Reduction of pain and a restoration of function is the goal of any Rotator Cuff treatment. There is no one perfect option for all patients. In cases where an MRI, a common imaging modality, has shown a tear of the Rotator Cuff, some type of treatment will be required beyond just ice and a short period of rest. The most common tendon of the Rotator Cuff injured is the supraspinatus. Prompt diagnosis of a Rotator Cuff tear is essential to lessen the invasive nature of any treatment option. When a tear of the Rotator Cuff occurs, the surrounding muscle often atrophy, or shrink, losing strength This finding points to the need for physical therapy to keep the range of motion as well as to rebuild the muscles without further damaging the tendons of the Rotator Cuff. There are specific exercises that a physical therapist can help you with that can strengthen the Rotator Cuff tendons. These exercises help to maintain movement and attempt to slow the atrophy or loss of muscle around your shoulder. Many physicians believe that stronger muscles can help avoid further Rotator Cuff damage. The first steps in treatment and physical therapy combined with OTC NSAIDs. The risks of surgery, namely infection, permanent stiffness, complications related to anesthesia and in many cases a lengthy recovery time as well as a recurrence of the tear, prompt many who have a Rotator Cuff injury to seek out non-surgical option.
A Rotator Cuff partial tear is often treated by an orthopedic surgeon with something called a debridement. This is where frayed edges of the tendon are trimmed and if a bone spur is causing the injury, it can be burred down. The debridement of the tendon does not make the tendon heal any faster though. If the edges of the tendon are torn but sill adjacent to one another there can be different options available. Unfortunately, if the Rotator Cuff tendons are completely torn and widely separated, usually a major surgical intervention is called for.
We at REGENERATIVE MEDICINE INSTITUTE OF NEVADA have found that our Cytokine Growth Factor Therapy enhanced with PRP can often shorten the recovery time of a Rotator Cuff injury. Brining into the joint a concentration of growth factors not normally in the joint can help the healing of the partially torn or well-opposed Rotator Cuff tendons. This can avoid surgery in many cases and involves no anesthesia. A quick in office procedure where the cytokines and growth factors are mixed with PRP and then injected directly into the injured shoulder can lead to a faster recovery with no surgery.
