Rotator Cuff Tendonitis - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

What Is Rotator Cuff Tendonitis?

Rotator cuff tendonitis is the inflammation of muscles and tendons that are responsible for the range of motion of the shoulder joints. It is also called impingement syndrome or impinged shoulder. The rotator cuff contains a group of tendons that help the arms to elevate and rotate. It usually occurs in older people. It has several causes. In mild cases, it can be treated through simple rest and home remedies whereas in severe cases needs some treatments provided by healthcare professionals.

What Are the Causes of Rotator Cuff Tendonitis?

• Rotator cuff tendonitis is most commonly caused by aging.

• The other causes may be repetitive actions such as washing windows or cars, throwing, raking, and many other repetitive arm movements in daily activities.

• Rotator cuff tendonitis can also occur due to injury.

• It commonly occurs in sports persons of all age groups.

• Rotator cuff tendonitis can also be the result of placing the shoulder in one place for a prolonged time.

• It can also be caused by sleeping on the shoulders every night.

• In persons who are involved in sports that require lifting their arms over the head. The conditions of the shoulders may be said as pitcher's shoulder, tennis shoulder, and swimmer's shoulder.

• In rare cases the cause of rotator cuff tendonitis is idiopathic.

What Are the Phases of Rotator Cuff Injury?

The initial indication of rotator cuff injury is discomfort and inflammation of the bursa. Restricted movement and weakness in the shoulder may also manifest due to prolonged irritation or direct injury. Tendinitis can advance to either a partial or full tear of a tendon as the fibers gradually weaken.

What Are the Symptoms of Rotator Cuff Tendonitis?

Rotator cuff tendons usually start with mild symptoms and it tends to get worse over time. The mild symptoms can be treated with rest whereas over time the symptoms become constant and can be treated with some other treatments under the recommendation of healthcare providers. The symptoms of the initial stage include:

• Swelling, tenderness, and pain in the arms' side and front of the shoulders.

• Pain may be aggravated by raising or lowering the arms.

• There may be a clicking sound while raising the shoulder.

• Stiffness of the shoulders.

In severe cases, the symptoms may be:

• Spontaneous sharp pain while lifting or reaching behind the back.

• Pain in the shoulders wakes up the person from sleep.

• There may be a loss of strength and mobility in the affected shoulder.

If the rotator cuff is inflamed, the sportsperson may develop pain in serving a tennis ball, spiking a volleyball, or pitching a baseball. A person who performs swimming may experience pain while propelling the arm forward if the rotator cuff is inflamed.

How Is Rotator Cuff Tendonitis Diagnosed?

• At first, the doctors may raise questions about the location, duration, and progression of the pain.

• Then the healthcare providers perform some physical examination to check the swelling tenderness and other abnormalities.

• They are also involved in assessing the range of motion.

• Healthcare providers perform strength tests by asking the patient to press their shoulders against their hands.

• They also check the conditions of the neck such as arthritis or pinched nerves that can also cause rotator cuff tendonitis.

• The doctors may recommend various imaging techniques to rule out the condition. The imaging techniques can be ultrasound scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and X-rays.

How Is Rotator Cuff Tendonitis Treated?

Home Remedies:

In people with mild rotator cuff tendonitis, the symptoms are usually relieved by some home remedies such as:

• Rest.

• Avoiding activities that trigger pain in the shoulder joints.

• Application of cold packs on the affected arms for about 15 minutes and three times daily.

• Avoid sleeping on affected shoulders.

• Over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

• Keeping the shoulder muscles not clenched.

• Relaxing the shoulder muscles by taking warm showers on the shoulders.

• By applying some over-the-counter ointments that contain menthol, camphor, capsaicin, and methyl salicylate.

Physical Therapy:

In moderate cases, the doctors may recommend physical therapy to restore function and improve the symptoms. The physical therapist may recommend stretching exercises to improve muscle strength and range of motion.

Some basic stretching exercises for rotator cuff tendonitis are:

• The Pendulum - The person should lean forward with bent knees and a flat back. Then the person should rest one arm on a solid flat surface and another arm should swing in front and back, side to side, and in a circular motion. This movement should be done 10 times.

• The Crossover - The person should stand straight with slightly bent knees and their shoulders should be relaxed. Then the person should gently grasp the upper arm of the opposite side with one hand. And they should pull the arm across their chest as much as possible. This stretch should be held for about 30 seconds.

• The Backward Pull - The person should stand straight and hold the lightweight stick behind their body. Then they should slowly pull the stick as far as possible. This position should be held for about 30 seconds.

Steroid Injections :

If the rotator cuff tendonitis is not resolved by physical therapy and home remedies then the doctors may recommend steroid injections. This injection is injected into the tendons of the rotator cuff to reduce inflammation.

Surgery:

• If rotator cuff tendonitis can not be resolved by all non-surgical treatments then the doctors may recommend surgical procedures. The doctors recommend rotator cuff surgery which is the most noninvasive shoulder surgery that is done through arthroscopy.

• This rotator cuff surgery is done by two or three small incisions to insert various instruments. This type of surgery is done with the assessing cameras.

• In large tendon tear cases, the doctors usually recommend open surgery.

• Surgical treatments are usually accompanied by physical therapy and rest to improve the range of motion and strength.

What Are the Complications of Rotator Cuff Tendonitis?

The complications of rotator cuff tendonitis may be:

• Lack of mobility.

• Difficulty in movements such as lifting or throwing.

• Chronic pain.

• Reduced muscle strength and flexibility of the shoulders.

• Insomnia (difficulty in sleeping).

• Difficulty while driving.

• Some post-surgical complications include bleeding, tissue damage, scarring, and side effects of anesthesia.

What Are the Tips for Caring Shoulder at Home?

• Proper posture while sitting.

• Refrain from repeatedly raising the arms overhead.

• Pause periodically during repetitive tasks.

• Try not to sleep on the same side every night.

Conclusion

Rotator cuff tendonitis can be prevented in various ways like performing stretching exercises daily, taking breaks from repetitive movements, using proper posture while standing, sitting, and walking, and sleeping on the back. If rotator cuff tendons are inflamed, reaching out to healthcare providers may be useful to prevent the condition from progressing to the severe stage.