Monday, October 31, 2011

Surgery: The Last Resort to Treating Rotator Cuff Tears

By Jack Gilbert


If a rotator cuff has been injured, the sooner to treat and fix the better. Surgery is usually done as a last resort, many times because the person waited too long for treatment. Here is more information on how to fix rotator cuff injuries.It's amazing how many things can cause a rotator cuff tear. Pulling, pushing, sports, swinging (think golf) are just a few of thing things that can cause an injury. Arthritis can cause problems, as can getting older. Bone spurs can also cause a tear.

When torn rotator cuffs become rather serious, surgery is usually performed. Rotator cuff injuries worsen especially when the large tendon gets separated from the humerus bone. The humerus bone is the upper arm bone. There might be cases of a bone spur which will also be removed during surgery. A simple surgery takes care of minimal tears. This is called debridement. This type of surgery is not tedious and only requires the patient to stay in the ER.

During the surgery, a sling serves as the support of the arm to remove the stress from the shoulder. This also holds the elbow together to avoid certain movements. Most often than not, the elbow is stiff and immobile. This is the part where therapy exercises are applied. Rotator cuff surgeries usually take 2-3 weeks to heal. Physical therapy and exercise is important after surgery, usually a requirement for complete recovery. The therapy's goal to help heal the rotator cuff and at the same time, assist in recovering strength and sense of motion.

As you can see, the surgical process is long and involved. Unless you have a complete rotator cuff tear, though, surgery is not usually necessary. Many times, exercises, massage and physical therapy can take care of the problem.

The early the detection, the better it is to prevent problems later on.




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