What is your "Rotator Cuff"
Imagine a golf ball sitting on top of a tee; that is what your shoulder joint looks like underneath all the muscles and ligaments holding it together. The head of your humerus (your upper arm bone) is the golf ball, and it sits on the golf tee (the glenoid fossa of your shoulder blade). The thing about a golf ball and tee is it is easy to knock off, and that is where your rotator cuff comes in. The job of the rotator cuff is to keep the ball on the tee. Your rotator cuff is made up of 4 muscles; Supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. These muscles surround the shoulder joint and work together to maintain the stability of the joint through movement.
Causes of Rotator Cuff Injury
Rotator cuff injuries occur most commonly in athletes with frequent overhead arm movement such as baseball, tennis, pickleball, volleyball, swimming; and in people who frequently do repetitive overhead work such as painters etc... The shoulder is inherently in a more vulnerable position when the arm is in an overhead position, and the rotator cuff will have to work harder to maintain stability in these positions. Rotator cuff tears can happen from quick, rapid movements and happen suddenly, or very commonly they are a result of repetitive strain over time.
Common causes of rotator cuff injury:
- Overhead sports (volleyball, baseball, tennis, pickleball etc...)
- Jobs with frequent overhead lifting and reaching
- Sudden and rapid acceleration or deceleration of your arm and shoulder
- A fall on an outstretched arm
- Age related wear and tear
- Prolonged postures or positions that load the shoulder
- Insufficient recovery time between training or work sessions
Rotator Cuff Injury Treatment in Burlington
More than taking some time off!
At The Recovery Room Chiropractic and Wellness in Burlington, we focus on treating active individuals with a sepcial focus on pickleball athletes and rotator cuff injuries are a very common complaint that brings people in seeking care. The first step to any injury is a thorough assessment; since there are other conditions that can mimic the same pain as a rotator cuff tear or injury, a proper assessment needs to be done to come to the correct diagnosis. In certain cases, specifically in more severe or acute cases, sometimes your practitioner will send you to get advanced imaging done if there is a concern for more severe tears or complex injuries to help determine the best path forward.
Rotator cuff injury treatment is most effective with a multidimensional approach. At the forefront of this approach needs to be progressive loading and strengthening exercises. The ultimate path to a full recovery is regaining the strength of the injured muscle/tendon as well as the surrounding musculature.
Hands-on treatment modalities such as chiropractic care, manual therapy, soft tissue release and joint mobilizations can play a big part in pain reduction and improving the range of motion of your neck, spine, shoulder and other joints as needed, and advanced technology such as shockwave therapy can be used to help speed up recovery time and enhance tendon/muscle recovery.
Depending on your injury, you may be instructed to take time away from sport or decrease the amount of activity you are doing; however, this is always on a case-by-case basis.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rotator Cuff Tears
Recovery time can be different for everyone and it depends on the nature of the injury. For acute tears, grade 1 strains are usually recovered in 1-3 weeks; while grade 2 strains usually take from 6-12 weeks to fully recover.
In most cases, advanced imaging is not required to begin treatment for your rotator cuff tear. In more complex or severe injuries, imaging may be advised to help determine the degree of the injury, prognosis, and timeline for recovery, or if a complete rupture is suspected if there is a potential that surgery may be advised.
The majority of people that have acute rotator cuff tears do not require surgery to make a full recovery. Where surgery may be considered, is in cases of complete muscle/tendon rupture in younger, active individuals and athletes. In older individuals that suffer a complete tear, and are not required to do a lot of hearhead work surgery is much less likley to be recommended, however some lingering strength deficits may remain after the injury has healed.
The location of pain from a rotator cuff tear can depend on which muscle is injured. Commonly you will experience pain on the top, front or back of the shoulder. It is also common that you will expereince pain on the outside of your upper arm or your elbow.
Dr. Phil Wessel
Chiropractic, Custom Orthotics Fitting
Dr. Phil Wessel is a chiropractor with over seven years of experience helping patients in Burlington and Oakville recover from injury and stay active. Throughout his career, he noticed that many common muscle, tendon, joint, and spine injuries were often treated without addressing the underlying causes, leading to ongoing pain and recurring problems.
This realization led him to create The Recovery Room Chiropractic & Wellness—a clinic focused on providing effective, evidence-informed care for active adults and athletes who want to get back to the activities they love.
Dr. Phil’s treatment approach combines chiropractic adjustments, manual therapy, shockwave therapy, and rehabilitation exercise to help patients recover from both acute and chronic injuries. He has a particular interest in treating tendon-related conditions, including Achilles tendinopathy, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, plantar fasciitis, rotator cuff injuries, and jumper’s knee.
A graduate of the University of Guelph and New York Chiropractic College, Dr. Phil understands first hand the importance of staying active. Outside the clinic, you’ll find him spending time with his wife and two children, playing pickleball, or enjoying a round of golf whenever he gets the chance.
Helping active people recover, perform, and stay in the game.
The Recovery Room Chiropractic and Wellness
5041 Fairview St,Burlington, ON
L7L 4W8 View Staff & Treatments
