Rotator Cuff Injury Symptoms
The Rotator Cuff is a group of 4 muscles which enhance the lifting of one's arm , its rotation and to enable the arm move towards and away from the body in adduction and abduction movements respectively.
The Rotatory Cuff muscles include:
supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subcapularis.
All these muscles help in stabilizing the back of the shoulder joint also known as pectoral girdle; and there are rubber band-like structures called ligaments which attach bones together in this joint.
The pectoral girdle consists of 3 bones~ the Clavicle(collar bone), scapula(shoulder blade) and the humerus(the first long single bone of the arm).
Rotatory Cuff Injury is an injury to one(particularly the supraspinatus ) or more of the 4 muscles in the shoulder, inflammation of the tendons which attach the muscles to the bones in the shoulder joint (tendonitis), bursitis(inflammmation of the purse of serous membrane which secretes fluid to nourish and lubricate the joint during movement) or strains.
Other Rotator Cuff Injury Symptoms:
Consequently, a person suffering from Rotatory Cuff Injury may experience one or more of the following symptoms.
Pains and Weakness: The victim feels great pain over the top of the damaged shoulder particularly, when using the shoulder to lift a heavy object overhead.
But if the damage to the Rotatory Cuff is extensive, the pain is constant and the victim may not be able to lift his arm from that side of the body.
Sleeping positions which put pressure on the shoulder makes people with Rotatory Cuff Injury feel pain at night.
At times, the injured shoulder makes a clicking or popping sound when moved and it may seem to stiff momentarily.
Acute pain occurs from bleeding and muscle spasm (though this disappears in a few days ) may however, lead to impingement over the site of haemorrhage.
Chronic and Acute Tear: Chronic tear occurs in a person's most used arm and in people over 40 years.
Pains usually come at night and interfere with sleep. The pain may be followed by weakness and reduced sideways arm movement.
And the person may not be able to lift the affected arm high or higher than the shoulder.
Acute tear, on the other hand, is usually accompanied by a painful sensation shooting through the arm as motion is restricted by muscle spasm and pain. large tears can also limit ability to lift the arm sideways.
Tendinitis: This is an inflammation of the tendons which may lead to chronic tear. It causes great pain which starts gradually and may become so worse that inward turning of the arm or lifting the arm may be difficult and agonizing.
Deep ache is also felt on the outside part of the upper arm. There is tenderness at the affected point. Tendinitis is more pronounced in people who are 35~50 years of age.
Finally, the major symptom of Rotatory Cuff Injury is shoulder pain, though other illnesses like a heart problem also share this symptom.
However, a shoulder pain that persists for more than 2 days and that is not affected by movement, does not allow you to work and you even find it difficult to reach for items above shoulder level, or you cannot even engage in activities like baseball or swimming, has more than 50% relationship with Rotatory Cuff Injury!
Consult your doctor for further investigation.