When talking about rotator cuff injuries, you most commonly hear about a rotator cuff tear. A rotator cuff tear may happen as a result of a one-time injury. Maybe it happened because you fell or you hurt yourself while you were working or playing sports, or it could have happened as a result of normal wear and tear that comes with aging or the abnormal degeneration of a tendon.

When you have a rotator cuff tear, you will feel pain on the front of your shoulder and down the side of your arm. You’ll feel that pain when you lift, when you reach and when you engage in virtually any overhead activity. Many say that they have weakness in their arm, so simple activities like combing your hair or reaching behind your back become difficult.

Rotator cuff injuries can be painful, and they can drastically impact your life and reduce your ability to carry out common activities. There are a lot of treatments available for treating rotator cuff injuries. These treatments can be conservative or more aggressive depending on your needs.

Depending on the severity of the rotator cuff injury, all you may need to do is use ice, rest and work with a physical therapist. If the injury is severe and there has been a complete tear of your muscle or tendon, then Dr. Swafford may recommend surgery.

Dr. Swafford may first talk to you about conservative treatments. When you visit a physical therapist, you will stretch, receive massages and use ice packs and hot packs in order to help treat your symptoms.

If this does not work, then Dr. Swafford will work with you to take things to the next level. He may encourage you to use steroid injections. These are especially beneficial if the pain you’re having is making it difficult for you to sleep or exercise. During your consultation with Dr. Swafford, you will get to learn everything to expect with injections.

In extreme cases, you may need surgery for your rotator cuff injury. The type of surgery that you’re going to have will vary depending on the type of injury that you sustained. This will all be discussed in detail during your initial appointment with us.

Rotator cuff injuries happen for a variety of reasons and can be treated in a variety of ways, but at the office of Albert R. Swafford, M.D., our trusted doctor can develop a personalized treatment plan tailored directly for your needs. Ask your physician for a referral to our office in Bakersfield to learn more about treatments for rotator cuff injuries.