A rotator cuff injury is when you have inflammation or a tear in the muscles and tendons in your shoulder. You can develop this after an injury to your shoulder or after years of wear and tear. It is a common cause of shoulder pain and is more likely to affect older people or active sporty people. If you have this form of injury it can be difficult and painful to do everyday tasks such as getting dressing and brushing your hair.
- Your rotator cuff is the group of muscles and tendons that surround your shoulder joint.
- They work together to keep your shoulder stable and working well.
- The rotator cuff works with the ligaments that connect the bones in your shoulder together to keep your shoulder joint in its socket.
An operation can usually be done using the key hole technique, and this surgery aims to ease your pain and give you as much movement in your shoulder as possible.
After your surgery you will be required to wear a sling and your physiotherapist will visit you in hospital to show you what you need to do and you will gradually build up the exercises to help strengthen your shoulder and regain full movement. How long you need to do physio will depend on how severe your injury was and the type of surgery you had to fix it. It can take between three months to a year to fully recover from rotator cuff surgery.