Rotator Cuff Injury Symptoms

• Chronic tear



• Occurs more often in a person's dominant arm



• More commonly found among men older than 40 years



• Pain usually worse at night and interferes with sleep



• Worsening pain followed by gradual weakness



• Decrease in ability to move the arm, especially out to the side



• Able to use arm for most activities but unable to use the injured arm for activities that entail lifting the arm as high as or higher than the shoulder to the front or side



• Acute tear



• Sudden tearing sensation followed by severe pain shooting through the arm



• Motion limited by pain and muscle spasm



• Acute pain from bleeding and muscle spasm (often goes away in a few days)



• Point tenderness over the site of rupture



• With large tears, inability to raise the arm out to the side, although this can be done with help



• Tendinitis



• More common in women 35-50 years
of age


• Deep ache in the shoulder also felt on the outside upper arm



• Point tenderness



• Pain comes on gradually and becomes worse with lifting the arm to the side or turning it inward



• May lead to a chronic tear