Rotator Cuff Tear in Clover Bottom, MO. A rotator cuff tear can not only make physical tasks like sports or the physical demands of your job more painful, but it can also disrupt daily activities writing. Our Clover Bottom, MO team of physical and occupational therapists at Axes Physical Therapy caters each treatment plan specifically to each client, their injury, and their desired activity level. Fill out our online form or schedule an appointment today to get started with healing your rotator cuff injury.

Our locally owned and operated network of physical therapy clinics throughout Clover Bottom, MO and Missouri is managed by physical and occupational therapists who have devoted their lives to helping individuals like you in the Clover Bottom, MO area achieve the mobility and physical well-being you wish for. Our comprehensive clinical expertise, evidence-based treatment plans, and background as motion experts equip us to effectively guide you in heal your rotator cuff injury. Get in touch with a physical therapist at Axes Physical Therapy today. Contact us now or find out more about the location most convenient for you.

A rotator cuff tear can either be acute — meaning it happens as the result of an injury, such as falling or lifting a heavy object — or can happen gradually because of overuse. More than two million people each year nationwide suffer a rotator cuff tear. If you have sustained a rotator cuff tear and want to get back to the activities and sports you love or are only looking for enduring and meaningful pain relief, make an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today. We are the leading physical therapy team in Clover Bottom, MO, and our licensed physical therapists will create a tailored, evidence-based therapy treatment plan to guide you in your recovery from your rotator cuff tear.

The Rotator Cuff | Axes Physical Therapy Clover Bottom, MO

The rotator cuff is a set of 4 tendons and muscles that keeps the top of your humerus (upper arm bone) in your shoulder socket, which is proportionately shallow. Besides keeping your shoulder from falling out of place, the rotator cuff lets you control the movement of your arm. For any physical activity requiring use of your arm, the rotator cuff muscles work in tandem with other larger muscles in the shoulder and scapular area to lift or move the upper extremity. The wide range of motion our arms and shoulders have is due to our rotator cuff working in tandem with the surrounding musculoskeletal structure of the shoulder. The 4 tendons and muscles in the rotator cuff are:

1. The supraspinatus is a proportionately small muscle that holds in place the head of your humerus and allows you to elevate your arm.
2. The infraspinatus is a deep triangular muscle on the back of the shoulder allows you to rotate and extend your arm.
3. The teres minor is a thin muscle that works in tandem with the infraspinatus to rotate your arm away from your body and hold the arm in place during rotation.
4. The subscapularis is a triangle-shaped muscle that is the biggest of the rotator cuff muscles. It allows you to rotate your shoulder inward, as well as straighten and lower your arm.

Moving your arm or shoulder without a healthy rotator cuff is painful if not impossible. A healthy rotator cuff has balanced strength and control in all four muscles in order to correctly rotate, elevate, extend, and protect your arm and shoulder. If you’re experiencing pain or limited motion in your shoulder, come see Axes for a free injury screening.

Common Rotator Cuff Injuries

The two chief causes of rotator cuff injuries are sudden injuries or chronic degeneration. Trauma can happen when you lift a heavy object or overstretch your arm. Degeneration transpires because of overuse or normal weakening of the muscles and tendons with age. No matter what sort of pain or injury you are feeling in your shoulder, the Clover Bottom, MO rotator cuff experts at Axes physical are here to empower you as you recover.

There are three principal kinds of rotator cuff injuries:

1. Rotator cuff tears happen as a result of trauma or can be more chronic in nature. The most common tear is a partial tear, which damages a tendon, while a full-thickness tear completely separates a tendon from the bone. They can the result of trauma, such as falling, but most rotator cuff tears are from overuse or repeating day-to-day movements over time like swimming. They start with fraying and after some time tear. Many chronic, partial thickness rotator cuff tears are asymptomatic with many people living with them unknowingly. A small injury can regularly reveal a chronic, partial thickness rotator cuff tear.
2. Rotator cuff tendinopathy (tendinitis or tendinosis), is swelling, irritation or degeneration of one of the tendons attaching muscle to the bone. The pain occurs in the area surrounding the joint. Teninopathy consistently happens to overhead athletes or those who work with their arms overhead. The irritation is often the result of weakness or incorrect posture.
3. Impingement is caused by a tendon rubbing on a shoulder blade. Often caused by repetitive shoulder activities, injury, or age. Impingement syndrome can later lead to chronic rotator cuff irritation and partial tearing.

