{"id":5130,"date":"2019-03-20T08:56:05","date_gmt":"2019-03-20T08:56:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=5130"},"modified":"2021-05-31T21:13:12","modified_gmt":"2021-05-31T21:13:12","slug":"12-possible-causes-of-rotator-cuff-tear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/12-possible-causes-of-rotator-cuff-tear\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Possible Causes of Rotator Cuff Tear"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The rotator cuff is a set of four muscles that keep your humerus \u2014 the upper arm bone \u2014 attached to the shoulder socket. It keeps your entire arm stable and is also responsible for the generation of power. There are many things that could lead to a rotator cuff tear, and today we\u2019re going to go over some of the most common causes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bear in mind that the eight causes in this list are by no means the only ways that you could get a rotator cuff tear. Even if you don\u2019t think that any of these apply to you, you should still get yourself checked out with your doctor if you notice any symptoms of a torn cuff. These include pain when reaching over your head as well as difficulty sleeping. If the pain in your shoulder persists over a long period of time then it might be due to a torn cuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Falls<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Falls are one of the most common ways that people get their rotator cuff torn<\/a>. It\u2019s actually quite easy to tell if you\u2019ve torn your rotator cuff following a fall. As you impact the ground, you\u2019ll feel a snapping sensation in your shoulder which is followed by a dull pain and weakness in that arm. If you notice this chain of events, it\u2019s important that you head to the emergency room immediately so that further damage to your shoulder won\u2019t occur. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catching tears early is the best way to minimize the damage and shorten the recovery time. If you\u2019re unsure as to whether your fall led to a rotator cuff tear, you can perform the drop arm test. All you have to do is raise your shoulder to an angle of 90 degrees and see if you are able to lower it in a controlled pace. If your arm drops down to your sides involuntarily then you are most likely dealing with a torn cuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Car crashes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another common cause of rotator cuff tears is car crashes. When you\u2019re involved in a car crash, there is an immense amount of force exerted in your body. In some cases, the consequences can be severe such as internal bleeding<\/a> in your brain or a ruptured liver. Many car crashes lead to torn rotator cuffs due to the fact that your shoulder area is lined up with the steering wheel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abrupt impact of your shoulder with the wheel could easily tear your rotator cuff. You likely won\u2019t be able to feel the snapping sensation that we mentioned earlier due to the shock of the crash and any other injuries that you might have. Once you have confirmed that everyone is okay and gotten to a safe distance, you can have any paramedics on scene check your rotator cuff to see if it is torn. They will likely use the drop arm test to determine this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Pulled<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another way that you could get a torn rotator cuff is if you accidentally pull your shoulder. Pulled muscles can happen at any time if your limbs <\/a>are under too much load. Excessive loads could do more than your pull your muscles, as it might also end up tearing your rotator cuff. You\u2019ll know that you have more than a pulled muscle if the pain feels deep and also if you notice the snapping sensation that we described earlier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pulled muscles generally cause pain, but the best way to differentiate a rotator cuff tear is looking for that snapping sensation and seeing if your arm is weak afterward. If you fail the drop arm test after pulling your muscle, you might also have a torn rotator cuff. If your doctor diagnoses a pulled muscle exclusively then you should encourage them to also check for a torn rotator cuff. This is even truer if you notice any of the symptoms associated with a tear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Hyper-rotation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another way that you could get a rotator cuff tear is if your arm is hyper-rotated. There are many things that could lead to this. Poor form in sports like gymnastics could lead to hyper-rotation. Another way that your arm might become hyper-rotated is during grappling sports such as Judo or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. There are certain joint <\/a>locks such as the Kimura that could lead to hyper-rotation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your arm is rotated beyond its normal range of motion, the four muscles that make up your rotator cuff could separate and tear leading to a torn cuff. If you detect a tear during any athletic activity, you should immediately stop and get yourself checked out before resuming. Many athletes worsen their injury because they ignore it until they finish their performance. This also holds true for football players with brain damage who ignore any symptoms during a game and only get themselves checked out afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Excessive weights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Weightlifters <\/a>are prone to rotator cuff tears and other shoulder injuries due to the fact that they lift heavy weights. Don\u2019t get us wrong, you can be safe when lifting weights and keep your odds of injury low provided that you stick to the recommended safety standards. That said, there are some who get reckless or cocky which are what leads to most weightlifting injuries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people agree that amateurs are more vulnerable to injuries like rotator cuff tears in comparison to veterans. This is not only due to the fact that veterans are in better shape, but also the fact that amateurs try to push their limits instead of staying under them. When extreme weight is placed on your rotator cuff, it is likely to tear. If you notice the snapping sensation while weightlifting or even just carrying a heavy box, put the weight down and get yourself checked out as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Martial arts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Martial arts<\/a> is another thing that could lead to a rotator cuff tear. There are many disciplines that could lead to injury, especially those that include live sparring or competition. The risk of getting an injury in any martial art is raised whenever you participate in a competition. While striking arts like boxing or Muay Thai could lead to head injuries, grappling arts like Judo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu could lead to joint injuries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we mentioned above, the Kimura lock is a specific martial arts move that could tear your rotator cuff. In fact, it was once used to break the arm of Helio Gracie twice in one match. Spectators say that Kimura was preparing to break Gracie\u2019s arm a third time before Gracie\u2019s corner threw the towel in. If you do decide to take up one of the grappling arts, be sure to pick considerate sparring partners to ensure that you don\u2019t tear your rotator cuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Overuse<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While car crashes and sports might seem like the obvious culprits, it\u2019s usually something as subtle and benign as repetitive usage that leads to a torn rotator cuff. You\u2019ll find people in specific lines of work are more susceptible to rotator cuff tears than your average human. These professions include painters, carpenters, and delivery men. Painters and carpenters both perform tasks that require the overhead extension of their arm for hours on end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This long-term strain <\/a>on their arm could eventually lead to a rotator cuff tear as the fatigue builds up. Delivery men are also susceptible to rotator cuff tears due to the fact that they carry heavy packages all day long. Sometimes avoiding injury is as simple as moderating the load that you put on your body. If you feel pain in your joints, ask for a few days off. Your employer wouldn\u2019t want to pay for occupational injuries now, would they?