Torn Rotator Cuff Symptoms

A torn rotator cuff can cause a lot of pain and restrict shoulder movements. It is a chronic injury among adults over forty years of age or sportspeople under a lot of physical strain. Early diagnosis or detection of this injury can make the treatment easier.

What is a Rotator Cuff?
A rotator cuff is a muscle network formed out of four independent muscles, teres minor, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and subscapularis, and associated tendons. These muscles form a covering over the bone known as 'humerus' (it's one of the funny bones in our body!). The humerus is a long bone, which is a part of the forelimb and it connects the elbow with the shoulder. The rotator cuff muscles cover the upper topmost part of the humerus, which connects with shoulder joint. So, primary function of the rotator cuff is to precisely hold humerus in place, so that, arm rotation is made possible. It achieves this, by helping in stabilizing shoulder ball, inside the shoulder joint. The four muscles and associated tendons actually form a 'cuff' over the head of the humerus bone.

Causes
Any muscle injury has two main causes. Prime one is sudden jerky movements (causing acute trauma), that extend the muscle beyond capacity, making them snap. The second reason is over use of the muscles, leading to stress injury. In case of the rotator cuff, constant overhead motions of the arm can cause a tear. So, sports people who repetitively use overhead movements, like players in baseball, rowing, cricket, tennis and weightlifters are always at a risk of this torn rotator cuff injury. This tear mostly occurs in the supraspinatus muscle.

Symptoms
Let us see the common symptoms of torn rotator cuff injuries. Knowing them may help you diagnose the problem early and start early treatment. Many times, the pain is ignored, eventually leading to a major tear of the muscles.

• A prime symptom is thinning or atrophy of shoulder muscles.
• Mild to excruciating pain while lifting the arm.
• Pain while lowering your arm, from being in a fully raised position.
• Difficulty in general, when it comes to lifting or rotating the arm.
• A sensation of crackling while moving the shoulder in certain unique positions.

If you notice any of these symptoms, you are advised to visit an orthopedic doctor, who can accurately make a diagnosis through physical examination, X-rays and an MRI scan.

A way to avoid such injuries, especially from stress, is to give adequate rest to the muscles between your work schedule. Stretching out and warm up is essential before you go in to any job, that requires a lot of muscular effort.