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Medical Author:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Medical Editor:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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In this Article

• What is the rotator cuff?
• What causes rotator cuff disease?
• How is the rotator cuff injured?
• What are symptoms of rotator cuff disease?
• How is rotator cuff disease diagnosed?
• How is rotator cuff disease treated?
• What is the prognosis (outlook) for rotator cuff disease?
• Can rotator cuff disease be prevented?
• Rotator cuff disease facts
• Patient Comments: Rotator Cuff - Cause
• Patient Comments: Rotator Cuff - Injury
• Find a local Orthopedic Surgeon in your town
• Rotator Cuff Index

Without treatment, the shoulder can permanently lose full function from rotator cuff disease. Minor rotator cuff injuries cause mild to moderate dysfunction. Severe rotator cuff injuries can cause complete dysfunction of the shoulder joint. Sometimes, scarring around the shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) leads to a marked restriction of the range of shoulder motion. This condition is referred to as a frozen shoulder.

Extensive need for rehabilitation and physical therapy is the norm with significant rotator cuff disease. Some patients never recover full function of the shoulder joint.

Rotator cuff disease can be prevented by avoiding injury to the tendons of the shoulder. Rotator cuff disease can also be prevented by strengthening the rotator cuff muscles with exercises designed for this purpose. Repetitive strains, especially arm movements over the head should be limited.

• The rotator cuff is a group of four tendons.
• Rotator cuff disease is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain.
• The rotator cuff can be injured by degeneration, inflammation, or trauma.
• The diagnosis of rotator cuff disease can be confirmed by radiology testing.
• The treatment of rotator cuff disease depends on the severity of the injury to the tendons of the rotator cuff.

REFERENCES:

Fauci, A.S., and C.A. Langford. Harrison's Rheumatology. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical Publishing, 2006.

Koopman, William, et al., eds. Clinical Primer of Rheumatology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2003.