Basics of Rotator Cuff Tendonitis

What is the rotator cuff?

The rotator cuff is an area of four muscles and tendons which are attached to your bone inside of your shoulder joint. This combined with cartilage around your shoulder joint (labrum) enables you to keep your shoulder stable and to move it.

What is rotator cuff tendinitis?

Rotator cuff tendinitis is when the tendons in this area become irritated and the lining of your tendon becomes inflamed. This lining is normally very smooth. A rotator cuff tear can take place when one of your tendons has been used too much or suffers from a trauma with resulting inflammation.

What are the causes of rotator cuff tendinitis?

The shoulder joint in your body is called a ball and socket joint this means that there’s a ball like and to one bone and a socket in which that bone sits. The top part of your arm bone joins with your shoulder blade. The rotator cuff holds the head of your arm bone inside of the shoulder blade and controls your movement.

Tendinitis takes place when the tendons inside of your rotator cuff move underneath the bony area when they tried to attach to the top part of your arm. When this happens your tendons become inflamed and they can also fray as they continuously scrape. If this happens each time you move your shoulder it may fray even more.  Rotator cuff tendinitis is also called by some people impingement syndrome.

 Rotator cuff tendinitis can be caused by playing sports which require you to move your arm regularly over your head. This includes sports such as pitching during baseball, lifting heavy weights, tennis, and swimming. It can also occur by working with your arm over your head for many hours each day. This can include jobs such as carpentry and painting.

What are the most common symptoms of rotator cuff tendinitis?

Initially the first symptom you’ll experience is mild pain which takes place whenever you lift your arm to your side or overhead. The activities where  your pain will be first experienced include things such as playing and overhead sports, reaching for something on the shelf above your head come or brushing your hair.

The pain you experience is more likely to exist at the front of your shoulder although it may travel to the side of your arm. The pain will always stop before it reaches your elbow. If the pain goes down to your elbow and Extends into your hand the problem may be a pinched nerve. You might also experience pain when you lower your shoulder from an upward position.

References:

http://www.healthline.com/health/rotator-cuff-tendinitis#Overview1

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00032