How do I treat my rotator cuff tear? #Seattle #AAOS

This post is a continuation of our talk on rotator cuff tears. Today, we will be discussing the symptoms and diagnosis of rotator cuff tears. Previous posts included:

• What is a rotator cuff tear?

• What causes rotator cuff tears?

• How do I know if I have a rotator cuff tear?

Nonsurgical treatment is usually based on avoiding activities that cause shoulder pain, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medications, and extensive shoulder stretching at home or with physical therapy.  Often times, the pain in your shoulder is secondary to shoulder stiffness.  Once the stiffness has been resolved, the shoulder pain improves significantly.  In the past, many physicians have recommended steroid injections into the shoulder.  Many shoulder specialists, like myself, do not recommend this course of treatment often due to its negative effect on the rotator cuff tendon.  Steroid injections can make the rotator cuff tendon weaker and more prone to more extensive tearing.

If you had a significant injury that resulted in a rotator cuff tear or you have not improved with extensive physical therapy and home exercises, minimally-invasive rotator cuff surgery may be an option for you.  To learn more about rotator cuff surgery, continue reading here.

Recovery After Shoulder Surgery #ASES #AAOS #Seattle #Health

The group of muscles and tendons that surround, stabilize and allow movement at the shoulder joint are the rotator cuff muscles. Because of this, any surgical procedure on the shoulder will likely have some involvement with your rotator cuff muscles.   No matter the reason for your shoulder surgery, here are some general tips to help maximize your recovery.

 Support your Rotator Cuff

It is important to insure that the muscles that have recently been operated on are supported and allowed to heal with minimal strain.  Wearing a sling or some sort of standing support will allow for this throughout the day and sleeping with a pillow to support the affected side at night will help.   

 Develop your Rotator Cuff

The rotator cuff muscles will take time to heal.  Initially you should avoid putting any strain at all on your shoulder.  After some time however, it’s important to stick to the physical therapists recommended exercises to slowly and gradually re-build the muscles. 

 Manage your Shoulder Pain

Of course pain will be more significant immediately after the operation as compared to a few weeks out.  To manage this, you can rely on prescription or over-the-counter medications as well as inflammation management practices like cold compresses.   In addition, wearing your sling should help reduce shoulder pain and reduce the likelihood of unnecessary strain or damage to the muscles and tendons during the recovery period.

 Gradually get back to normal

Consult with your physical therapist or physician as to when you can begin to resume normal activities with your post-operative shoulder. For example, from about 6 weeks you usually will be able to start using your shoulder for gentle tasks such as washing and dressing while at 12 weeks you will be thinking about using your arm for other moderate activities, such as swimming.