The rotator cuff stabilizes your shoulder so your arm can move. About half of people at 65 have a full-thickness tear, but most don't need surgery and improve with physical therapy. Most tears come from wear and tear, not sudden injury.
Many people don't even know they have a rotator cuff until they sustain a tear. And here are 3 facts to know about rotator cuff tears if you are one of these individuals. Number 1, primary role of the rotator cuff is actually provides stability. It holds the ball and socket into its joints so that your deltoid muscle, which is a very large muscle, can move effectively. Number 2, 50% of people at about age 65 actually have a full thickness rotator cuff tear. Now this means that not all of them need to be repaired. Many of these respond to physical therapy. That's an individual or person-by-person decision made in conjunction with an orthopedic surgeon. Number 3, most rotator cuff tears are actually degenerative. Many people think it's just pitchers or people who have an injury, but the vast majority of tears occur through degeneration. So if you have a rotator cuff tear, hopefully these facts will give you a little bit more insight into what's going on.
