A rotator cuff injury is tough, just ask anyone who has experienced this type of injury. Now only is there extreme pain from this tear, but the natural arm movements that are taken for granted, suddenly become next to impossible to do. This injury can be life altering for many people and take along time to heal. There is also the road to recovery and information you will need to be familiar with to decide what is the best healing option for you.

Medical experts know that for the most part, a rotator cuff injury doesn’t just happen, unless there is some type of blunt force trauma put on the shoulder area such as a bad fall or vehicle accident. The usual culprit is continued repetitive use over years of wear and tear on the muscles and tendons in the area. These repetitive movements over time can cause enough damage, and given the right situation will make a tear rather easy and almost a certainty.

The two major options you will have when dealing with recovery is either surgery or becoming involved with a physical therapy program. First you should talk with your doctor and get their professional input as well as spending some time on line and reading about other patients experiences with these two very different roads to recovery, before you make your final decision. Records show that doctors usually recommend surgery for patients who have experienced a sudden tear. Sudden tears are very painful and require daily doses of pain killers and can take 6 months and physical therapy to heal naturally.

There are still medical mysteries such as why some people don’t seem to be getting better despite their best efforts at following the advise of their physician. In the case of a cuff injury and the recommended exercises don’t seem to be working, many will decide to do the surgery to quicken the healing, easing the constant never ending pain and to shorten the time to regain the use of their otherwise useless limb. It is much harder and almost impossible to do many daily activities with only one hand, from getting dressed to packing the groceries.

Surgery for some is very helpful, for others it can be just as painful and limiting as the cuff injury itself. Surgery is not a sure fire quick fix for all. It can bring mobility and functionality as well as pain relief, much quicker than other options. If surgery is not a viable option to pursue, it is absolutely crucial to make physical therapy and exercises part of your daily routine. This will not improve the function of your arm and help you regain use of this very important limb.