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HOW IS A ROTATOR CUFF INJURY TREATED?
by
dchan
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last modified
2011-12-14 05:03 PM
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University Sports Medicine160 Farber HallBuffalo, New York 14214(716) 829-2070
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| HOW IS A ROTATOR CUFF INJURY TREATED? |
| A tendon in your shoulder can be inflamed, partially torn, or
completely torn. What is done for it depends on how torn it is and how
much pain you have. If your tear is a minor one, it can heal by itself
if it does not interfere with your everyday activities. Your treatment
plan should include: |
| - proper sitting posture, in which your head and shoulders are balanced |
| - rest for your shoulder, avoiding strenuous activity and any overhead motion that causes pain |
| - ice packs at least once a day, preferably 2 to 3 times a day |
| - doing the exercises your doctor or physical therapist outlines for you |
| - anti-inflammatory drugs |
| - physical therapy to strengthen your shoulder as it heals |
| If you have a bad tear, you may need to have it repaired
by surgery. Arthroscopy is also used to perform surgery on a joint, not
only for viewing its interior. The rough edges of a torn tendon can be
trimmed and left to heal. Larger tears can be stitched back together.
After surgery, your treatment plan will include physical therapy to
strengthen your shoulder as it heals. |
| HOW LONG WILL THE EFFECTS OF A TORN ROTATOR CUFF LAST? |
| Full recovery depends on what is torn and the method of treatment. |
| WHEN CAN I RETURN TO MY SPORT OR ACTIVITY? |
| The goal of rehabilitation is to return you to your sport or
activity as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may
worsen your injury, which could lead to permanent damage. Everyone
recovers from injury at a different rate. Return to your sport or
activity will be determined by how soon your shoulder recovers, not by
how many days or weeks it has been since the injury occurred. You may
safely return to your sports or activity when: |
| - your injured shoulder has full range of motion without pain |
| - your injured shoulder has regained normal strength compared to the uninjured shoulder |
| In throwing sports, you must gradually build up your tolerance
for throwing. This means you should start with gentle tossing and
gradually throw harder. In contact sports, your shoulder must not be
tender to touch and contact should progress from minimal contact to
harder contact. |
| WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM RECURRING? |
| The best way to prevent a recurrence is to strengthen your
shoulder muscles, and to keep them in top condition with shoulder
exercises. |
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