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Age<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Age is another common cause of rotator cuff tears. When you age, your muscles start to degenerate. This happens at an accelerated pace if you don\u2019t exercise regularly. Seeing as your muscles <\/a>are thinner when they\u2019re older, you\u2019re more prone to rotator cuff tears. The muscles that make up your rotator cuff are not exempt from the atrophy that occurs as you age. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to prevent age-related rotator cuff tears is by exercising regularly as you age. You might even need to make your workout more intense as you age to keep up with the atrophy. Just don\u2019t push yourself too hard as you could run the risk of cardiac arrest. People in their 80s were never meant to do 1,000 push-ups. Keep a healthy balance and consult with your doctor to ensure that you can stay fit as you age. It\u2019s worth noting that excessive exercise could also lead to rotator cuff tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Imbalance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Muscular imbalance<\/a> commonly contributes to injury, and especially in the case of a rotator cuff injury. That\u2019s because too many of us neglect to train these muscles at all \u2013 while in fact three of the rotator cuff muscles are the only ones that are able to handle lateral rotation of the arm. Specifically the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor are responsible for all external rotation. Therefore, if you don\u2019t train them, your arm will only have weak movement in this direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversely, the very large and powerful pectoral muscles and deltoids contribute to the medial, internal rotation. If these are very strong, and the rotator cuffs are very week, then this drastically increases your chances of a rotator cuff injury. To prevent this then, always remember to give these muscles the attention they deserve using cable pulley exercises, resistance bands, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Poor Posture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another thing that may contribute to a rotator cuff injury is poor posture<\/a>. In particular, many of us spend a lot of time sitting at desks with our arms reaching forward for the keyboard. This shortens and tightens the pectoral muscles, along with the anterior deltoids, pulling the arms forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, sitting in this position all day will cause the posterior chain and the rotator cuffs to be pulled forward. Overtime this causes them to become lax and weakened, which means that there will be uneven tension on the arm. This in turn can make it much more likely that you will experience injury. It also means that you will be much more likely to develop a hunch called \u2018kyphosis\u2019 as your cervical and upper-thoracic spinal regions are pulled forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Overtraining<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Overtraining can cause injury<\/a> to any part of the body. The important thing to remember is that hypertrophy (muscle growth) and the accompanying strength gains are biphasic. This means they occur in two stages: you train and cause minor damage to the muscle fibers, and then you rest to allow the body to recover and rebuild them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we over train, it means that we are allowing our body time for that recovery, meaning you are essentially piling damage on top of damage. Far from helping your muscle fiber to recover and grow stronger, this will simply cause increasing damage and ultimately may result in a tear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overtraining might also refer to the amount of strain you place on your nervous system. By being in a constant state of heightened arousal (any training is a form of \u2018stressor\u2019 on the body), you place your body in a state where it is unable to focus on recovery and healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Poor Nutrition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Poor nutrition <\/a>can contribute to a torn muscle as once again, it prevents the usual healing that is required in order for the muscle to grow back stronger in response to training. If you aren\u2019t getting enough protein in particular, then you will lack the amino acid building blocks that the body uses in order to create muscle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without this, the muscle will be constantly broken down but will be unable to strengthen. Other issues like too much omega 6 and not enough omega 3 meanwhile can contribute to inflammation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Incorrect Movement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Using the wrong range of motion or a poor exercise <\/a>choice is another common cause for rotator cuff injury. In particular, exercises like the pec fly can place the cuffs under a lot of strain while in a weekend position. Likewise, so too can behind the head shoulder presses, which force the shoulder into a lateral rotation and thereby expose the weakest point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using light weight at this position may help to strengthen the muscle, but can cause other issues by pinching nerve and grinding bone. Move the body through the natural positions it is designed to move through!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Excessive Force<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One thing to consider when training is that it takes a certain amount of time for adaptations to occur in the body that will allow you to progress. When lifting weights, you essentially cause tiny microtears in the muscle fiber. The body responds to this damage by recruiting local satellite cells to restore the area. That in turn enables the fibers to come back thicker and stronger, and this result in a stronger fiber capable of moving greater weight in future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem occurs when the amount of weight used is too much for the muscle in question, which can in turn cause a tear that is too profound. This can prevent movement in the area, lead to excessive swelling<\/a>, cause a lot of pain, and generally place a great deal of strain on the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a common problem when using steroids and performance enhancing drugs. These can increase the strength of primary muscle groups, causing you to take on too much weight too quickly, and thereby leading to injuries in smaller muscles as well as connective tissue such as tendons.
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