What causes a rotator cuff injury?

Before you plan anything about a sore shoulder, the first step is naming what set it off. That question comes early in the sequence for a reader in Bloomfield, because the answer decides what you write down and bring along.

The two named causes

OrthoInfo (AAOS) lists two main causes of rotator cuff tears: injury (acute) and wear (degeneration). One is a single event and the other is change that builds over time, so the useful job is working out which description sounds like your shoulder.

Sorting out which cause fits your shoulder

Take it in order. First, ask whether a particular moment came before the pain, such as a fall or a hard pull on the arm. Second, ask whether the ache crept in slowly with no clear starting point. Third, note whether the shoulder was already bothering you before any event.

To picture the parts involved in those questions, the Cleveland Clinic page on the shoulder joint is a plain place to review the anatomy by name. Beyond those two named causes, deciding which one fits your shoulder is for a clinician.

What to gather before the visit

Collect these in this order so the appointment starts with facts instead of guesses:

1. The date the shoulder pain began, and the event if there was one.
2. Which arm is affected and which movements bring the pain on.
3. Past shoulder problems and anything you have already tried.

If you want wider background on pain itself before you go, the MedlinePlus pain overview is a general starting point. The American Academy of Pain Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic pain management page are the next places to read about how pain care is organized.

Which cause fits your history

Which of the two causes fits your shoulder depends on your own history. Ask the clinician at your first visit which one they think fits, and what they would check to tell them apart.