Syracuse Area Health – Strasburger Orthopaedics

Rotator Cuff Injuries

Rotator Cuff Injuries

Your rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and tendons that surround the ball-in-socket shoulder joint and help to keep the joint flexible and stabilized. Injuries to the rotator cuff primarily affect the tendons, and normally fall into one of three main categories:

Common Rotator Cuff Injuries
Bursitis is inflammation of the fluid filled sacs that are in place between the rotator cuff tendons and the underlying bones that connect in the shoulder joint. Inflammation of the bursa can cause swelling, limited range of motion, and “freezing”, or catching of the shoulder joint when you raise your arm.

Tendonitis is an overuse injury often seen in athletes who use an overhand throwing motion like tennis players, volleyball players, or baseball pitchers, and people who do manual labor, like house painters, carpenters, or window washers. The tendons become inflamed, causing ongoing chronic pain.

Rotator cuff strains or tears can be caused by either acute injury or overuse. In many cases, the ends of the tendons where they attach the muscle to the bone may fray for a time before beginning to tear. A partially or fully torn rotator cuff is extremely painful and can significantly limit motion or activity.

Rotator Cuff Injury Symptoms
If you have difficulty in achieving full range of motion, including reaching up, out, or behind your back, or have been avoiding certain activities because they cause pain in your shoulder, you may have a rotator cuff injury.

Signs you may be experiencing Rotator Cuff Injury Symptoms: you have pain that worsens when you reach overhead, the pain is so bad you have trouble sleeping at night (especially on the affected side), and your shoulder seems to be getting progressively weaker.

If you believe you or a loved one has suffered a rotator cuff tear or other injury, contact Syracuse Area Health – Strasburger Orthopaedics for a consultation today or fill out the form above.

Have you or a loved one suffered a rotator cuff tear or other injury ?

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    Diagnosis and Treatment of Rotator Cuff Injuries

    Dr. Strasburger will use your medical history, a physical exam, and possibly imaging scans to diagnose your shoulder pain and identify a rotator cuff injury.

     

    Depending on the severity and location of your injury, he may recommend injections, a shoulder brace, and/or surgery to repair the damage and restore your joint strength and range of motion.