Rotator Cuff Tears: The Impact of Early Detection and Therapy

By Cecil Mitchell


Rotator cuff tears can be quite painful or just a plain nuisance. Most people do not even know they have one. During autopsies, it was shown that seventy percent of people over the age of 80 had one. And at least 30 percent of those under 70. The older a person becomes the more worn out things become. A person could push, pull, or stretch up too high for example. It can be disabling if not treated at all.

Rotator cuff tears do not only strike old folks but also, others as well.

Many people get rotator cuff tears from falling or having an accident like a car accident for example. Many rough and tough football players end up with rotator cuff problems. And even more from playing golf. You don't have to fall down the stairs to get a shoulder injury. My rotator cuff tear happened just by someone pulling my arm to go somewhere.

There are common symptoms to point to a rotator cuff tear. One basic sign is when you can't stretch your arm over your head or when you can't even pull your arm to your shirt sleeve. When it gets excruciatingly painful while sleeping, pay attention to these signs. When that part of the shoulder seems to cause throbbing pain that stretches down to the elbow and it constantly affects you, no doubt, you have a rotator cuff tear. Correct the problem before it is too late because believe me, I was lucky, I got it attended to right away.

The only way to treat a rotator cuff tear is through physical therapy. After meeting up with the therapist, I have learned "do-it-yourself" exercises that prove helpful. However, you can have lots of information and techniques available, whichever you opt to have.

Before anything else, it is best to seek professional help. Tests like Arthrogram, ultrasound, MRI and a diagnostic arthroscopy can identify prognosis on rotator cuff injuries. Aside from the tests, the doctor also checks on the shoulder itself, testing its movement as to how much pain you feel while doing the range of motion. This can help the doctor decipher as to what extent your injury has become from just a slight tear to a full tear.

A rotator cuff injury ignored and left untreated can result to serious problems. The earlier the person can treat a rotator cuff tear, the better it is. When left untreated, the doctor may resort to surgery, which is another major dilemma to tackle.




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