On average, about 22% of the American population have rotator cuff tears. The percentage is lower for those under 60, climbing higher as people get older. It’s one of the most common reasons for shoulder pain.
The wide range of motion and strength in the shoulder owes much to the structure of muscles and tendons that make up the rotator cuff. Your shoulder is a ball and socket joint, with a shallow socket to allow maximum rotation.
Both sudden injury and long-term repeated overhead motions can cause rotator cuff tears. In extreme cases, surgery or joint replacement may be needed, but the majority of shoulder issues respond well to conservative care. Joint Regeneration of Lake Oconee specializes in shoulder pain treatment. We want to alert you to 5 signs that your shoulder pain is due to a torn rotator cuff.
While baseball and tennis players frequently suffer rotator cuff issues, it’s not limited to those who play sports. Painters, plasterers, and window cleaners all have jobs that put undue strain on their shoulders.
Sometimes, it’s hard to realize you have a shoulder cuff issue when they emerge from repeated motion. There are, however, a collection of symptoms that, when you experience one or more, may suggest a rotator cuff problem is the cause.
Your shoulder simply doesn’t move like it should. You may have difficulty reaching up, or you can’t touch your back or reach behind yourself. Loss of mobility may or may not cause pain, but everyday living becomes more difficult, particularly when you can’t perform movements you used to count on.
Your shoulder may hurt when you lie on that side at night. It can interfere with your sleep cycle, leaving you tired in the morning and through the day. You may not experience shoulder pain except when you lie down.
If your rotator cuff issue causes pain, it might be in the form of an ache that seems to exist within your shoulder. It may feel like something that will work itself out, more annoying than problematic, unless it’s combined with other symptoms.
Cracks and pops are a normal part of living, but when you have other rotator cuff symptoms along with frequent joint noise, your body may be telling you it’s time for medical attention. If you can make the noise happen deliberately, or if the noise accompanies pain, you can suspect rotator cuff damage.
When your shoulder and arm simply can’t perform weight-bearing tasks that are normally easy, the rotator cuff may be to blame. Your arms may feel heavy when you simply lift their own weight.
There are treatments to help return your shoulder to its normal function. You can contact Joint Regeneration of Lake Oconee in Eatonton, Georgia, by phone or online to schedule an exam and consultation. There’s an answer to your rotator cuff tear. Start on the solution today.
