Rotator Cuff Injury Treatment in Asheville
Shoulder pain can make even simple movements feel complicated. Reaching overhead, lifting anything heavier than a coffee cup, sleeping on your side: all of this may be a warning. If you’ve been told you have a rotator cuff injury, or suspect you might, you may be wondering how serious it is and whether surgery is really the only answer.
What Most People Don’t Know About Rotator Cuff Injuries
Research suggests that virtually the entire population has some degree of rotator cuff damage by age 50 with only a very small percentage of these conditions needing surgery. Surgery is reserved for the most severe cases: complete muscle or tendon tears where structures need to be reattached. The far more common scenario, a shoulder that aches, stiffens, and flares with activity, is something conservative care often handles very well.
What is your Rotator Cuff?
Your rotator cuff is made up of four muscles. These muscles help move the arm and they also provide stability for the shoulder joint itself. Injuries to these muscles are what is known as a rotator cuff injury. Your pain can come from the injury to the muscle or from the shoulder joint itself, since the shoulder joint is no longer being supported properly when a rotator cuff injury is present. Getting the full picture requires an evaluation that looks at everything, not just where the pain is loudest.
Why Weak Shoulders Lead to Rotator Cuff Problems
For many people, rotator cuff problems don’t start with one obvious injury. The underlying weakness may have been developing quietly for years. Then you find yourself one weekend project, workout, home repair or recreational away from causing symptoms to suddenly appear. The flare-up feels new, but the foundation for the problem has often been there much longer.
Common contributing factors include:
- Shoulder muscles that have gradually weakened over time
- Poor posture that shifts excess load onto the joint
- Prior shoulder or neck injuries that were never fully resolved
- Returning to demanding activity after extended time off
Recognizing When Your Shoulder Is Telling You Something
Take notice if you have:
- pain or stiffness that limits how high you can raise your arm
- discomfort that wakes you when you roll onto that shoulder
- weakness on one side when pushing or carrying
- pain that hasn’t improved with rest or anti-inflammatories
Alleviate Pain First, Increase Flexibility Second, Strengthen Third
At Doster Chiropractic, Dr. Jarod Doster performs a comprehensive shoulder evaluation covering orthopedic and neurological tests, muscle evaluation and examination of surrounding structures including the bicep and rotator cuff muscles as well as associated tendons and ligaments. With 10 to 15 rotator cuff patients treated in a typical week, this is familiar territory.
Although many methods and approaches are utilized, dry needling is one of the more common ones. While many people have heard of or experienced dry needling through physical therapy etc., Dr. Jarod Doster uses a more specific treatment with Dry Needling. This treatment focuses on treating and correcting the underlying cause of the problem rather than muscle relaxation only which is commonly the approach with other health care professionals that use dry needling. The needles are the size of a strand of hair, most patients feel nothing, and the process is relatively quick. Soft tissue damage is addressed first, then stretching and strengthening follow. Exercising an already injured shoulder before the underlying damage is resolved tends to make things worse, not better.
Most patients notice meaningful improvement in pain and flexibility within three to four treatments. Home exercises are provided so progress continues between visits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my shoulder actually needs surgery?
What is dry needling, and does it hurt?
Start With Conservative Care
Many patients assume their next step is a cortisone injection or surgery. In reality, most rotator cuff injuries respond well to conservative care when the source of the problem is properly identified. Addressing tissue irritation, restoring movement and rebuilding strength in the correct order often helps patients avoid more invasive options.
If your shoulder has been holding you back, contact Doster Chiropractic to find out what’s actually going on and get started on a plan that makes sense.
