When You Have a Rotator Cuff Tear, Don’t Panic, It Can Be Repaired!

If you are facing an injury that has caused a rotator cuff tear, you may be experiencing stress due to the pain caused by the tear. The best course of action, however, once your doctor has confirmed that you do indeed have a rotator cuff tear, is to first gather your thoughts and remain calm. Don’t panic or think too far ahead.

If your injury is not too severe, your condition can improve relatively quickly with rest, medication and physical therapy. If the tear is severe, your doctor can perform a rotator cuff surgery. I know though that for some people, as soon as they find out that they must undergo shoulder surgery, they immediately feel worried, concerned and anxious. Surgery usually feels like a big deal, and it seems impossible not to worry. Today, however, we have good news to help relieve your fears about rotator cuff surgery, so that you can feel more at peace when opting for the treatment. 

Firstly, let’s take a look at the causes of rotator cuff tears. The first and most common cause is gradual degeneration of the rotator cuff over time, which is mostly found in the elderly. The next cause is from regular use of repetitive arm motions over long periods of time, as is most frequently the case with athletes or those of working age whose work routine involves repetitive and continuous use of the shoulder. Finally, the third most common cause is due to an accident, or excessive stress placed on the shoulder unintentionally. 

The various causes will determine the treatment plan and methods used by your doctor. If the tear is more severe, doctors may need to perform a rotator cuff repair surgery. In this field much progress has been achieved thanks to the advances in contemporary medical science, the development of more modern equipment and doctors with greater expertise and skill than ever before. 

Surgical procedures have changed from those of traditional surgery to what is known as arthroscopic surgery. This type of rotator cuff surgery meets the treatment needs of many more patients and is a much simpler, more effective method. The doctor will make tiny incision holes in the patient’s skin. A small camera can then be inserted through these incisions, allowing the physician to access and view areas of the injury that need to be examined from a specialized monitor without disrupting any of the surrounding normal tissue. 

Next, the treatment process can be carried out. The procedure for each case will depend on the nature of the injury. The arthroscopy surgery method for rotator cuff surgery allows for much smaller incisions, far less loss of blood, less pain and a quicker recovery period of just one day before the patient can return home. 

As a matter of fact, rotator cuff tears are an issue that every patient should be aware of, as they may not only cause a great deal of pain and significantly limit the movement and use of the arm, but also affect a patient’s work and daily life. However, do not panic, because as explained above, we now have far more effective treatment methods. Even in severe cases, arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery can be a suitable treatment alternative that reduces surgical pain, causes much smaller incisions and wounds, and doesn’t require long periods of absence from work. Just one day after surgery, the patient is able to return to work. 

All of these factors make arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery the star of rotator cuff treatment options, and far superior to all other traditional forms of rotator cuff surgery. It can, therefore, be said that if you are experiencing a rotator cuff tear, you can have full confidence that your condition can be treated. Infact, it is much simpler to do so than you may have expected.