What to do?

The rotator cuff tear is a common injury sustained either from repetitive strain, wear and tear or a sudden pulling trauma.

The rotator cuff of the shoulder is actually made of four muscles, holding the shallow shoulder joint together along with ligaments and shock absorbing sacs (bursa).  The shoulder is not like the hip, because it sits very shallow in the scapula (wing bone) socket it is prone to instability, and in some people tears.  Tears can range from minor (heal within 2 weeks) to major ones that require surgical correction. As long as the outer muscle fibres/tendon are intact, often relief can be achieved with Osteopathic treatment, which is a much less invasive option than surgery – were indicated.

So d you have a tear?  If you cannot raise your arm past 90 degrees(above shoulder height), you may.  If you have a positive ’empty can sign’ there is a higher likelihood of a tear being present. To test this, hold yourarm out in front of you and rotate wrist so thumb is pointing down – as if you were emptying a can – if pain is reproduced, then seek treatment ASAP.

Osteopathy can effectively treat grade I and II muscle tears, not only in the shoulder (rotator cuff tendon) but also other regions with soft/deep tissue massage, ultrasound therapy, gentle manipulation and rehabilitation exercises.