Diagnosing Rotator Cuff Syndrome
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Rotator cuff syndrome is the damage or the injury to a part of the shoulder called the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is actually a cluster of different tendons and muscles that allows the shoulders to reach above the head. This group of muscles also allows an individual to lift their arms. When the shoulders are overused and extreme movements are being done repetitively, the rotator cuff muscles might incur injury and trauma. If the arm is being raised often especially repetitive raising, the shoulder blade or the acromion can cause friction to the rotator cuff. This will cause pain and discomfort to the affected person. But if this syndrome will be detected early, then the cause can be determined and treatments can be administered to prevent further damage to the involving structures.
People who are more susceptible in acquiring rotator cuff syndrome are those who require frequent raising of the hands over their heads with a lot of weight. These people may include painters, welders and weight lifters. The incidences in young people are usually caused by direct injury to the rotator cuff. The occurrence in older people is mostly caused by the normal wear and tear of the rotator cuff muscles including shoulder muscle degeneration. Because rotator cuff syndrome is associated with the overuse of the shoulder muscles, the arm that is usually affected by this syndrome is the patient’s dominant arm.
Proper diagnosis is needed to check if rotator cuff syndrome is actually present in a patient. A medical history may be obtained so that the physician may be able to check if there are any related injuries that ay have caused the syndrome to start. Other risk factors will also be investigated so that the medical team can pin point the actual cause of the muscle injury. The physician may check where the pain is felt, its onset, characteristics, alleviating and aggravating factors. The pain in persons with rotator cuff syndrome can be felt at the shoulder, which gradually radiates to the arms and sometimes the neck. The pain that the patient feels may exaggerate specially when the arm is being raised above the head. The pain may also be felt at nighttime. Muscle weakness on the affected arm may be felt too. After taking a complete health history, the doctor will conduct a thorough physical exam to the patient. It begins with inspection for any presence of redness, inflammation, edema and any other deformities. Tenderness may also be palpated. Grating and clicking sounds may also be heard when the patient tries to move and rotate the shoulders.
X-ray images will then be taken by the radiologists to check for the extent of the injury. Reviewing the images may also help the physician rule out other joint or bone diseases in the shoulder. MRI or magnetic resonance imaging is useful to detect the extent of the tearing and the degeneration. Arthography can also be performed since it will have greater imaging capabilities than a normal x-ray. CT scan can also be done to diagnose the presence of rotator cuff syndrome.
People who are more susceptible in acquiring rotator cuff syndrome are those who require frequent raising of the hands over their heads with a lot of weight. These people may include painters, welders and weight lifters. The incidences in young people are usually caused by direct injury to the rotator cuff. The occurrence in older people is mostly caused by the normal wear and tear of the rotator cuff muscles including shoulder muscle degeneration. Because rotator cuff syndrome is associated with the overuse of the shoulder muscles, the arm that is usually affected by this syndrome is the patient’s dominant arm.
Proper diagnosis is needed to check if rotator cuff syndrome is actually present in a patient. A medical history may be obtained so that the physician may be able to check if there are any related injuries that ay have caused the syndrome to start. Other risk factors will also be investigated so that the medical team can pin point the actual cause of the muscle injury. The physician may check where the pain is felt, its onset, characteristics, alleviating and aggravating factors. The pain in persons with rotator cuff syndrome can be felt at the shoulder, which gradually radiates to the arms and sometimes the neck. The pain that the patient feels may exaggerate specially when the arm is being raised above the head. The pain may also be felt at nighttime. Muscle weakness on the affected arm may be felt too. After taking a complete health history, the doctor will conduct a thorough physical exam to the patient. It begins with inspection for any presence of redness, inflammation, edema and any other deformities. Tenderness may also be palpated. Grating and clicking sounds may also be heard when the patient tries to move and rotate the shoulders.
X-ray images will then be taken by the radiologists to check for the extent of the injury. Reviewing the images may also help the physician rule out other joint or bone diseases in the shoulder. MRI or magnetic resonance imaging is useful to detect the extent of the tearing and the degeneration. Arthography can also be performed since it will have greater imaging capabilities than a normal x-ray. CT scan can also be done to diagnose the presence of rotator cuff syndrome.