Rotator cuff injuries or tears can occur as a result of sudden arm movements, repetitive strain, or degenerative changes in the tendons due to aging. They mostly affect people who perform activities that require a lot of arm movement, such as athletes, construction workers, truck drivers, etc.
Symptoms of a rotator cuff injury can vary depending on the severity of the injury, but some of the most common symptoms include the following:
- the pain most often occurs in the shoulder area and can spread to the arm
- pain can be mild to severe and be present both during rest and movement of the arm
- weakness in the shoulder, which can make it difficult to perform activities that require the use of the arms, such as lifting heavy objects or raising the arms above the head.
- clicks, pops or snaps in the shoulder during movement.
An injury to the rotator cuff tendon can lead to limited shoulder mobility, making it difficult to perform normal activities. The causes can be diverse, but they all require a clinical examination by an orthopedist in order to make an accurate diagnosis, i.e. to reveal the real cause of the issues and symptoms.
Prevention of rotator cuff injuries includes shoulder strength and flexibility exercises, avoiding repetitive motions with the arms, using proper lifting technique, and wearing ergonomic tools and equipment.
At AKSIS Special Hospital, we perform arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs, which we’ve pioneered in South-Eastern Europe, and probably beyond. During this procedure we “reinforce” the reconstructed tendon with stem cells taken from the tissue of the mucous sac that normally covers healthy shoulder tendons.