All three conditions can be treated successfully with conservative treatment like physical therapy. While individualized physical therapy can reduce symptoms and improve function, Axes can also help you with pre- and post-surgical rehab if a full-thickness tear required surgery. Our Clover Bottom, MO team of physical and occupational therapists will build a tailored plan for your rotator cuff tear recovery so that you can get back to swimming, painting your walls, or carrying out basic daily activities like pouring a cup of coffee pain-free.

Rotator Cuff Tear | Axes Physical Therapy Clover Bottom, MO

Rotator Cuff Tear Causes and Risk Factors

The two types of rotator cuff tears are:

• Acute Tears — This sort of rotator cuff tear transpires when you experience a specific injury. Maybe you attempted to lift something too heavy. They can also be caused by other structural damage, such as a broken collarbone or dislocated shoulder.
• Degenerative Tears — These are also called chronic rotator cuff tears. Some common risk factors are:
  • Repetitive Stress — Repeating the same shoulder movements over time can cause tendons to fray and tear. These are common in sports like swimming and baseball, or jobs that require repeated overhead lifting.
  • Lack of Blood Flow — Proper blood flow ensures that minor injuries heal properly. When blood flow is restricted, irritation can gradually turn into a tear. The rotator cuff is infamous for its poor blood supply.
  • Bone Spurs — The acromion, the bony tip on the outer edge of your shoulder blade, is prone to overgrowth . After a while, the bone can irritate a tendon, resulting in rotator cuff impingement, leading it to fray and tear.

Most rotator cuff tears happen to people over the age of 40 as a result of the wear and tear our bodies experience as we go through life. Sports and jobs that require heavy lifting are the most common risks for Clover Bottom, MO young people.

Rotator Cuff Tear Symptoms

You may not always feel a rotator cuff tear, especially if it develops slowly over time. Acute tears normally cause instant pain, but occasionally the symptoms are more subtle. Signs you might have a rotator cuff tear include:

• Trouble raising your arm
• Pain or soreness when carrying out certain shoulder movements
• Pain at night or when resting, particularly if you’re lying on the injured shoulder
• Weakness in your shoulder
• Hearing or feeling clicking, grating, or popping with certain arm movements
• Inability to lift things you can normally lift

If you’re experiencing symptoms, delaying treatment with Clover Bottom, MO physical and occupational therapists could make the injury worse. We will work together with your doctor to come up with a game plan that will safely and successfully get you back to the activities you love. Visiting any of our locations for a free injury screening is a simple, cost-effective means of having your shoulder examined. Early examination and treatment goes a long way in preventing a frozen shoulder – which is painful and can take up to three years to totally recover from – or arthritis, which will have to be managed for the rest of your life. We have the expertise and skill to get you safely back to what you do and love best, whether it’s raising your grandkids over your head or serving an ace.

Treatments for a Rotator Cuff Tear

If you have been diagnosed with a rotator cuff tear, you may be asking yourself what the most successful means of treatment is in Clover Bottom, MO. Usually, rest, icing, and physical therapy treatment practices such as stretching and strengthening exercises will be adequate to help ameliorate the symptoms, let your rotator cuff heal properly by itself, and eventually get you back to the activities you love. If the pain is severely debilitating, a physician make recommend anti-inflammatory medicine or injections. Fortunately, surgery is only recommended in rotator cuff tears with full-thickness tears or if the tear refuses to heal with more conservative care. The professional physical therapists at Axes Physical Therapy know how to evaluate your condition and implement the best treatment plan for you. We will work with you to design an evidence-based, tailored plan to get you back to what you love doing, pain-free and without the limitations of a rotator cuff tear.

We treat a wide variety of conditions and complaints and have a team of specialists ready to help you. Some of our other services are:

• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy
• Workers Comp' Physical Therapy
• Migraine Relief
• Sprain and Strain Treatment
• Geriatric Physical Therapy
• Injury Rehabilitation
• Pain Management Services
• TMJ Treatment
• Herniated Disc Treatment

Receive Treatment for Your Rotator Cuff Tear Today | Axes Physical Therapy Clover Bottom, MO

Whether your rotator cuff tear is the result of an injury or of degeneration over time, you won’t be able to entirely enjoy your life as you should until you get treatment from expert and caring physical and occupational therapists who can safely and effectively shepherd you as you heal. No two rotator cuff tears are exactly the same, and at Axes Physical Therapy we design a tailored plan for you based on evidence and your individual needs. As your physical therapist, we work hard to help you recover your movement health and help you recover from your rotator cuff tear, and we look forward to seeing you once again able to high-five your clinical team on your way out. Contact us today by picking the location nearest you or get a free injury screening to take the first step in getting back to the activities you love.