What Is Supraspinatus Tendonitis?
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009Supraspinatus tendonitis or what is commonly known as rotator cuff tendonitis is the most treated form of tendonitis. The rotator cuff is made up of many tendons and it is the supraspinatus tendon that connects the shoulder blade to the arm bone, and it is the tendon that is most susceptible to tendonitis.
The leading cause of this condition is repetitive movement, such as the arm movements required for playing tennis and a number of other sports. While a number of sports can result in a person suffering from supraspinatus tendonitis, certain sports are more likely to cause the condition than others. Either way, the pain and discomfort can be unbearable.
People that play tennis and baseball, as well as swimmers, and golfers are all at risk of getting tendonitis. Nonetheless, supraspinatus tendonitis does not affect individuals that play sports, but also certain jobs have a higher risk of developing this condition. Occupations such as carpentry, painting, and decorating are known to cause this problem. The condition will start in the shoulder of the arm that gets used most often.
How can you tell if you have supraspinatus tendonitis?
Usually the condition will begin with pains in the shoulder, but for some people it can spread down the arm and even across the chest area. Any arm movement can lead to a lot of pain. Sufferers will also see that sleeping can be hard because any weight being placed on the arm or shoulder will cause much pain.
If you do not get treatment, the problem will turn increasingly worse and soon it will be impossible to move the arm without feeling a lot of pain. When it gets to this point, people with the problem will do their best to not move their arm, what happens then is that the shoulder joint will become increasingly stiff.
As well as experiencing pain and stiffness, you may also get bruising and visible swelling around the affected area. There may also be redness around the shoulder area and in that case, it will be tender if touched.
Treatments
If the condition gets to a late phase, there is no other choice but to go and seek the help of a doctor. Often medications like painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are used in a combined effort of physiotherapy to bring back the movement. If the problem results in the tendon being badly damaged, you may need surgery.
If you play a sport or do a job that requires much repetitive arm movements, and you start experiencing a dull ache in your shoulder, do not ignore the pain thinking that it will go away. Know that rotator cuff tendonitis can result in much pain and because of that reason; you must get help as soon as possible.
Tom Nicholson has spent years helping carpal tunnel sufferers. Please click here to learn more about having asore wrist.