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Serving Eastern Sussex County, Delaware & Surrounding Areas.

Medical Library Shoulder

Aging in Place Specialists logo featuring a house outline and an illustration of a person, emphasizing support for aging individuals in their homes.

Choose the body area

Massage therapy session focusing on neck and shoulder relief for improved mobility and quality of life in aging individuals.

Neck

Physical therapist assisting elderly patient with mobility exercises in a bright rehabilitation space.

Shoulder

Physical therapist assisting patient with mobility exercises, promoting physical therapy benefits for aging individuals, in a clinical setting.

Back

Hand using a laser therapy device on a patient's arm, demonstrating physical therapy treatment for mobility improvement.

Elbow

Elderly woman engaging in physical therapy with a healthcare professional, using a pink dumbbell to improve strength and mobility.

Wrist

Physical therapist assisting a woman during manual therapy session, focusing on mobility and rehabilitation for aging individuals.

Hip

Physical therapist using a laser therapy device on a patient's knee, demonstrating physical therapy treatment for improved mobility and pain relief.

Knee

Physical therapist assisting elderly man with leg stretching exercise in a bright therapy room, emphasizing mobility improvement for aging in place.

Leg

Person undergoing physical therapy exercise, using a stability ball for rehabilitation, with a knee brace visible, emphasizing mobility improvement for aging individuals.

Ankle

OVERVIEW

Rotator Cuff Tears

Illustration of a shoulder joint anatomy highlighting rotator cuff tear, labeled with key structures including clavicle, humerus, subscapularis, and supraspinatus (SS), relevant to rotator cuff injury discussions.

When a young person experiences trauma, such as a fall, rotator cuff tears can occur. Rotator cuff tears can also occur in seniors and middle-aged individuals. This is usually due to a gradual wear out of the tendon(s) of the rotator. Rotator cuff tear symptoms include pain radiating from the shoulder down to the arm, weakness, and, in some cases, complete loss of arm lift ability. An arthrogram is one of the diagnostic tests. This involves injecting radio-opaque dye into the shoulder. If it leaks from the rotator-cuff, it can either be seen on an x-ray or ultrasound. However, an M.R.I. will not be performed. The most commonly used test for diagnosing is the rotator wrist.

The treatment of young and middle-aged patients involves either open or arthroscopic repair of the torn tendon. Activity modification, anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy are all common for older patients. Cortisone injections, cortisone injections, and activity modification are also options. Patients with severe pain or dysfunction who do not respond to conservative treatment may consider surgery.

GOALS

Possible Treatment Goals

  • Decrease Risk of Reoccurrence
  • Improve Fitness
  • Improve Function
  • Improve Muscle Strength and Power
  • Increase Oxygen to Tissues
  • Improve Proprioception
  • Improve Range of Motion
  • Self-care of Symptoms
  • Improve Tolerance for Prolonged Activities
  • Improve Wound Healing
RESOURCES

Additional Resources