About Us | Privacy | Site Map
Font Size
A
A
A


Rotator Cuff Injury

Rotator Cuff Tears:
Shoulder Pain and
Rotator Cuff Injuries

So, You've Injured Your Rotator Cuff.
What's Next?

  • An orthopedic surgeon (bone doctor) can evaluate further pain or problems and possible need for surgery.
  • For both routine care and after surgery, work with a physical therapist. Your doctor can refer you.

Now that we understand how shoulder muscles work, let's have a look at the shoulder joint where rotator cuff injuries occur.

Rotator Cuff Injury Overview

A rotator cuff injury is an injury to one or more of the four muscles in the shoulder. This shoulder injury may come on suddenly and be associated with a specific injury such as a fall (acute), or it may be something that gets progressively worse over time with activity that aggravates the muscle (chronic). Occasionally, even a simple act like rolling over in bed can result in a rotator cuff injury.

The type of injury can range from an inflammation of the muscle without any permanent damage, such as tendinitis, to a complete or partial tear of the muscle that might require surgery to fix it.

The shoulder joint connects the upper arm to the upper part of the body. It consists of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone).

Many different ligaments (rubber band-like structures that attach bone to bone) are involved in stabilizing the shoulder joint, particularly in the front. The muscles of the rotator cuff stabilize the back of the shoulder joint. These muscles help to keep the head of the humerus in place against the shoulder blade. The rotator cuff is comprised of four muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis).



Next: Rotator Cuff Injury Causes »

Viewer Comments & Reviews

Rotator Cuff Injury - How did you injure

The eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:

How did you injure your rotator cuff? Tell us about your injury.

Comment submissions for this question have ended. Viewer Comments FAQs
See 26 Viewer Comments & Reviews

View Comments


Printer-Friendly Format  |  Email to a Friend

Think Your Pain Might Be Fibromyalgia?

 Lilly

Privacy Policy

Women's Health

Find out what women really need.

Are You Depressed? Take the Quiz


Rotator Cuff Injury

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) »

MRI Introduction

History of MRI

Working independently, Felix Bloch of Stanford University and Edward Purcell of Harvard University made the first successful nuclear magnetic resonance experiment to study chemical compounds in 1946. Dr Bloch and Dr Purcell were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1952. In the early 1980s, the first "human" magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners became available, producing images of the inside of the body. Current MRI scanners produce highly detailed 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional images of the human anatomy.

Introduction

  • An MRI is similar to a computerized topography (CT) scanner in that it produces cross-sectional images of the body. Looking at images of the body in cross section can be compared to looking at the inside of a loaf of bread by slicing it. Unlike a CT scan, MRI does not use x-rays. Instead, it uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to produce...

Read the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) article »



Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine

Rotator Cuff Injury »

Rotator cuff injuries are a common cause of shoulder pain in people of all age groups.

Read More on eMedicine »

Featured Topics

Topics Related to Rotator Cuff Injury

Medical Dictionary


or A-Z List