Can a rotator cuff injury heal without surgery?

Often when people find themselves with a rotator cuff injury they often think that if the injury is quite severe, surgery is the only option. However, this is not necessarily the case. There is a breakthrough rotator cuff treatment now available known as Magnetic Shockwave Therapy (MST). To look at this as a viable treatment option that does not involve surgery, we need to first understand what a rotator cuff injury is.

Understanding a rotator cuff injury

A rotator cuff injury involves damage to one or all of the four muscles and tendons that keep your shoulder joint stabilised. These muscles stabilise your shoulder joint while you lift and rotate your arm up and down and side to side. This injury is commonly due to either a partial or complete tear of one of the muscles or tendons. A partial tear is when one of the muscles becomes worn or damaged. A complete tear occurs when the muscle becomes separated from the tendon, or the muscle itself is torn into two parts. A rotator cuff injury is often caused through playing sports or while doing jobs such as painting, however it is also something that can just happen over time because of general wear and tear on the rotator cuff. It can also happen after a bad fall, or when one lifts something heavy and tears a muscle in the rotator cuff.

Symptoms of a rotator cuff injury include:

• Difficulty in raising the arm overhead
• Pain in the arm on movement
• Dull ache in the shoulder
• Weakness in the affected arm

Traditional Treatments for a rotator cuff injury

• Physiotherapy – to strengthen the muscles
• Medications – usually anti-inflammatory medication to reduce swelling, as well as pain relief medication
• Steroid injections into the shoulder – this helps with pain and mobility
• Surgery – usually if the injury is a complete tear and the above treatments have not helped, surgery is a traditional option offered.

Breakthrough rotator cuff treatment

Now you understand what a rotational cuff injury is, how it occurs, the symptoms and traditional treatments, let’s take a look at an alternative option to medication and surgery. Magnetic Shockwave Therapy works by delivering a series of pulses into the shoulder which causes the nerves and muscles to respond. It’s non-invasive and completely painless. Not only does the treatment help to alleviate symptoms, it also helps to repair the nerve and muscle damage as they strengthen via magnetic stimulation.

So the answer is yes, rotator cuff injuries can heal without surgery via MST treatment. If you are suffering from a rotator cuff injury get in touch with RTMS London today and find out how they can help alleviate your pain.

Posted on 28th June 2022