Rotator Cuff Tear Symptoms: When Should You See an Orthopedic Specialist?

Rotator cuff tears are one of the most common orthopedic injuries, affecting millions of Americans each year. Here, we look at signs that your shoulder may be in trouble and when to make an appointment with our team.

Swing your arms around for a moment — forward and back, up and down — and you can appreciate the wide range of motion your arms enjoy. Critical to this range of motion are the rotator cuffs found in each of your shoulders, which are groups of tissues that help keep your arms in place.

As you might imagine, any damage in these tissues, namely a rotator cuff tear, can affect your arm’s movements and cause no small amount of pain. Unfortunately, this exact issue sends 2 million people in the United States to see orthopedic specialists each year, including the experienced team here at Austin Sports Medicine.

In this post, we look at the role your rotator cuff plays in helping you move your arms and describe the signs that these tissues are in distress and need attention from a specialist.

Lift and rotate — powered by your rotator cuff

Your rotator cuff is formed by four muscle groups that come together to form a tough tendon that covers the end of your humerus (upper arm bone). This tissue attaches your upper arm to your shoulder blade and helps you to lift and rotate your arm.

Rotator cuff tear warning signs

Now let’s get to the heart of this discussion and review a few key warning signs that you might be dealing with a rotator cuff tear. This type of injury most often comes on the heels of overuse, but rotator cuff tears can also occur as a result of an acute injury.

As with most musculoskeletal injuries, early intervention can be critical in halting the progression of the damage — rotator cuff tears can range from partial tears to full thickness ruptures.

Common signs of a rotator cuff tear include:

Pain when you try to lift or rotate your arm
Weakness in your arm when you try to lift or rotate it
A crackling sound in your shoulder when you move your arm
A feeling like your arm will give out when you lift something heavy
Dull or throbbing shoulder pain at night
Trouble sleeping on the affected shoulder

These symptoms can range in severity depending upon the extent of the tear. They also often start off fairly mild — you might feel some shoulder pain when you lift your arm up high, for example. Over time, the pain starts to become more constant and weakness can set in.

Early treatment can get things going in the right direction, namely restoring pain-free use of your arm.

Top-notch care for rotator cuff tears

Shoulders can be tricky joints, so it’s a great idea to see one of our orthopedic specialists at the first signs of trouble. You don’t need to put up with the limited use of your arm — and the pain.

Our team works quickly to diagnose the issue in your shoulder so we can get you on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.

For expert diagnosis and care of rotator cuff tears, we invite you to contact us at one of our five locations in and around Central and South Austin, as well as Bee Cave, Cedar Park, and Pflugerville, Texas. You can call our appointment line or book online.