5 Signs Your Shoulder Problems are Related to Your Rotator Cuff

Are you struggling to use one of your arms because your shoulder hurts with specific movements? Or are you having pain in your shoulder at night, especially when trying to lie on it? These are potential signs there might be a problem with your rotator cuff — a group of four muscles and their tendons that provide stability of your glenohumeral joint (shoulder).

Each year in the United States, rotator cuff pathology send two million people to seek medical help, and our practice— SOAR Spine and Orthopedics — is on the receiving end of some of these visits. Our skilled and experienced team has extensive experience with shoulder issues, and we want to review a few of the hallmarks of a rotator cuff problem here. 

Shoulders — inherently unstable joints

Before we dive into the symptoms of a potential rotator cuff problem, we want to provide information about the anatomy of your shoulder.

If you wave your arms around for a moment — windmill them and swing them from front to back — you understand the wide range of motion these major joints allow. The shoulders are one of the most freely moveable areas in the human body. 

This large range of motion is due to a ball on a relatively flat socket configuration that renders the joint inherently unstable from a bony standpoint. One of two things providing stability of your shoulder joint is a group of four muscles and their tendons — the “rotator cuff.”

Five common signs of a rotator cuff injury

Rotator cuff damage can occur insidiously over time and can also occur with an acute injury. Whether it’s a repetitive injury or an acute one, common signs of damage to the rotator cuff include:

1. Pain in your shoulder

The first symptom usually is pain. This pain can begin with specific movements, such as lifting arm at and above shoulder level. The longer the problem is ignored, the more symptomatic the pain can become under more circumstances.

2. Pain at Night

We’re singling out nighttime pain because this can reflect  rotator cuff problems. During the day, you’re usually distracted from pain and discomfort, but at  night, pain can become more noticeable and inflammation can increase from the day’s activities. 

Pain at night when trying to lie on shoulder can be due to rotator cuff problems.

3. Loss of range of motion and stiffness

If you have a rotator cuff tear, you can lose function of your shoulder — reaching up or rotating your arm can be problematic. If ignored, range of motion can decrease over time.

1. Weakness in your shoulder

Another symptom of a rotator cuff problem is weakness in your shoulder, especially if you have a full thickness (complete) tear of the tendon. Your shoulder can feel weak when trying to lift things,

4. Mechanical symptoms in your shoulder

You may develop a painful catching or clicking in your shoulder if there's a damaged rotator cuff. 

Getting help for your rotator cuff injury

If you’re struggling with a painful shoulder, it’s time to get help. Management is typically easier the earlier the problem is assessed and diagnosed. To have your shoulder evaluated, we invite you to contact one of our offices in Santa Clara or Redwood City, California, to schedule an appointment today.