The rotator cuff muscles and tendons main function is to hold the shoulder joint in place. The main ways to injury these tendons are through trauma or repetitive strain injuries. Injury to the rotator cuff will usually begin as inflammation; if the cause is not identified and addressed it can lead to a partial or complete tear of the tendon or muscle. The four rotator cuff muscles are the Supraspinatus/infraspinatus/teres minor/subscapularis.
Signs & symptoms:
- Pain and tenderness when reaching
- Pain putting on jackets
- Closing bras
- Sleeping on the affected side or even when lying on the opposite side
- Shoulder weakness and pain especially with hand overhead or behind back.
Treatment aims to improve strength and pain free range of motion. Due to the nature of the tendon, it can take 100 days for it to regenerate; therefore a rehabilitation programme can take up to 3-4 months to resolve the issue.
