Rotator Cuff Tear in St. Ann, MO. A rotator cuff tear can not only make physical activities like sports or the physical requirements of your job more difficult, but it can also affect daily tasks like brushing your teeth. Our St. Ann, MO team of physical and occupational therapists at Axes Physical Therapy will work to treat your rotator cuff tear with a tailored treatment plan that will safely return you to full strength and mobility – pain free. Fill out our online form or schedule an appointment today to get started on your road to recovery.

Our locally owned and operated network of physical therapy clinics throughout St. Ann, MO and Missouri is led by physical and occupational therapists who have devoted their lives to helping individuals like you in the St. Ann, MO area achieve the mobility and physical wellness you want. Our substantial clinical expertise, evidence-based treatment plans, and background as motion experts permit us to effectively guide you in your rotator cuff tear recovery. Get in touch with a physical therapist at Axes Physical Therapy today. Contact us now or learn 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. Over two million people every year in the United States must schedule a visit with a doctor or physical therapist due to rotator cuff tears. If a rotator cuff tear is keeping you from playing the sports you once loved playing, or just making daily tasks painful, make an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today. Our St. Ann, MO physical therapy team will have you high-fiving and lifting your arms again sooner than you thought possible.

The Rotator Cuff | Axes Physical Therapy St. Ann, MO

The rotator cuff is a set of 4 tendons and muscles that keeps the ball of your humerus (upper arm bone) in your shoulder socket, which is proportionately shallow. As well as keeping your humerus in place, the rotator cuff lets you control the movement of your arm. For any functional activity needing use of your arm, the rotator cuff muscles function together with other larger muscles in the shoulder and scapular area to lift or move the upper extremity. It’s the synergy between the rotator cuff and the larger, more forceful muscles, as well as the bone anatomy of the shoulder, that allow us the substantial range of motion in the shoulder. The rotator cuff is made up of:

1. The supraspinatus is a relatively small muscle that stabilizes the head of your humerus and permits you to elevate your arm.
2. The infraspinatus is a deep triangle-shaped muscle behind the shoulder allows you to rotate and extend your arm.
3. The teres minor is a narrow muscle that works alongside the infraspinatus to rotate your arm outward 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 permits you to rotate your shoulder inward, as well as straighten and move your arm downward.

The rotator cuff is key in basically every sort of shoulder movement. A healthy rotator cuff has balanced strength and control in all four muscles in order to correctly rotate, raise, 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

Rotator cuff injuries are either caused by acute trauma or gradual degeneration. Trauma can transpire when you lift a heavy object or overstretch your arm. Degeneration happens owing to overuse or standard weakening of the muscles and tendons as you get older. Regardless of what type of pain or injury you are feeling in your shoulder, the St. Ann, MO movement health experts at Axes physical are here to lead you in your treatment.

Rotator cuff injuries fall into 1 of the 3 categories below:

1. Rotator cuff tears are caused because of trauma or can be more chronic in nature. A complete, or full-thickness, rotator cuff tear entirely separates the tendon from the bone. Generally, a rotator cuff tear is a partial tear, which damages the tendon but does not wholly separate it from the bone. They can be caused by trauma, such as falling, but most rotator cuff tears are from overuse or repeating daily movements over time like repeatedly lifting heavy objects. The tendon is initially frayed before becoming torn. Many chronic, partial thickness rotator cuff tears show no symptoms with many people living with them unknowingly. Some chronic degeneration tears are only noticed after a light injury.
2. Rotator cuff tendinopathy (tendinitis or tendinosis), happens when one of the tendons is inflamed or otherwise irritated. The pain is centered in the area just outside the joint. Teninopathy consistently happens to overhead athletes or those who work with their arms overhead. The irritation is often caused by rotator cuff weakness, improper posture, and weakness of the muscles bordering the shoulder.
3. Impingement happens when the tendon of the rotator cuff becomes “impinged” during certain arm movements. Usually occurring with overhead activities. Impingement syndrome can later lead to chronic rotator cuff irritation and partial tearing.

