ROTATOR CUFF TEAR
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that stabilize the shoulder. They are responsible for the shoulder accelerating forward but most importantly decelerating, slowing the arm down. When worn down those muscles and tendons can tear. Sometimes the tear is small, causes no pain at all and the player continues to play. Other times they are bigger or fully torn through. That’s when the pain level will increase, often resulting in surgery and recovery will be much longer.
TREATMENT
Full tears usually result in surgery while other tears can be treated with physical therapy or alternative options such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) or Stem Cell injections.
The level of tear and method of treatment will dictate when the throwing rehabilitation protocol should be introduced.