What is a rotator cuff?
The rotator cuff is the group of muscles and tendons in the shoulder. The tendons provide stability in the shoulder and muscles provide shoulder rotation. There are four major muscles involved in the rotator cuff: teres minor, infraspinatous, supraspinatous, subscapularis.
Types of Rotator Cuff Injuries
Rotator Cuff Strain/Sprain: This is when there is an injury to the muscles or tendons involved in the rotator cuff, but they are still intact.
Rotator Cuff Tear: This is when there is an injury to the muscles or tendons involved in the rotator cuff, and there is a complete or partial rupture of the junction between the muscles and the tendons in the shoulder. It could also mean that the muscle has torn off of the bone.
Frozen Shoulder: A tightness of the shoulder muscles due to immobility. This is often a complication associated with rotator cuff injuries and shoulder pain because the patient does not move their arm due to pain or being in a cast. The patient then is unable to raise their arm very high and often requires therapy or a steroid injection to regain mobility of the shoulder.
The rotator cuff is the group of muscles and tendons in the shoulder. The tendons provide stability in the shoulder and muscles provide shoulder rotation. There are four major muscles involved in the rotator cuff: teres minor, infraspinatous, supraspinatous, subscapularis.
Types of Rotator Cuff Injuries
Rotator Cuff Strain/Sprain: This is when there is an injury to the muscles or tendons involved in the rotator cuff, but they are still intact.
Rotator Cuff Tear: This is when there is an injury to the muscles or tendons involved in the rotator cuff, and there is a complete or partial rupture of the junction between the muscles and the tendons in the shoulder. It could also mean that the muscle has torn off of the bone.
Frozen Shoulder: A tightness of the shoulder muscles due to immobility. This is often a complication associated with rotator cuff injuries and shoulder pain because the patient does not move their arm due to pain or being in a cast. The patient then is unable to raise their arm very high and often requires therapy or a steroid injection to regain mobility of the shoulder.