The pros and cons of rotator cuff surgery

A rotator cuff consists of the tissue in your shoulder that helps you make fluid and comfortable movements with your arm and shoulder. The tissue that makes up the rotator cuff are muscles and tendons. They keep your arm bone in the socket of your shoulder. When this tissue becomes torn, shoulder movements may become difficult and painful to complete. Tears are usually caused by repetitive movements and excessive strain. If you play a sport that requires the same movements over and over, like baseball, you may be more likely to experience this injury. The same applies to those who might lift heavy items or place excessive strain on their shoulders, like professional movers.

One of the treatment methods for a rotator cuff tear is surgery. But this option comes with a couple of different pros and cons. To learn some of these, keep reading.

What are the pros and cons of getting surgery on your rotator cuff?

Surgery might be an option presented to you by your physician to address your rotator cuff injury. You should weigh the pros and cons before deciding to go through with it. Surgery is a big deal, so you should take some time to understand how it might affect you in the following weeks.

• May repair the shoulder tear — If your injury isn’t responding to more conservative treatment methods, surgery may be your best bet at repairing the tear in your rotator cuff. The biggest pro to getting surgery on your torn rotator cuff is that it may repair the tear. Not every surgery is guaranteed to repair the tear, however.
• Might lead to complications — Despite the possibility of your rotator cuff tear being fixed from surgery, one of the cons is that there also exists a possibility of experiencing complications. You might develop an infection, nerve damage, or pain in another part of your body like your neck. Although the chances of this occurring are low, it’s still a risk that you should be aware of before making a decision to go through with the surgery.
• May cause scar tissue to build up — Surgery can be pretty traumatic for your body, especially considering that incisions are made through multiple layers of tissue to reach the injury. Your body will grow scar tissue over the injury and the areas of the incision. If you don’t take the proper preventive measures, your scar tissue can accumulate and make it hard for you to comfortably move your shoulder over time.
• May take a long time to recover from — It often takes several weeks and even months to fully recover from a surgery, and that’s in the best-case scenarios. It may be a while before you start feeling comfortable moving your shoulder again, and even this depends on several factors like your age and activity level.

What other treatment options are available for those who have rotator cuff tears? What are the pros and cons of these alternatives?

• Physical therapy — Physical therapy can usually be a very effective option for a variety of conditions and injuries, including rotator cuff tears. The pros of getting physical therapy treatment for this type of injury include lasting results, improved muscle strength and range of motion, treatment within your pain threshold, and treatment that addresses whole-body issues and not just symptoms. One of the cons of physical therapy treatment is that it can take several weeks to start getting the results you’re looking for.
• Corticosteroid injections — Corticosteroid injections are an option for those who are dealing with rotator cuff tears. Some of the pros of this treatment option are that it’s less invasive than surgery, there’s no recovery period, and it can reduce pain and inflammation in your shoulder. One of the cons is that corticosteroids can wear off over time and require multiple injections to create a lasting effect.

Alliance PTP is ready to help you find top-notch physical therapy for your rotator cuff because the pros outweigh the cons

At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we’re proudly bringing together physical therapy practices across the country to help people get the high-quality PT they need. 

Want to see a physical therapist in person? We can put you in touch with an Alliance PTP partner that’s close to you and that can help you address your rotator cuff injury if you’re hoping to avoid having surgery. Physical therapy can improve muscle strength, reduce inflammation and improve range of motion. It’s one of the least invasive treatment options for someone with a torn rotator cuff, which is why you shouldn’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist as soon as possible. 

Not keen on in-person PT sessions or not close to an Alliance PTP partner? No worries. We also offer effective and affordable virtual physical therapy through our Agile Virtual Physical Therapy platform. 

Come find help for your rotator cuff injury today!