The shoulder doctors at Elite Sports Medicine and Orthopedics review your symptoms and medical history, then examine your shoulder, checking for tenderness and restricted range of motion.
They may also examine your neck to make sure your shoulder pain isn’t due to a pinched nerve. Imaging tests like an X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) help the team rule out other conditions, like arthritis, and give the team important information about your injury.
They then develop an individualized treatment plan. In most cases, rotator cuff tears improve with non-surgical treatments like:
- Activity modification.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
- Strengthening exercises and physical therapy.
- Steroid injection.
If your rotator cuff tear is severe or your symptoms continue despite treatment, surgery may be necessary. The expert team at Elite Sports Medicine uses minimally invasive techniques like arthroscopic surgery to perform rotator cuff repair whenever possible.