Rotator Cuff Research Paper

Words: 1615
Pages: 7

The rotator cuff is a set of four muscles (subscapularis, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, and teres minor) that cover the head of the humerus, clavicle and scapula. These three bones together form the ball-and-socket joint known as the shoulder joint. The muscles of the rotator cuff help stabilize and strengthen this joint and support movement of the shoulder. This rotator cuff also contains a sac between the bone and muscles which lubricate the area, allowing the muscles to move freely over the joint. This sac is called a bursa.
Rotator cuff injuries and tears are very prominent. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are more than 3 million cases per year. It is uncommon in individuals under 14 years of age but very common in all age groups above
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Pain is described as a deep pain within the shoulder ranging from dull to extreme depending on movement. Best is rated as a 1, worst a 4 and current a 3 on a 0-5 scale with 0 being none and 5 being unbearable. Patient says pain began 9 days ago following a fight during a hockey game where he dislocated his shoulder but the team doctor was able to immediately put it back in. Patient says this is not his first shoulder dislocation and has had many in his hockey career. Patient states he has muscle weakness and stiffness of the shoulder joint. Also states that the joint is tender. Patient says he has lowered range of motion of the left shoulder and has trouble sleeping on this side. Patient states he almost feels like something is catching when he moves his arm. In addition, he states that he has trouble doing daily tasks like brushing his hair and putting on clothes overhead, such as putting on a …show more content…
This is actually the best option for an athlete because it fixes the injury right away so that they cannot continue to harm the shoulder and further tear it when they return to their sport. If they were to continue to play with a shoulder that had tears, which many do, they run the risk of further tearing the rotator cuff and also sustaining other injuries as well. I gave my patient this information and he decided to continue with