If you have noticed that you suddenly have a lot of discomfort in your shoulder, you may wonder if you have injured it. If so, look for the following two symptoms indicating that you may have a partial rotator cuff tear in your shoulder's tendon.
Raising Your Arm Causes Pain
When you tear your rotator cuff, the tendon that attaches your arm to your shoulder is no longer able to move your limb through its full range of motion. As a result, raising your arm becomes more difficult. You may experience weakness as you try to lift it, as well as sharp pain in your shoulder and down the top of your arm.
To test your shoulder's range of motion, try lifting your arm straight out in front of you, then lower it. Also, lift your arm straight out to the side. If you feel any pain or weakness while lifting or lowering your arm, you may have torn the tendon.
While performing the test, do not try to force your arm all the way up. Instead, listen to your body. As soon as you feel sharp pain, stop right away. Moving your rotator cuff too much when it is torn could tear the tendon even further.
Hearing and Feeling a Click or Pop When You Move
Another symptom of a rotator cuff tear is a click or pop that is heard and felt whenever you move your arm a certain way. This clicking or popping sensation and sound is caused by the sides of the torn tendon either rubbing against itself or another structure in your shoulder, such as a muscle or bone.
Along with feeling the popping sensation inside your shoulder, you may also be able to palpate it from the outside. Lay your hand on your shoulder, and try moving your arm in different directions.
If you can feel the location of the pop, this could indicate a serious tear in your rotator cuff that needs to be diagnosed by an orthopedist as soon as possible. Until you can see the doctor, do not overextend your arm past the point of pain, as this could increase the size of the tear.
If you have one or both of the above symptoms, you may have a partial tear in your shoulder's rotator cuff. Because the injury to your tendon usually will not go away on its own, make an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon to have them examine your shoulder and discuss your options for repairing the tear before your condition worsens. To learn more, check out websites like http://www.jpspottdo.com.
