Rotator Cuff Impingement Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

• Causes of Rotator Cuff Impingement:

• Symptoms of Rotator Cuff Impingement:

• Treatments of Rotator Cuff Impingement:

• Is it Necessary to Use Surgery for Rotator Cuff Disorders?

Rotator Cuff Impingement is among the most common disorders related to should pain. It normally happens in the older ages but more than 20 % of the patients reported to have this problem in the early ages. Mild Rotator Cuff Impingement can be treated with the help of simple home remedies but the severe disorder is treated with surgery.

The rotator cuff is an important group of tendons or muscles making the shoulders move in different directions. The impingement is a condition in which the tendons are damaged and swollen. On the other hand, the bony top of the shoulder also gets pinched because of the swelling. This pinching creates trouble for the normal blood flow. This situation leads to a further tendon injury. The tendons get fray making them split.

Causes of Rotator Cuff Impingement:

There are various reasons behind the Rotator Cuff Impingement. In the younger ages, people may face the Rotator Cuff Impingement because of a trauma or if they use shoulder too much. However, general wear and tear is the most possible reason behind disorder if you are older than 50 years. In this case, the injury appears with the passage of time as it develops over years. This type of injury leads to a partial or a complete tear in the tendons. In rare cases, sudden injuries such as falling on shoulder side may also create the Rotator Cuff Impingement.

Read More: Repetitive Motion Injuries Causes, Systems, Prevention

Symptoms of Rotator Cuff Impingement:

There will be a regular pain in the shoulders if you have Rotator Cuff Impingement. The soreness will be worst if you try to raise the hands overhead or bring them back. Twisting movement while putting a coat or T-shirt will also cause severe pain. Some patients may wake up during the night because of severe pain in shoulder top. The injury shows quick symptoms if you are younger. Symptoms will appear slowly if you are older as the shoulder bones and tendons will get swelling with the passage of time.

Diagnosing Rotator Cuff Impingement:

The doctors will discuss the signs and symptoms with you. After the discussion, he or she will ask to move shoulder overhead or behind the back in various directions to see a range of motion and strength in the tendons. Imaging tests have become more popular as symptoms of Rotator Cuff Impingement are similar to other conditions. This is why doctors prefer to use MRI, Ultrasound, and X-rays to identify the situation. These tests are highly useful to see the actual position of the shoulder bones, muscles and tendons.

Treatments of Rotator Cuff Impingement:

Most of the patients treat the Rotator Cuff Impingement at home with the help of simple home remedies. These are as given below.

• Rest: Patients will need complete rest to heal the injury. Stop all the sports, physical activities or other routines making stress on shoulder bones. In simple words, you have to stop anything which causes pain or irritation. This may include activities you do at your office (file keeping, painting, carpenter or others).
• Painkillers: Only the NSAIDs are recommended by doctors to treat Rotator Cuff Impingement. Some commonly prescribed NSAIDs are naproxen, ibuprofen, and aspirin. These painkillers can reduce the pain.
• Ice: This is for cold therapy. Ice is commonly used to treat Rotator Cuff Impingement. Get Coldest Ice Pack and apply it to the injured area for 20 minutes. This will deliver a coldest massage to minimize pain and swelling.
• Physical therapy: This is a highly technical application of body massage. Hire an expert therapist for this purpose. He will perform or teach workouts to control pain and swelling in the shoulder. This technique is also used to improve range of motion and shoulder strength.
• Injections: Numbing injections and steroids are also used to treat Rotator Cuff Impingement. These options are helpful to manage swelling and soreness.

Patients who follow these workouts or remedies can treat the Rotator Cuff Impingement within a short period of 3 to 6 months.

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Read More: Rotator Cuff: What is it?

What about Surgery?

The doctors may think about surgery if the symptoms of Rotator Cuff Impingement don’t disappear in 6 months. Surgery is also considered the only solution if the tendon is completely torn and it can’t heal with simple home remedies.

