Rotator cuff problem is one of the most common causes of disability and pain to adults. In fact, a few years ago, nearly 2 million individuals in the US constantly visited their doctor due to this problem. Among the problems that doctors dealt with are rotator cuff tear. This kind of injury will automatically make your shoulder feel weaker. You might find it hard to do simple daily activities like getting dressed and combing your hair difficult due to getting this injury. It is a common cause of disability among adults. Most tear injuries in rotator cuff occur in the supraspinatus tendon or muscle. There are times when other tendons get torn as well.
This tear injury begins by unraveling, then it continues to progress. Later on, it will be fully torn especially if the person is always lifting heavy objects. There are two types of tear that you can experience. It can either be the partial tear or full-thickness or complete tear. The latter involves a hole in one of the tendons. Once this happens, even dressing yourself will become hard. So, you need to take extra precaution in lifting heavy objects from now on. Being aware of the symptoms of rotator cuff tear also helps since it enables you to control, stop and be easy with your shoulders.
One of the primary symptoms of rotator cuff tear you will experience is pain. There will be pain when lifting your shoulder, when you accidentally lie on your injured shoulder, and when reaching your back. There will be pain every time you move the affected shoulder. The exact feeling of pain that you will experience is a dull ache in your shoulder. Along with the pain is the feeling of weakness in the arm. Moving the affected shoulder to certain positions will cause pain.
The pain that you will feel also depends on the cause of the injury. If you fell and the tears occur in a sudden manner, the pain you will feel is an intense one. It may involve snapping sensations and instant weakness in the upper arm as well. In case the tear slowly developed and it was caused by overusing the shoulders, the symptoms will still be the same. Pain will be felt whenever lifting the arm to your side and moving it down. The pain will start as a mild one, which can be relieved by taking an over the counter pain reliever like aspirin. However, this pain will be more noticeable after a while even when simply resting. Even taking medications will not make the pain go away. It becomes more painful when you accidentally lie on the affected side while sleeping.
From being a mild case, it will become a serious one if it not treated right away. It is time to see your doctor when severe pain remains even after a few days. Do not wait for another day before you go to the doctor to avoid the injury from developing into a disability.
