Rotator cuff tendon tears often cause pain at night. The pain may even wake you. During the day, the pain is more tolerable, and usually only hurts with certain movements, such as overhead or reaching toward the back. Over time, the symptoms become much worse and are not relieved by medicines, rest, or exercise.
Typically tears occur in those over age 40, but occasionally tears are seen in younger individuals. Typical signs of a rotator cuff tear include pain with overhead use of the arm, weakness or pain preventing or disrupting sleep.
A condition called frozen shoulder can sometimes mimic the symptoms of partial rotator cuff tears. Treatment is not necessary if there is no pain associated with the partial rotator cuff tear.
But when they do, the pain is often in the top part of your arm or shoulder. You may feel more pain when you: Lie down, especially on the injured shoulder. Lift your arm or lower it to the front or side.
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint, keeping the head of the upper arm bone firmly within the shallow socket of the shoulder. A rotator cuff injury can cause a dull ache in the shoulder that worsens at night. Rotator cuff injuries are common and increase with age.
The Lateral Jobe Test is actually one of the most reliable tests for a rotator cuff injury, and you may need an assistant again to help administer this test. This test also looks for weakness in the supraspinatus muscle.
Ultrasound does have the ability to identify rotator cuff tendon tears but with certain limitations. One factor is that it requires special training for the staff, as this is a less commonly performed imaging test. Second, the tendons may not be adequately seen in obese patients or those with a limited range of motion.
A partial or complete rotator cuff tear makes it difficult to raise and move your arm. You may have shoulder pain and arm weakness. Rotator cuff injuries are common, especially as you get older. Rest, pain relievers and physical therapy can help.
Your doctor uses imaging tests to help diagnose a rotator cuff injury. An X-ray helps to rule out bone spurs or osteoarthritis as a cause of your symptoms. An MRI scan enables your doctor to see the soft tissue in the shoulder and determine if you have a rotator cuff tear and whether it is partial or full thickness.
Rotator Cuff Pain Symptoms
Sharp or aching pain and swelling located over the front or outside (lateral) part of the shoulder and upper arm (usually due to tendinitis or a rotator cuff tear).
Rotator cuff tendinitis is also called impingement, bursitis or biceps tendinitis. These are all different names for the same problem. They mean that there is pain and swelling of the cuff tendons and the surrounding bursa.
Rotator Cuff Impingement Syndrome: Chronic injury of the Rotator Cuff can lead to a “pinching” of the nerves passing through the shoulder. This is commonly referred to as a Shoulder Impingement or Rotator Cuff Impingement. Symptoms often include numbness, tingling or sharp, shooting pain into the arm or hand.
Red flags include: Trauma, pain and weakness, or sudden loss of ability to actively raise the arm (with or without trauma): suspect acute rotator cuff tear. Any shoulder mass or swelling: suspect malignancy. Red skin, painful joint, fever, or the person is systemically unwell: suspect septic arthritis.
Probably people can resume their activities like playing sports after six months. However, a complete recovery from a rotator cuff tear might take up to a year in some cases. There is no need to reconnect a partially torn tissue to the bone to regain its full range of motion.
Patients are often advised to wear a sling or brace for the first 4–6 weeks after rotator cuff repair surgery to prevent them from performing any physical activities involving the affected shoulder (3).
Right after the injury, you will likely have weakness of the shoulder and arm. It may be hard to move your shoulder or raise your arm above the shoulder. You may also feel snapping when trying to move the arm. With a chronic tear, you often do not notice when it began.
Moist heat, such as a hot bath, shower, or a heat pack, can help loosen up your shoulder when you feel pain in your shoulder. An ice pack applied to the shoulder 20 minutes at a time, 3 to 4 times a day, may also help cut down the swelling when you are in pain.
During the recovery phase of a rotator cuff injury, avoiding overhead lifts with any weight is highly recommended. Movements that require the shoulders to be put under intense pressure or performing complex motions will put more strain on the muscles and potentially cause more significant injury.
If you are very active and use your arms for overhead work or sports, your doctor may also suggest surgery. Other signs that surgery may be a good option for you include: Your symptoms have lasted 6 to 12 months. You have a large tear (more than 3 cm) and the quality of the surrounding tendon tissue is good.
Diagnostic imaging is considered to be the gold standard for rotator cuff injuries, particularly MRI, but it has also proven to be highly expensive. The incidence and prevalence of rotator cuff tears increase with age.
The empty can test is a clinical test used to test the integrity of the supraspinatus tendon. In this test, the patient is tested at 90° elevation in the scapular plane and full internal rotation (empty can). The patient resists downward pressure exerted by the examiner at the patients elbow or wrist.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard in diagnosing rotator cuff pathology; however, there is a lack of studies investigating the reliability agreement for supraspinatus partial-thickness tears among orthopaedic surgeons and musculoskeletal (MSK) radiologists.
Can a rotator cuff injury cause pain in your arm and hand, too? Yes. Typically, the pain starts as a dull aching pain in your shoulder. As the injury progresses, it can cause radiating pain down the arm and into your hands.
Rotator cuff tendonitis and bursitis is the most common and is caused by an inflamed tendon (tendinitis). The pain quality ranges from dull, aching sensation to a sharp and stabbing pain that radiates down the upper arm which may be worse with reaching overhead or sleeping on the affected side.