If you are like most residents of the Garden State, you reach your arms above your head dozens of times per day without giving the motion much thought or any thought at all. Still, if you injure your rotator cuff, the group of tendons and muscles in your shoulder, this simple movement may become excruciatingly painful.
Rotator cuff injuries are common. In fact, according to the Cleveland Clinic, roughly two million Americans injure their rotator cuffs every single year. Regrettably, an unexpected slip-and-fall accident may cause you to tear or otherwise injure your rotator cuff.
You may have a variety of symptoms
Because of the embarrassment that naturally accompanies many slip-and-fall accidents, you may jump up quickly and check yourself for injuries. Because you are not likely to try to lift your arms above your head, though, you may not immediately realize you have torn your rotator cuff.
Nevertheless, if you have one or more of the following symptoms, there is a good chance you have a rotator cuff injury:
- Difficulty when lifting your arm
- Pain when moving your arm or shoulder
- Muscular weakness in your shoulder or upper arm
- Difficulty when lifting objects
With rotator cuff injuries, symptoms often worsen during the nighttime hours. Consequently, if you experience worse pain at night, you should see your doctor as soon as possible.
Surgery may be in your future
Depending on the severity of your rotator cuff injury, doctors may have little choice but to operate. During the procedure, Surgeons rebuild torn tendons. You also can expect to go through extensive physical rehabilitation to restore your range of motion.
Ultimately, while diagnosis and treatment of your rotator cuff injury are likely to be expensive, you may be able to pursue financial compensation from the owner of the property where you fell.