Essay On Rotator Cuff Tear

2076 Words5 Pages

Lindsay Simpson
Betsy Schlosser
PTST 20003
15 April 2014

Research Paper: Rotator Cuff Tear and Repair

Shoulder injuries are very common amongst people of all ages. If you think about it, we use our shoulders for numerous daily activities like driving, reaching up in cupboards, washing and brushing our hair, picking up items off the floor, reaching in our pockets whether it be in the front or the back, putting a belt on, and many others. A common injury that occurs in the shoulder though, is the rotator cuff. This structure is very often torn in individuals who use a lot of overhead reaching motions or are forcefully pulling objects constantly. A couple examples of people that do these motions constantly are athletes and construction workers. A rotator cuff tear can be caused by a direct-blow to the shoulder or it can happen over a period of time with wear and tear. Normally when an individual has a rotator cuff tear, they will present with pain or weakness when trying to lift their arm.
So what is a rotator cuff and what is the anatomy of it? The rotator cuff is
“a group of flat tendons which fuse together and surround the front, back, and top of the shoulder joint like a cuff on a shirt sleeve. These tendons are connected individually to short, but very important, muscles that originate from the scapula. When the muscles contract, they pull on the rotator cuff tendon, causing the shoulder to rotate upward, inward, or outward, hence the name "rotator cuff." “ (http://www.scoi.com/rotator-cuff.php#5)
The anatomy of the rotator cuff has four muscles and joints that attach to bones of the shoulder joint. These muscles are the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis (The SITS muscles). These muscles will t...

... middle of paper ...

....gov/pmc/articles/PMC3449033/ This shows that patient’s must continue to exercise the rotator cuff consistently in order to strengthen and increase their range of motion. The outcome of surgery is very important to the individual, doctors, therapists, and many others.
In conclusion, prevention from injury is very important for any part of our body. We must do what we can to keep our muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons healthy. In order to keep the rotator cuff healthy, we must consistently stretch and strengthen the muscles around it while improving trunk strength and posture to help with the forward head and rounded shoulders, which causes impingement. Both rotator cuff tears and impingement syndrome can definitely affect the way an individual performs daily activities and can be seen by the way they lift things and move their arm. Prevention from injury is key!

More about Essay On Rotator Cuff Tear

Open Document