The management for a rotator cuff tear first starts off with a visit to the doctor to get an examination and tests done. The doctor will first examine the shoulder to rule out other issues and “examine your neck to make sure that the pain is not coming from a ‘pinched nerve’” (Armstrong and Athwal, 2017). After the initial examination is done then x-rays and Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be given to help the doctor confirm that it is in fact a rotator cuff tear. Depending the type of tear there is a nonsurgical repair and a surgical repair. A nonsurgical repair is common “In about 80% of patients” (Armstrong, 2017). This type of repair consists of rest and limited activities that involve the shoulder. Physical therapy and certain…show more content… A doctor could recommend surgery right away if the patient is an athlete or someone who is very active in using their arms for overhead movements. There are four signs the doctor will look for to decide if surgery is needed or not. The first is how long has the pain been present. This can be anywhere from six months to a year. Then they look at the size of the tear. If it is a “large tear (more than 3 cm) and the quality of the surrounding tissue is good” (Armstrong and Athwal, 2017) then surgery is needed. One of the symptoms of a tear is weakness in the arm. If there is major weakness and no function in the arm this is another reason for surgery. The last reason would be the tear “was caused by a recent, acute injury” (Armstrong and Athwal, 2017). There are three different surgeries to fix a rotator cuff tear and the doctor preforming the surgery will chose the best procedure for the type of…show more content… The incision is normally several centimeters long and is “over the shoulder and detaches one of the shoulder muscles (deltoid) to better see and gain access to the torn tendon” (Armstrong and Athwal, 2017). This technique was the first one to be used in rotator cuff repairs. There is then a mini-open repair which is made through one small incision that is about three to five centimeters long. “This technique uses arthroscopy to assess and treat damage to other structures within the joint. Bone spurs, for example, are often removed arthroscopically. This avoids the need to detach the deltoid muscle.” (Armstrong and Athwal, 2017). After the first procedure is done the surgeons then go in and fix the tendon without the help of cameras and
