A tear to any one of the muscles or tendons that secures the upper part of your humerus to the shoulder blade. The rotator cuff stabilizes the shoulder, but also allows the greatest range of motion of any joint.

The most common cause of a rotator cuff tear is typically over use, which can be from every day activity or sport specific, such as by a baseball pitcher or a football quarterback. This injury can also occur from falling directly onto your shoulder, lifting extremely heavy weights and other activities that continually stress the shoulder joint.

• Obvious pain in the shoulder and upper arm
• Weakness of the arm and shoulder joint
• Loss of range of motion, most commonly when moving the shoulder above the head.

Treatment options vary depending on the severity of the injury. Simply resting the joint and avoiding painful movement can help. If the tear is serious, it may require surgery followed by intense physical therapy to regain your range of motion and strengthen the shoulder joint as a whole.