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Rotator cuff tendinitis affects the tendons and muscles that help move your shoulder joint—and if you have tendinitis, it means your tendons are inflamed or irritated. This condition usually occurs over time, especially if you participate in activities that require lifting your arm over your head or repetitive shoulder movement.
Suffering from symptoms of rotator cuff tendinitis? Take the first step to finding relief from your pain with our free interactive assessment
The rotator cuff is a grouping of muscles and tendons that connects your upper arm to your shoulder blade. This area of your body is foundational to a wide variety of arm movements, especially those involved in sports and work.
When these muscles become torn or otherwise inflamed, it’s called rotator cuff tendinitis.
Rotator cuff tendinitis is a condition that develops over time and is usually the result of sustained activity. These activities include:
It is also possible for patients to suffer from rotator cuff tendinitis without any known, specific cause.
In most cases, the symptoms of rotator cuff tendinitis are mild at the beginning and then grow worse over time. The earliest indication of the onset of rotator cuff tendinitis is pain and swelling of the bursa—a soft sack that cushions your shoulder joint. You might also notice that your range of motion is becoming increasingly limited.
As the condition progresses, other common symptoms of rotator cuff tendinitis include:
If you are experiencing pain symptoms similar to rotator cuff tendinitis, start your diagnosis with our interactive condition assessment tool below.
In some cases, there is a specific injury that is causing the tendinitis and your symptoms will dissipate as you heal from the injury. More often, you will need to be evaluated by a physician who can prescribe a treatment plan that will help you recover.
At first, you may be able to find relief from the painful symptoms associated with rotator cuff tendinitis by managing pain and swelling to encourage healing.
These non-surgical remedies can include:
When non-surgical treatments have been exhausted, surgery may be required to alleviate your pain.
The primary surgery to treat rotator cuff tendinitis is an arthroscopy—or arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. This minimally-invasive surgery involves small incisions and the use of a small camera that will guide the surgeon to the correct part of the shoulder. Using this technique, the expert surgeons at the Integrated Spine Institute can sew or reattach the detached tendon to the upper arm bone. This type of surgery is usually an outpatient procedure.
A shoulder arthroscopy is a fairly common procedure that often results in less pain, faster healing, and an increase in shoulder flexibility and range of motion.
As with any orthopedic condition, it’s important not to wait for a rotator cuff tendinitis to go untreated and negatively impact your daily life. You don’t have to live with pain or reduced function, and the experts at the Integrated Spine Institute can help you get started.
If you are suffering from painful symptoms associated with rotator cuff tendinitis and are ready to take the next step, try our interactive treatment finder below to find right treatment for you.
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North Hollywood, CA 91602