Rotator cuff tears are a common shoulder injury that can cause severe pain as well as affecting how well you use your arm. If you have a serious injury like this, LA Orthopaedic Specialists in Downtown Los Angeles, California, can help. The board-certified doctors have expert skills in treating rotator cuff tears and use minimally invasive arthroscopy to minimize tissue damage and speed up recovery. Call LA Orthopaedic Specialists today to find out more or book an appointment online.

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What is a rotator cuff tear?

The rotator cuff is part of your shoulder. It’s a collection of muscles and tendons that attach your humerus (upper arm bone) to your shoulder blade. 

Your rotator cuff gives you the ability to make a wide range of movements with your shoulder joint, and in fact, the shoulder is the most mobile joint in your body.

A rotator cuff tear happens when one or more of the tendons overstretch. The fibers separate, and the tendons come away from the top of your humerus. Rotator cuff tears are common injuries. They cause pain and weakness in the affected arm and shoulder. 

What causes rotator cuff tears?

Rotator cuff tears might happen when you’re physically active, for example, doing some vigorous exercise or strenuous sporting activities. Falling onto your outstretched arm or lifting heavy items with a sudden jerk can also cause rotator cuff tears. 

You might fracture your collarbone or dislocate your shoulder joint at the same time as suffering a rotator cuff tear.

Degenerative changes that come with age and overuse of your shoulder can cause rotator cuff tears as well. 

What degenerative changes cause rotator cuff tears?

Changes happen as you get older that can reduce blood supply to your joints, which affects your natural ability to heal. 

If you have arthritis in your shoulder, it can irritate the rotator cuff tissues, causing your body to produce little outgrowths of bone called bone spurs. Bone spurs can lead to shoulder impingement, where you’re unable to move your arm properly.

Degenerative changes to the rotator cuff are more likely to affect you if you use your shoulder repeatedly for long periods, as you would with:

  • Baseball 
  • Tennis
  • Weightlifting
  • Rowing

Rotator cuff tears can also happen if you make repetitive arm movements when you’re working.

How are rotator cuff tears treated?

Left untreated, rotator cuff tears get worse over time. If you’re experiencing pain and weakness in your shoulder, you should visit LA Orthopaedic Specialists for a diagnosis and effective treatment before your condition worsens.

Your provider at LA Orthopaedic Specialists begins your rotator cuff tear treatment with conservative approaches like rest and activity modification, taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and undergoing physical therapy.

You can also benefit from accelerated healing using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections and powerful anti-inflammatory cortisone injections into the affected shoulder.

If the damage is too extensive to heal using these treatments, or your symptoms aren’t improving, you might want to consider the option of surgery. 

LA Orthopaedic Specialists has considerable experience of carrying out minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures like rotator cuff repair and shoulder replacement surgery.

If you’re having problems moving your shoulder and are suffering from pain in the joint, call LA Orthopaedic Specialists today to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online.