SUPRAspinatus Rotator Cuff

The Supraspinatus is the top Rotator Cuff Muscle and Tendon. The Supraspinatus is the most commonly injured Muscle / Tendon of the Shoulder and Rotator Cuff.

The Supraspinatus can become injured either from Trauma or “Wear and Tear”.  It is sandwiched between the shoulder blade (acromion) and arm bone (humerus) and is often squeezed and rubbed/frayed into an injury or problem.

After 40 years of age, most of us have an “asymptomatic” tear of the Rotator Cuff. We don’t feel the tear but it’s there nonetheless. If that part of the muscle becomes overly stressed/used or damaged we quickly can have a problem. We may feel pain, limited movement, unable to do certain activities, and problems sleeping. The problems may get worse and worse over time.

Early detection by a shoulder expert is paramount to receiving the proper Treatment and having a quick recovery. You need a shoulder expert to correctly identify the problem through a careful history of your complaint and a thorough orthopedic examination.

Don’t waste your time or money on early scans (MRI, CT/TAC or even X-rays).  The newest research is proving that early scans/studies are NOT helpful for early treatment. And, in fact, can lead to misdiagnosis and treating the wrong area of your shoulder… Often. Something is seen on the scan, the radiologist sees it and has to put in the report, but it’s not what is causing your shoulder problem. Remember most of us have an “asymptomatic tear”, which will show up in the scan/report, and that can be confused with identifying the real problem. Only an expert orthopedic exam leads to a proper early diagnosis!

It’s just too easy (lazy) to read a report and conclude “that’s the problem”.  And well… because MRI’s and CT/TAC are high-tech studies!  And besides… It says it right there in the report.  Nope.

To illustrate this point, around 43% of the patients that I see have had a scan of some sort and the report states “there’s a tear”.  But the patient’s pain, and problem, is NOT at the location of the tear!  In fact, their problem is on the OTHER side of the shoulder!  Often a doctor prescribes care and the patient has been through physio, but the treatment is at the wrong area.  They don’t get better.

1. Delayed Healing, not getting better even after a long time, because the wrong area is being treated.
2. The real problem requires a different type of Treatment (often patients are receiving the wrong Treatment for the wrong problem.
3. A lot of wasted time and money (hundreds or thousands of Euros/Pounds/Dollars). With the lost time, we lose the “early recovery response” and then the problem becomes “chronic” and is much more difficult to resolve.
4. Often, patients “fail care” (i.e. the wrong care has failed) and then they are referred to needless surgery. The surgeon also relies on the misunderstanding of the real problem (surgeons also read the same report leading to an incorrect surgery).