rotator Cuff Injury
Here’s the scenario. You wake up. Your shoulder is stiff or it’s just plain hurting. You realize it hurts to move your arms and, quite frankly, your shoulder isn’t operating right at all. You think back to the previous day. You lounged around watching TV and did absolutely nothing that could have injured your shoulder. You woke up and felt this way. Do you know it’s possible that you’ve still sustained a rotator cuff injury?
A rotator cuff injury usually occurs when you damage one of your four shoulder muscles. Maybe you don’t know how it occurred. That’s because many rotator cuff injuries don’t happen as a result of any one event. In some cases, they progressively occur over time. This is called a chronic rotator cuff injury. On the other hand, some people can easily isolate the event of injury. Maybe they fell and landed on their arm. Maybe they were in an accident. That type of rotator cuff injury is called an acute injury because it springs from a one-time event.
Ignoring your rotator cuff injury is not the best course of action. Although you may want to convince yourself that it will get better on its own, it’s possible that might not be the case. While less serious rotator cuff injuries do not require surgical intervention, they can be very painful. Wouldn’t it make sense to see a doctor and have him prescribe some anti-inflammatory medication to aid you in your recovery process? Since even minor rotator cuff injuries (impingement) take an average of a few months to heal, they can become bothersome, uncomfortable, and even painful.
The other important reason to seek medical care when you sustain a rotator cuf injury is because you don’t know whether you have a torn rotator cuff or not. You simply can’t diagnose yourself. A doctor can’t even diagnose you from a physical exam. He will have to order an anthrogram. Don’t let the name scare you. It’s a pretty simple test where dye is injected through the vein. It flows through your veins to highlight the damaged area in your shoulder. The doctor can look at the highlighted area to determine whether you have an injured or torn rotator cuff.
If your rotator cuf is not torn, you won’t need much medical treatment. As stated before, your doctor may prescribe medication to help with the symptoms. He might also suggest that you shop for a new pillow that offers better support during sleep. If, however, your rotator cuff is torn, the doctor will have to make a decision based on the severity of your injury if you need surgery or not.
In many cases of rotator cuf tears, a doctor will determine whether or not surgery is required. In many cases, a doctor will say that surgery is the best option because, if left untreated, the condition can cause you more pain. It can also lead to more serious problems like arthritis. Although nobody likes to undergo surgery, sometimes it’s the best treatment for rotator cuff injuries.
