Our team of fully-accredited Atlanta Chiropractors treats rotator cuff tears on a regular basis. The reason we see so many patients who suffer from this type of injury is due to how sensitive and fragile the tissue around the shoulder area is.
Both of your shoulders are a shallow ball and socket joints, which forces them to depend on muscular support for stability heavily.
The tendons that surround your shoulder joints are known as your rotator cuff and serve as one of the most important groups of muscles you have.
It is because of your rotator cuff that your shoulders can move and flex further than any other joint in your body, allowing you to take on a remarkable range of physical activity that helps you to get through each day.
Atlanta Chiropractic for Torn Rotator Cuffs
The fragility of your shoulders makes rotator cuff tears one of the more common injuries our Atlanta Chiropractors treat.
Like other musculoskeletal injuries, the most common forms of a rotator cuff tear are divided into ‘traumatic injuries’ and ‘repetitive micro-trauma.’
Traumatic Injuries
This happens after particular actions like throwing, swinging a golf club, or experiencing some slip and fall accident happen.
Physical activity that causes your shoulders to stretch beyond their limit damages the tendons around your rotator cuff, eventually leading to some tear.
Repetitive Micro-Trauma
If you frequently participate in the physical activities previously mentioned over an extended period of time, you could experience this type of tear.
After continuously applying excessive force to your shoulders and having them stretch beyond their comfort zone, your tendons wear down before your body can repair them. Because of this, micro-tears can begin to develop within your muscles, causing significant shoulder pain.
Common Causes of Rotator Cuff Injuries
Studies show that 70% of all rotator cuff injuries occur within elderly patients who are around their 80s.
Younger people tend to experience some traumatic injury that leads to tearing in their later years after their tendons have been exposed to significant stress over time.
For the elderly, the muscle and tendon tissue around their rotator cuff loses its elasticity, making them susceptible to injury. Because your blood supply slows down with age, your body’s ability to heal damaged rotator cuff tendons also diminishes, causing degenerative changes to develop.
Beyond age, other risk factors for experiencing a torn rotator cuff include:
Family history: A genetic component may be involved with rotator cuff injuries, as they appear to occur more frequently in particular households.
Sports: Athletes who regularly use repetitive arm motions, such as archers, tennis players, and baseball pitchers are more likely to experience a rotator cuff injury.
Construction jobs: Professions like house painting or construction require repetitive arm motions, often overhead, that can damage the rotator cuff over longs periods of time.
Treating Torn Rotator Cuff Injuries With AICA Atlanta
Our team of licensed Chiropractors is experienced and ready to help bring your arm back to a healthy state.
If you have experienced persistent pain for more than a few days, make sure to give us a call right away to prevent long-term damage from taking place.
You can contact us to make an appointment 24/7 or walk-in to our office located at:
1132 Hightower Trail
Sandy Springs, GA