The National Institutes of Health released a report that claims up to 26% of adults experience some form of shoulder pain in their lifetime. Among the issues that cause shoulder pain, a torn rotator cuff can be at the top of the pain scale.
However, you may not know much about what the rotator cuff is. You may also be unsure of how a rotator cuff tear may affect you. Our physical therapy team at Border Therapy Services can help answer these questions, and we can also help you get the treatment you need for your torn rotator cuff here in El Paso, Texas.
What is the rotator cuff?
There are many structures that make up the shoulder joint, and they include bones, ligaments, muscles and tendons. The rotator cuff is part of the shoulder. It’s made up of four muscles and tendons, and it has a very important job.
The muscles of the rotator cuff are attached to the head of the humerus, or upper arm bone, by the four tendons. In this way, the rotator cuff helps keep the head of this bone firmly seated in the shoulder socket. Without the rotator cuff, the bone’s head would be more likely to pop out of the shallow shoulder socket. In turn, this would decrease how much and in which direction you could move your shoulder joint.
How a rotator cuff tear could affect you
There are many ways that a rotator cuff tear could affect your body and your daily activities. For instance, rotator cuff tears typically lead to shoulder pain. This pain is typically described by patients as a deep ache in the shoulder. The pain of a torn rotator cuff can also make it difficult to sleep, and this is especially true if you’re used to sleeping on the affected shoulder.
There are also several ways a rotator cuff tear can make it harder to do daily activities. For one thing, this type of injury often leads to weakness in the arm. This can make it harder to reach over your head, such as when you’re grabbing something out of a kitchen cabinet. It may also be painful to perform simple actions like combing your hair when you have a rotator cuff tear.
Get the torn rotator cuff treatment you deserve at Border Therapy Services
Border Therapy Services is the perfect place to get your torn rotator cuff treated here in El Paso. In fact, we have seven clinics in the greater El Paso area, including a clinic off Gateway Boulevard West. At any of these clinics, our team can build you a personalized treatment plan for your rotator cuff tear. In fact, your plan may include physical therapy methods such as:
- Joint mobilization
- Electrical stimulation
- Aquatic therapy
- Therapeutic stretches
- Targeted strengthening exercises
Are you ready to take the next step to get our help for your shoulder pain? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.