Rotator Cuff Injury — Can It Heal Without Surgery?
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If it is hard to lift your arm, or if pain worsens when you lie on the affected side at night, a rotator cuff injury should be suspected. The rotator cuff refers to the four muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis) and their tendons that wrap around the shoulder joint, and it plays a central role in shoulder movement.
Causes of rotator cuff injury
- Degenerative changes — natural wear of the tendons after age 50
- Repetitive use — jobs or sports involving frequent overhead arm motions
- Trauma — falling onto an outstretched arm or suddenly lifting a heavy object
- Impingement syndrome — narrowing of the subacromial space causes repeated tendon friction
Does every rotator cuff injury need surgery?
No. Rotator cuff injuries are divided into partial tears and full-thickness tears, and partial tears can often improve sufficiently with nonsurgical treatment. Even with a full-thickness tear, conservative treatment can be tried first if the tear is small and daily life is not severely impaired.
Nonsurgical treatment options
- Korean medicine treatments such as acupuncture and pharmacopuncture to control inflammation and promote tissue repair
- Chuna manipulation to improve shoulder joint mobility
- Stepwise rehabilitation exercises (restoring range of motion → strengthening)
- Correction of daily activities (avoiding excessive shoulder use)
When surgery should be considered
Surgery is considered when conservative treatment fails to bring improvement after 3 months or more, when the tear is large, or when a young patient has a full-thickness tear from trauma. The most important point is to build an optimal treatment plan based on accurate diagnosis tailored to your condition.