Rotator Cuff Surgery Can Stop Shoulder Pain

Q:  I’ve had intermittent left shoulder pain for the last several years that gets worse with activity, but usually better with rest and aspirin. I played golf two days in a row recently and although I can’t remember any one motion that hurt, the next day, my shoulder was so intensely painful that I was unable to move it. I went to an urgent care center and eventually had an MRI that confirmed that I had “torn” my rotator cuff. I was told that the only way to definitively treat this was through surgery. Why can’t I just wait a few days for it to get better on its own?

A:  The key question beyond the issue of surgery has more to do with how much you value the use of your left arm. I bet that if you sat down with a calendar and looked at the frequency of small injuries and the amount of use you’re getting from your shoulder, you would be able to plot both a gradual decline in use and an increased frequency of minor injuries. At this point, avoiding surgery will lead to diminished use of your shoulder and left arm and the possibility of what is called a “frozen shoulder” which is exactly as it sounds.

The rotator cuff is made up of three muscles and their associated tendons, which are responsible for both stability and rotation of the shoulder at the level of the upper portion of the humerus, or the large bone that is the upper portion of your arm. Virtually any repetitive activity over time, whether work related or due to a sports activity, can fray the tendons and lead to a tear.

The surgery for this condition is done arthroscopically and as an outpatient. Several (3-4) small punctures are made in your anesthetized shoulder, allowing for entry of the instruments and a camera. Scar tissue and damage to the joint surfaces may be cleaned up in addition to repairing the tear. Physical therapy begins a few days after the surgery and will take one to three months for full recovery. The pre- and post-operative differences can be amazing, as most people do not realize how much motion they have lost.

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