FAQs

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) [...]

You probably have many questions about your rotator cuff injury. During your appointment with a Nashville rotator cuff tear specialist, you may want to ask: Whether the specialist has treated your kind of rotator cuff injury before. Whether you should consider non-surgical treatments as a first line of defense instead of surgery. What to expect [...]

When treating an injury that may require surgery, it is important to seek help from a surgeon you trust. Our shoulder specialists have years of experience treating injuries like rotator cuff tears. They encourage you to ask questions take the time to listen so that you can get back to doing what you love most. 

An orthopedic shoulder or sports medicine specialist will be able to provide rotator cuff treatment options.

In most cases, a torn rotator cuff cannot heal itself. The rare exception would be very minor tears. However, if you already have minor tears in your rotator cuff, you're more likely to experience a major tear later. Even if you can "live with the pain," you deserve to know what's happening with your body. [...]

If you think that you have the signs and symptoms of a torn rotator cuff, should you see a specialist or try to deal with the discomfort at home? Doctors agree that it's always best to get a diagnosis for any unusual rotator cuff problems. That way, you'll know if you need non-surgical or surgical [...]

An acute rotator cuff tears typically causes a sudden, severe shoulder pain. You may also experience something like a snapping sensation and immediate arm weakness. A degenerative rotator cuff tear also causes shoulder pain and arm weakness, but these symptoms may start mild and only bother you during specific movements. Over time, you may notice the [...]

Anyone can experience a rotator cuff tear and require treatment from doctors like the specialists at Elite Sports Medicine and Orthopedics. However, your chances of a rotator cuff tear increase if you have any of the following risks: You are older than age 60. Other members of your family, such as parents or siblings, have had [...]

A rotator cuff tear can happen suddenly, or it may develop slowly over time. Sudden (acute) rotator cuff tears may result from trauma, like a car accident or a fall on an outstretched arm. Rotator cuff tears that develop gradually involve degenerative damage to the shoulder. Your rotator cuff may wear down with age or repetitive [...]

Each shoulder contains a group of muscles and tendons called the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff helps stabilize your shoulder and allows you to lift and rotate your arm. Excess stress on the shoulder can cause one or more of these tendons to tear and separate from your upper arm bone's head. A rotator cuff [...]