The treatment for partial rotator cuff tears depends on several factors, including the patient’s age, the size of the tear, health condition, previous surgery, and activity level. Generally, the orthopaedic surgeon follows non-surgical methods to alleviate pain and other symptoms caused by acute and chronic partial rotator cuff tears. The conservative orthopaedic method includes rest, physical therapy, over-the-counter pain medications, and temporary changes in activities (eg. overhead motions or heavy lifting). Sometimes, they administer corticosteroid injections or PRP injections into the bursa near the rotator cuff tendons to mitigate inflammation and intense pain.
However, if non-surgical methods fail to repair rotator cuff tendon tears, the orthopaedic surgeon offers less invasive surgery as an ultimate option. Most commonly the surgeon performs arthroscopic repair because of their minimally invasive nature, higher success rate, minimum complications risk, and less recovery time.
After surgery, the surgeon prescribes a few medications (such as opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and local anaesthetics) to manage short-term pain. Then, they advise the patient to follow lifestyle adjustments to get back to daily activities. The rehabilitation program includes:
- Use a sling to immobilise the hand for about 4 to 6 weeks
- Passive exercises to range of motion in the shoulder for 4 to 6 weeks after surgery
- Active physical exercises to strengthen shoulders after 4-6 weeks.
