Rotator cuff rips could occur to anybody over time or in an instance. You are at greater risk if your sport or work requires you to move your arms overhead frequently. Ronald Hess, MS, DO, and his staff at Beacon Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, with three clinics in West Chester, and Oxford, Ohio, help laborers and athletes fix rotator cuffs and reestablish shoulder functionality. If you are experiencing a rotator cuff tear in West Chester, call the office or schedule a consultation online right away. According to the healthcare experts at cedaorthopedicgroup.com, you must always associate with board-certified and licensed professionals who prioritize your well-being over anything else. Only then, you will be able to maximize the results of the treatment.
What Exactly Is a Rotator Cuff?
The rotator cuff is a set of tendons and muscles in your shoulder, controlling most joint motion. They are in charge of keeping the spherical part of your shoulder joint and the top of the humerus in your shoulder blade’s socket.
A bursa sits between the bone at the apex of your shoulder, and your rotator cuff, allowing the joints to move freely. If you tear your rotator cuff, you may have also injured the bursa.
What Is a Rotator Cuff Tear?
A rotator cuff tear is a tear or rips in any rotator cuff’s tendons or muscles. Some rotator cuff rips develop gradually over time, beginning as a little fray and slowly becoming more severe. Acute injuries, on the other hand, occur suddenly.
Fractional tears are rotator cuff muscle injuries, which do not destroy the entire tendon or muscle. On the other hand, complete-thickness tears entirely separate one of the tendons from the humerus bone’s head.
Shoulder distress or discomfort, and shoulder weakness, are symptoms of rotator cuff injuries. Because the shoulder has the greatest mobility of any of your joints, you will realize a substantial variation in mobility if you suffer a rotator cuff tear.
What Causes Rotator Cuff Tears?
Chronic degradation or an acute injury could cause rotator cuff tears. Lifting anything which is excessively heavy or landing on outstretched arms can cause acute shoulder trauma.
Degenerative tears form due to age, but factors such as frequent motions, bone spurs, and poor circulation might hasten their onset.
Whenever making an assessment, the Beacon Orthopedics & Sports Medicine staff searches for additional injuries, such as shoulder dislocations, which might have triggered or occurred concurrently with the rotator cuff tear.
What Are the Care Options for Rotator Cuff Injuries?
Although more cautious therapies for rotator cuff injuries are frequently effective, Dr. Hess could undertake minimally invasive orthopedic surgery to fix the tear if necessary. The following are some of the more conservative procedures for rotator cuff tears:
- Physical therapy
- Thermotherapy with ice and heat
- Activity changes
- Steroid injections
- Over-the-counter pain relievers
If you have attempted these methods without success, have discomfort that has lasted 6-12 months, or the rip is significant, Dr. Hess could propose surgery.
In arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery, Dr. Hess employs a tiny illuminated camera on a tube to travel through the shoulder joint via tiny cuts known as portals. He controls tiny surgical equipment to perform the fix while watching a close real-time visual of the inner shoulder on display.
Dr. Hess utilizes research-backed procedures such as augmentation with a graft or dual-row fixation with sutures to reinforce the weakened tendons.
If you suspect that you have a rotator cuff tear, it would be best to schedule a visit at Beacon Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. To get started, contact the office through mobile or book an appointment online today.