All three injuries can be treated effectively with conservative treatment such as physical therapy. While some complete and partial tears of the rotator cuff may need surgery, a course of individualized physical therapy with a highly-knowledgeable physical therapist can lessen symptoms and improve function notably. Our St. Ann, MO team of physical and occupational therapists will design a customized plan for your rotator cuff tear recovery so that you can get back to swimming, painting your walls, or carrying out basic everyday tasks like pouring a cup of coffee pain-free.

Rotator Cuff Tear | Axes Physical Therapy St. Ann, MO

Rotator Cuff Tear Causes and Risk Factors

The two types of rotator cuff tears are:

• Acute Tears — This kind of rotator cuff tear transpires when you sustain trauma. Maybe you attempted to lift something you shoulder could not support. Acute tears can also accompany other injuries to the shoulder, such as a broken collarbone or dislocated shoulder.
• Degenerative Tears — These are also referred to as chronic rotator cuff tears. They happen over time and can be the result of several factors:
  • Repetitive Stress — Repeating the same shoulder motions 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 Supply — As we age our body supplies less blood to our rotator cuff, making it harder for the body to heal small tears, which can cause larger tears. The rotator cuff is notorious for its poor blood supply.
  • Bone Spurs — Bone overgrowth can also occur as we get older, and bone spurs can frequently occur on the underside of the acromion, which serves as the roof of your shoulder . Bone spurs can lead to impingement, which in turn leads to rotator cuff tears.

Getting older is the most understood risk factor for a rotator cuff tear; the majority of rotator cuff tears are because of the general wear and tear our bodies are subjected to over time, and are most common in people over 40 years old. Sports and jobs that require heavy lifting are the most common risks for St. Ann, MO young people.

Rotator Cuff Tear Symptoms

You may not always experience symptoms of a rotator cuff tear, particularly if it develops slowly over time. Acute tears generally cause immediate pain, but sometimes the symptoms are harder to notice. There are some standard rotator cuff tear symptoms to look out for:

• Difficulty raising your arm
• Pain or soreness with certain shoulder motions
• Pain at night or when resting, particularly if you’re lying on the affected shoulder
• Weakness in your shoulder
• Hearing or feeling clicking, grating, or popping with certain arm motions
• Inability to lift things you can usually lift

If you’re experiencing symptoms, delaying treatment with St. Ann, MO physical and occupational therapists could make the injury worse. We will work with your physician 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 method to have your shoulder evaluated. Early evaluation 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 can cause permanent pain and damage to your shoulder joint. We have the knowledge and skill to return you safely back to what you do and love best, whether it’s picking up your grandkids over your head or swimming 400 meters.

Treatments for a Rotator Cuff Tear

If you have been diagnosed with a rotator cuff tear, you may be asking yourself what the best means of treatment is in St. Ann, MO. Typically, rest, icing, and physical therapy treatment practices such as stretching and strengthening exercises will be enough to help improve the symptoms, encourage the body’s natural healing process, and eventually get you back to a pain free life. If the pain is severely debilitating, a physician make recommend anti-inflammatory medicine or injections. Fortunately, surgery is only recommended in rotator cuff tears where the tendon is wholly torn or if rest and physical therapy have not been successful. The licensed physical therapists at Axes Physical Therapy know how to assess your condition and determine the best treatment method for you. We will work with you to build 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:

• Back Pain Treatment
• Neck Pain Treatment
• Physical Therapy Clinic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

Receive Treatment for Your Rotator Cuff Tear Today | Axes Physical Therapy St. Ann, MO

Whether your rotator cuff tear is the result of an injury or of wear and tear over time, you won’t be able to completely enjoy your life as you should until you get treatment from expert and compassionate physical and occupational therapists who can safely and successfully shepherd you as you heal. No two rotator cuff tears are exactly the same, and at Axes Physical Therapy we build a personalized plan for you based on evidence and your individual needs. As your physical therapist, we work hard to help you restore 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 as you leave. Contact us today by choosing the location nearest you or get a free injury screening to take the first step in getting back to the activities you love.