Rotator Cuff Injury Affecting Your Pitch?
For athletes who repeatedly throw, like baseball players and quarterbacks, rotator cuff injuries are common. The rotator cuff is a series of tendons and muscles enveloping the shoulder joint. The repeated stress of throwing can cause inflammation and irritation of the joint. Over time, an athlete can experience a tear in a tendon of the rotator cuff. This tear significantly weakens the shoulder, causing chronic pain, reduced range of motion (ROM), and stiffness. A rotator cuff repair performed on the throwing arm offers athletes several valuable benefits.
Repairing a torn tendon
Rotator cuff repair is a minimally invasive procedure that corrects damage to the rotator cuff. A torn tendon can cause pain and inflammation. Occasionally, debris or tissue gets caught in the joint when the arm is raised. Severe tears result in a partial or complete detachment of a tendon from the shoulder. Surgery aims to clean, repair, and reattach the damaged tissue. Thanks to minimally invasive techniques, the surgeon only needs to make a few small incisions to perform the procedure. Here are 3 benefits of opting for surgery.
1. Reduce pain and restore function
Athletes with rotator cuff injuries tend to experience significant pain when throwing or raising the arm, limiting performance. The surgery first helps by restoring stability and decreasing pain. Next, the surgeon re-attaches the damaged tendon, which allows the patient to feel less pain. After recovery, the shoulder can function more effectively. Studies show that patients can have up to 90% success rate in reducing pain. As a result, athletes can train and compete more effectively.
2. Improve strength and ROM
Pitchers and other athletes that depend on throwing arms need ROM and strength. Both are diminished or lost with a rotator cuff injury. Some patients choose non-surgical means like physical therapy (PT), pain management, and compression. While these can restore function, some patients will notice a reduction in strength and ROM. By fortifying the tendons with surgery, the shoulder is strengthened after therapy.
3. Faster and better
Rotator cuff repair can address pain and discomfort now, but what about long-term? Studies show that almost all athletes return to sports after PT and surgery. Most can recapture the same level of play after conditioning training. However, some athletes report even better and faster performance. The shoulder is reinforced, so improved throwing velocity is possible.
Throwing a perfect game
Athletes understand that injuries are a part of sports. For most people, the goal is to return to playing as soon as possible with decreased pain. Minimally invasive rotator cuff repair is a fantastic solution for athletes with shoulder injuries. Depending on the severity of the injury, some athletes can recover without surgery. However, performing a rotator cuff repair narrows the recovery timeline, reduces pain, and improves performance. A surgeon can examine the injury and determine if surgery is the best approach for long-term shoulder improvement.
