Rotator Cuff Injury
Rotator Cuff Injuries
Will the effects of non-surgical treatments be more beneficial than surgical treatments for rotator cuff injuries to increase range of motion in upper extremities to complete activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living? To determine the answer to this question, rotator cuffs and their injuries will need to be defined. A rotator cuff is a group of four muscles on a person’s shoulder blade that attach to the ball of the humerus. The muscles and tendons allow a person to lift and rotate their arm, and hold the ball of the humerus firmly in place within the shoulder socket. Injuries can occur to the tendons of the rotator cuff by falls, blunt trauma to the shoulder, repeated actions, and age. The injury is characterized by the tearing of a tendon, and can cause limited range of motion and pain in the shoulder. Swelling, crepidus and stiffness are all common symptoms associated with the injury, and symptoms will be more severe if a complete tear has happened, because the tendons will have been torn away from the bone. When the rotator cuff has been damaged there are two options for treatment which are either non-surgical or surgical.
Non-surgical methods are non-invasive treatments that include physical and occupational therapy, taking oral medications like acetaminophen, taking steroids by pill or injection to alleviate pain, and using modalities like ultrasound, heat, ice, and electrical stimulation (S. Oh, et al 2006). Occupational and physical therapist can use eccentric strengthening programs to target the patient’s functional limitations due to a rotator cuff injury. The therapy helps to promote scapular control and correct movement patterns. The exercises have been proven to help decrease pain and increase function in patients with stage three subacromial impingement syndrome (Bernhardsson, Hultenheim-Klintberg & Kjellby-Wendt, 2010). The syndrome includes partial or complete rotator cuff tears,
Will the effects of non-surgical treatments be more beneficial than surgical treatments for rotator cuff injuries to increase range of motion in upper extremities to complete activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living? To determine the answer to this question, rotator cuffs and their injuries will need to be defined. A rotator cuff is a group of four muscles on a person’s shoulder blade that attach to the ball of the humerus. The muscles and tendons allow a person to lift and rotate their arm, and hold the ball of the humerus firmly in place within the shoulder socket. Injuries can occur to the tendons of the rotator cuff by falls, blunt trauma to the shoulder, repeated actions, and age. The injury is characterized by the tearing of a tendon, and can cause limited range of motion and pain in the shoulder. Swelling, crepidus and stiffness are all common symptoms associated with the injury, and symptoms will be more severe if a complete tear has happened, because the tendons will have been torn away from the bone. When the rotator cuff has been damaged there are two options for treatment which are either non-surgical or surgical.
Non-surgical methods are non-invasive treatments that include physical and occupational therapy, taking oral medications like acetaminophen, taking steroids by pill or injection to alleviate pain, and using modalities like ultrasound, heat, ice, and electrical stimulation (S. Oh, et al 2006). Occupational and physical therapist can use eccentric strengthening programs to target the patient’s functional limitations due to a rotator cuff injury. The therapy helps to promote scapular control and correct movement patterns. The exercises have been proven to help decrease pain and increase function in patients with stage three subacromial impingement syndrome (Bernhardsson, Hultenheim-Klintberg & Kjellby-Wendt, 2010). The syndrome includes partial or complete rotator cuff tears,