Pain Treatments
Rotator Cuff Injection
The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor). Excessive stress and strain of these muscles can contribute to the inflammation process and associated pain. Often times, the best solution is to inject medication directly into the rotator cuff muscle and/or tendon to alleviate the discomfort.
How is a rotator cuff injection performed?
The doctor will numb your shoulder with medication near the upper outer shoulder. Then, guided by an x-ray or ultrasound, he will:
Insert a thin needle into your shoulder and look at the placement under x-ray
Inject an anesthetic (for short term pain relief) and steroid or platelet rich plasma (for longer term relief)
The medicines then spread inside the bursa, thereby hopefully reducing inflammation and pain. Usually, the procedure takes less than 15 minutes and you can go home the same day.
How effective is a rotator cuff injection?
What happens after the procedure?
