Rotator Cuff Tears

The rotator cuff can tear when excessive force is applied to the muscles of the shoulder.  The chance for this to happen increases with age, especially over the age of 60.  This happens as tendons in our bodies tend to become more brittle over time, losing their normal ‘stretchiness’ or elasticity.  Tears can occur with lifting heavy objects, injuries to the shoulder, or a result of progressive damage to the tendon with time. A common story I hear in my office is when someone tries to pull a suitcase off the luggage belt at the airport. The usual symptoms with tears are shoulder pain, pain with activities, pain at night, limited range of motion and weakness.  Not all tears are the same, so it is hard to compare with a friend who said their had a tear in their shoulder.

Tears, unlike pregnancy, are not ‘all or none’.  A tear of a tendon in a shoulder can start small, and get bigger with time and activity.  A small tear may only lead to occasional pain.  As it gets bigger, there may be more a sense of weakness, limited range of motion, and increased pain.