The most frequently used Rotator Cuff Impingement surgery is known as Subacromial Decompression (SAD). In this surgery, the bony growths and swollen tissues of tendons are completely removed from the shoulder. This stops tendon pinching as removal of damaged tendons creates more space for the healthier ones. It is not necessary to stay at the hospital after surgery (only in few cases). These surgeries called Out-patient Surgery.

After the surgery, the doctors will use a splint or sling to keep the arm inside for recovery. The recovery period varies for different patients. It may take several months to bring the shoulder in a normal position. It depends on the type or severity of the injury. Doctors recommend physical therapies and workouts during this period in order to improve range of motion and muscle strength. As healing takes the time that’s why it is essential to discuss the option of surgery with your doctor.

Is it Necessary to Use Surgery for Rotator Cuff Disorders?

As mentioned above, most of the Rotator Cuff Impingement issues treated at home with simple techniques. However, you will need to see an emergency at a hospital if the injury is severe. Making unnecessary delays may create further issues.

Focus on Causes of Rotator Cuff disorders:

There are muscles, tendons, and bones in the shoulders. These tendons and muscles play a vital role to keep the shoulders moving around. You can lift or rotate the arms based on shoulder joints. Tears and swelling in the rotator cuff tendons create more problems. Patients feel pain while moving their arms up, down and back.

Causes of Rotator Cuff disorders are important while you choose treatments. Falling on the arms or shoulder side may create a tear in the tendons. On the other hand, general wear and tear are also responsible for these injuries.

Read More: Rotator Cuff Tear Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Surgery is considered important if:

• The Rotator Cuff disorders take more than 5 to 12 months.
• You are unable to lift the arms because of zero strength in your shoulders.
• You have severe pain in the shoulders while moving them.
• The tendon tear is larger than 1 inch.
• You depend on your arms or shoulders for work. For example, sportsmen or workers (volleyball players and carpenters).

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What Type Of Surgery Required?

Remember, surgery is good to restore the shoulder functioning and to minimize the pain. Doctors may recommend outpatient surgery or others on the basis of injury. You may need to spend time at the hospital after surgery. Some common Rotator Cuff surgeries are:

• Arthroscopic repair: The surgeons use a tiny camera (known as Arthroscope) after making several cuts in the shoulder skin. He may also use other small tools during this operation to treat the tendons inside the shoulder. This surgery is helpful to see the exact location or tendon damaged. It also provides details about type and severity of the injury. Based on the initial observations, the surgeon will decide how to fix the issue.
• Open tendon repairing: This is a common technique for surgery. Fortunately, this is among the first surgical techniques recommended for Rotator Cuff treatments. The surgeons usually preferred this method if the tear is complex or large. This surgery takes place using a large incision inside the shoulder. The shoulder muscles detached in order to get direct access to the tendons of shoulders. This technique is useful as it provides an easy opportunity to replace the damaged tendons.

Any type of surgery made after anesthesia application. This enables the patients to sleep during the surgical procedure so they will not feel pain. Some surgeons use only “Regional Block” technique. It keeps the patient awake while the doctor performs the surgery. The doctors talk about both options before starting operation. Tell any of your special medical situations such as high blood pressure, cardiac issues or diabetes so the doctor can choose the safest option.

Recovery after Rotator Cuff DisordersSurgery:

The recovery speed of arthroscopic surgery is higher than open tendon repair. Remember, open tendon repair surgery is a complex procedure so it may cause more pain after the completion of the surgical operation.

No matter which treatment you have, the Rotator Cuff injury will take its time. In normal cases, a minimum of 6 months required to recover the original strength of shoulders. The doctors will allow several activities after a few months based on your progress. Those who don’t receive proper comfort after the surgeries, they must use physical therapies. The shoulder muscles and bones will require proper adjustment for efficient movement. Therefore, it is necessary to use physical therapies and workouts to restore range of motion and strength. You may take prescribed painkillers during this period to minimize the intensity of pain in shoulders.

Read More: Shoulder Pain And Softball: Everything You Need to Know