Torn rotator cuff how long to heal

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Back to Healio. If you have a rotator cuff tear, it can make normal day to day activities, such as getting dressed or washing your hair, painful and difficult. Early treatment can prevent symptoms from getting worse, reduce the chances of further damage, and make your recovery much quicker.

The rotator cuff helps to control movements, such as lifting and rotating your arm, and keeps your shoulder joint secure. A rotator cuff tear happens when one or more of the tendons is torn and is no longer fully attached to the head of the humerus.

This can be caused by trauma such as a bad fall or due to repetitive movements that lead to an overuse injury. The risk of tears also increases with aging. Rotator cuff tears are more likely to occur from playing sports such as tennis, baseball, or swimming and in jobs that involve repetitive overhead arm movements or heavy lifting.

Depending on the severity of the tear, your physician will be able to advise on the best course of treatment. Some tears can be treated effectively with non-surgical methods including:. Many patients find they are able to drive again from six weeks, and do some gentle swimming.

We will also book you in for a consultation, to check your progress and talk about any concerns you may have. After passive and active motion, the third phase of rehab is strengthening. This usually starts from around eight weeks. The aim here is to rebuild the shoulder muscles that have deteriorated after long inactivity. For many rotator cuff patients, six months is a key staging post on the road to a full recovery. By now your shoulder should be feeling stronger, and routine tasks will be returning.

You will start to do lifting and pushing work again, from raising yourself out of chairs to gentle gardening or even manual labour. But this is really just the beginning: you can see incremental progress for up to two years following a rotator cuff operation.

But the wait is generally felt to be worth it. Arthroscopic repair is done through small portal incisions and is the most common way that rotator cuff tears are fixed. Some tears require a larger incision. SAFI R. HESS, D. SAM B. KOO, M. IAN S. RICE, M. IAN P. Call or Text Now. Book Online. Our Physicians. Our Locations.