Melody Jacob

Two often occurring shoulder injuries and how to prevent them

These hardworking joints are more susceptible to damage than you may think. Now is the time to safeguard them in order to maintain their independence.

Once we reach our fifties, shoulder issues are common. By that time, the shoulder muscles and tendons have weakened, the cartilage has deteriorated, and the bones have begun to lose density. Two distinct types of shoulder injuries are prevalent in older people.

Injuries to the rotator cuff

The rotator cuff—a set of muscles and tendons that support the shoulder and assist in arm movement—is prone to inflammation and tear.

These injuries frequently occur while carrying a large object above your shoulders, such as when loading luggage into an airplane's overhead bin or reaching up to trim tree branches. You rely heavily on your rotator cuff for movement and strength, but those muscles are quite small and weak. They can tear if you apply too much power to them," Dr. Evan O'Donnell, a shoulder surgeon affiliated with Harvard Medical School, concurs.

Other possible causes of rotator cuff injuries include a hard accident or irregular bone growth that pinches tendons when the shoulder moves.

How can you know if you have a rotator cuff injury? "Your range of motion will stay the same, but you will feel pain on the outside of your upper arm, especially when you reach overhead," says Dr. O'Donnell. 

He observes that rotator cuff discomfort is typically worse at night. This could be because your body releases inflammatory substances during sleep. Additionally, it could be that you're sleeping on your shoulder and having difficulty finding a comfortable position," Dr. O'Donnell provides clarification. 

Corticosteroid injections into the shoulder, anti-inflammatory drugs, and physical therapy to stretch and strengthen the shoulder muscles and tendons are all used to treat rotator cuff tears. If such treatments are ineffective in relieving discomfort, we can replace the shoulder joint or even harvest tendons from your back to produce a new rotator cuff, Dr. O'Donnell explains.

Try this shoulder stretch

Internal rotation stretch for the shoulders: Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart and your hands by your sides. At your waist, place the back of your right hand against the small of your back. Raise your index and middle fingers. Slide your right hand as far up your back as possible. Extend your limbs to the point of mild tension. Ten to twenty seconds later, repeat with the other hand.

Fractures

Shoulder bones (particularly the upper arm and collarbone) are two of the most commonly fractured (broken) bones during a fall. These fractures can result in discomfort, edema, and bruising, as well as a bump at the fracture site, trouble moving your arm, and grinding sounds when you move your arm. 

Numerous shoulder fractures can be treated conservatively. "The arm is sling-mounted, and you'll need to undergo physical therapy to gently extend and strengthen the shoulder," Dr. O'Donnell explains. The prognosis is really good. Shoulder pain should subside and range of motion should improve over the next three to six months."

If you have a complicated fracture, which occurs when a bone is broken in multiple locations and the surrounding tissue is affected, you may require surgery to repair the fracture or replace the shoulder. "It is a substantial procedure that requires physical therapy afterwards." However, the outcomes are satisfactory to exceptional. According to Dr. O'Donnell, the majority of people regain their range of motion and are pain-free following surgery.