Shoulder: Rotator Cuff

by | Oct 22, 2019 | Patient Education, Shoulder

Dr. Paul Brady – Arthroscopic Shoulder Specialist

Dr. Paul Brady is an Arthroscopic Shoulder Specialist with Tennessee Orthopedic Clinics. Today he will discuss torn rotator cuffs.

When Did I Tear My Rotator Cuff?

So frequently when I tell patients that they have a torn rotator cuff, the next question I get is, “When did I tear it? I don’t remember tearing it”. 80% of rotator cuff tears occur slowly over time.

20% are injuries, you fell, you picked up something large and you felt it tear. But the vast majority of rotator cuff tears tear slowly and eventually get to the point where they start to cause pain in your shoulder and your arm.

How Do You Treat a Torn Rotator Cuff?

When you do have a rotator cuff tear, frequently the most appropriate treatment is to get that fixed. We can try conservative routes such as shots or physical therapy, but most rotator cuff tears do better if we fix them with arthroscopic surgery.

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