[Health Tip] If You're a Middle-Aged Person on the Court... Beware of 'Rotator Cuff Tear'

The shoulder joint, along with the spine and hip joint, is one of the three major joints in our body and is widely used in all physical labor and sports movements. Among these, the rotator cuff refers to the muscles that surround the shoulder joint and are involved in the stability and movement of the shoulder. Due to degeneration caused by aging and repetitive use, the number of patients with rotator cuff tendon tears continues to increase, with the growing sports population also cited as a major cause.

Shoulder pain. [Image source=Getty Images]

The rotator cuff is a combination of four muscles. If even one of these four tendons is torn or damaged, shoulder pain can occur. As of 2021, it occurs most frequently in people in their 50s and 60s, and the number of patients has increased by nearly 15% over the past three years. Generally, 'intrinsic' causes such as degenerative changes in the tendons due to aging and decreased blood supply, and 'extrinsic' causes such as impingement between the tendon and the acromion (shoulder roof bone) and excessive use are known. In particular, rotator cuff tears often occur in cases where sports that heavily use the shoulder, such as golf, badminton, and tennis, are repeatedly played.

It requires extra caution because it is easily confused with frozen shoulder. Rotator cuff tears are confirmed through physical examination by pressing on the tear site to check for tenderness and identify which tendon area is painful, and to assess normal function, followed by imaging tests such as X-rays, ultrasound, and MRI. Professor Kim Myung-seo of the Department of Orthopedics at Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital explained, "if the tear is a partial tear and not severe, surgery is not always necessary," adding, "however, treatment methods are selected considering the patient's age, occupation, activity level, size of the tear, degree of functional impairment, mechanism of injury, and severity of pain."

[Provided by Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital]

If it is a partial tear, conservative treatment such as oral medication or injections is initially used to treat the accompanying inflammation while monitoring the progress. If the tear is small and the pain subsides, allowing smooth shoulder movement, a certain level of daily activities can be performed without major restrictions. For elderly patients over 75 years old with mild tears, stepwise treatment including anti-inflammatory medication or injections, stretching exercises to restore shoulder joint flexibility, and strengthening exercises for the muscles around the shoulder can be attempted.

If the tear progresses and enlarges, surgery is recommended. Even if it is a partial tear, if pain persists despite medication, injections, rehabilitation, and exercise therapy, surgical treatment is considered. In young patients with high activity levels who are suspected of having traumatic tears caused by strong external forces, and when severe functional impairment and muscle weakness are accompanied, surgical treatment should be considered relatively early. Surgical treatment primarily involves suturing the torn tendon, removing inflammation of the bursa causing pain, and removing part of the acromion bone that may cause impingement with the tendon.

Professor Kim Myung-seo, Department of Orthopedics, Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital.
[Photo by Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital]

To prevent rotator cuff tears, it is important to keep the shoulder flexible through regular stretching. Professor Kim said, "It is not just a brief stretch before exercise, but should be done until the joint is sufficiently relaxed. Developing a habit of frequently stretching during daily life also helps," adding, "hot compresses that relax the shoulder tension are also beneficial." He emphasized, "Maintaining a balanced diet to strengthen the shoulder tendons, and consistently performing shoulder stretching and strengthening exercises to improve the flexibility of the shoulder tendons and muscles is recommended."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.