How To Treat A Rotator Cuff Tear

Rest The Affected Arm

Shoulder injuries can be difficult to manage given how often this area of the body is used. While general usage of the arm shouldn't inhibit the patient's recovery from the rotator cuff tear, it's important to avoid overextending the affected arm while the injury is healing. One way to effectively rest the injured arm is by wearing a large arm sling for several days, which is particularly important if the pain is severe. A sling will basically pin the patient's arm against their chest so their shoulder is unable to move. Patients also need to avoid raising their arms above their head while the injury is progressing through the healing process. Doing so will place undue amounts of pressure on the joints and tendons in the shoulder, which will likely worsen the inflammation and could cause the tear to become larger. Resting their injured arm means patients shouldn't play sports or do heavy lifting for quite some time. They can, however, go about the everyday activities they performed before the injury.

Cortisone Injection

In most cases, a rotator cuff tear can be treated without surgery. One of the more effective treatments for a rotator cuff tear is a cortisone injection. These injections are comprised of an anti-inflammatory medication injected directly into the affected area. By reducing the inflammation and swelling that occurs with a rotator cuff tear, the pain patients are experiencing in their shoulder should also subside. These injections are exceedingly safe with only minimal side effects like elevated blood sugar or an infection in the surrounding area. Cortisone injections are based on a natural substance in the body known as cortisol. While naturally-produced cortisol is essential to the ongoing function of the body, it's not strong enough to provide quick healing for inflammation. Synthetic injections of cortisol are placed directly into the inflammation that has occurred from the rotator cuff tear, which makes it more potent and effective at getting rid of the inflammation and pain. These injections can be repeated a few times if necessary.