Rotator cuff injuries are a common sports injury that is prevalent in the Fox Chapel, and greater Pittsburgh areas. The rotator cuff is made up of 4 muscles in the shoulder. The 4 muscles are the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. While there are a number of conditions that can involve the rotator cuff the two that are the most common are tendinitis and tears.
HOW DOES A ROTATOR CUFF INJURY OCCUR?
Tears can occur due to traumatic events, however rotator cuff tendinitis and tears are often overuse injuries. The shoulder is a part of the human anatomy that repeats the same motion over and over again. This is especially true in sports. When the shoulder is overused. Overuse can irritate the muscles and tendons causing micro tears. This can develop in tendinitis where the tendon is continually being irritated or even a complete or partial tear.
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?
When one has a rotator tear whether it be from an acute traumatic event or overuse injury one will most likely experience a significant amount of shoulder pain. This pain will be especially present when actively moving ones arm in Fox Chapel. The same is true for tendinitis. Athletes will often experience pain when participating in their sport and if severe enough will not be able to continue participating. One might experience pain when lifting objects, or rotating their arm. They may also experience weakness depending on the grade of the injury. If a tear happens in a traumatic setting it is likely to cause immediate intense shoulder pain as well as weakness in the associated arm. Our team at Tauberg Chiropractic & Rehabilitation is here to help.
WHO IS LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE ROTATOR CUFF TEARS AND TENDINITIS?
Athletes who participate in overhead sports such as baseball, football, hockey, swimming, rock climbing, and golf are just some of the sports where there is an increased risk for developing a rotator cuff injury. Furthermore increased age can also increase the likely hood of experiencing a rotator cuff injury.
HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED?
Diagnoses of a rotator cuff injury in Fox Chapel can usually be done through a thorough history and examination. One should have a doctor examine the injured shoulder. During the examination at Tauberg Chiropractic & Rehabilitation certain orthopedic testing is likely to help the doctor determine the source of the pain. Sometimes further imaging, such as an MRI, is needed to get a definitive diagnosis.
TREATMENT FOR ROTATOR CUFF INJURIES IN FOX CHAPEL AND THE GREATER PITTSBURGH AREAS
Usually rotator cuff injuries can be successfully treated with conservative therapeutic management and rehabilitation. The shoulder needs to have inflammation decreased then motion and strength can be slowly restored. At Tauberg Chiropractic & Rehabilitation in Fox Chapel proper activity modification and exercise programs are used to allow the shoulder injury to heal and then once healing has taken place strength can be restored. In some cases conservative care may not be enough. In those cases the doctor will insure that one is sent to the appropriate provider to further care for the injury.