Understanding Body Part Injury:
The Rotator Cuff
THE ROTATOR CUFF OVERVIEW
Staff
Everyone one has heard of one injury or another that afflict baseball players. But most
don’t really know what they actually are or where the in the body they are actually
located. After interviewing several Orthopedic Surgeons and discussion with the Mayo
Clinic, we are giving a simplistic overview on different types of “common” injuries –
their symptoms, causes, potential treatments and prevention to better educate players,
parents and coaches – in laymen’s terms. This is educational, not intended to diagnose
or give medical advice. Always seek medical attention and advice from a qualified
licensed physician.
The rotator cuff is mentioned quite a bit
in baseball – especially for pitchers – but
not exclusively. The rotator cuff is a group
of tendons and muscles that surround the
shoulder joint. They basically hold your
upper arm bone in the shoulder socket (see
diagram right). Most symptoms of a
rotator cuff injury is a dull ache in the
shoulder. That dull ache becomes more
intense when you use that arm or even just
try to sleep on it. There could be several
reasons for the ache. Sometimes it’s a
tendon that is “catching” or “trapped”
under the acromion, the bony arch of the
shoulder (called impingement) or the bursa
sac could be swollen or inflamed creating
pressure. Tendons that are compressed,
damaged and inflamed can lead to rotator
cuff tendonitis. It can also be a little more
severe which involves rips or complete tears of the muscle or tendon.
SYMPTOMS
Pain associated with a possible rotator cuff injury may include:
A dull ache deep in the shoulder
The inability to sleep on the affected side
Arm weakness
Difficulty raising your affect arm to do things over your head