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Anisa George
Margaret McCampbell
English 101
Essay- 4 proposing a solution
Baseball is a popular sport that is played in all age groups. This sport is also highly
known for its catastrophic injuries through contact with ball or a bat. One of the common
baseball injuries is in the shoulder. Rotator cuff Tendinitis and tears is a common throwing
injury. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint,
keeping the head of your upper arm bone firmly within the shallow socket of the shoulder. A
rotator cuff injury can cause a dull ache in the shoulder, which often worsens when you try to
sleep on the involved side (Rotator Cuff Injury). Rotator cuff injury often occur to athletes who
repeatedly perform over hand motions. For many people rotator cuff injury heal with the help of
physical therapy exercise but in certain circumstance the injury to the rotator cuff is sever which
will require surgical repair.
There are two surgical procedures, which surgery is performed will depend on several
factors. Most times the orthopedic surgeon will discuss with the patient which is the best
procedure that will meet the individuals health needs. One surgical procedures is called
arthroscopy which is done by inserting a small camera into the joints and using a fiber-optic
camera to view the interior of the shoulder joint. The instrument that is used is called arthroscope
which is connected to a video monitor in the operating room. Most throwing injuries can be
treated with arthroscopic surgery. The advantages of rotator cuff tear arthroscopically are its less
operative pain, less time in hospital, quicker return to sport, usually no stitches to remove and
less wound complications( Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair). The surgery uses very thin

instruments which can be done without any large marking from the surgery. The arthroscopy
surgery helps repair damages that has happened on the soft tissues, like the labrum, ligaments
and even rotator cuff. The surgery is an hour long and can return home on the same day itself.
After the surgery it may take few weeks for the pain to vanish and for the person to restore full
motion.
The second surgery is called open surgery. An open surgery is cut several centimeters
long and is only done if the injury is large and complex or if nonsurgical treatment has not
helped to treat the injury and most times the patients orthopedic surgeon will discuss if an open
surgery procedure is best for the patients health. An open surgery in some cases, may be
associated with better results than arthroscopy said in the article about Shoulder Surgery. Soon
after the surgery the arm will be protected in a sling for the injury to heal for a defined period of
time. As soon as the doctor say it is okay to remove the sling it is than time to recover from the
surgery. This means in general, regain flexibility and strength in the arm and shoulders. The
doctor will discuss some therapy programs to regain strength and flexibility, this will help
improve the patients range of motions and prevent stiffness in the shoulders. Typically it takes
four to six weeks after the surgery when the doctor assigns the exercises. The exercises will start
first with light weights and progress to heavier weights to strengthen the arm and shoulder. After
the therapy program the doctor will discuss with you when it is safe to return to sports. If your
goal is to return to overhead sports activities, your doctor or physical therapist will direct a
therapy program that includes a gradual return to throwing. It is typically takes 2 to 4 mouths to
achieve complete relief of pain, but it may take up to a year to return to your sports activities
(Anderson and Ashfaq).

In conclusion, shoulder injury is a condition that should be taken seriously and can
happen to anyone but being an athlete increase the risk. In sports like baseball many shoulder
injuries are caused due to the over hand throwing over constant period of time in a high speed.
Rotator cuff Tendinitis and tears is a common throwing injury. For many people rotator cuff
injury heal with the help of physical therapy exercise but in certain circumstance the injury to the
rotator cuff is sever which will require surgical repair. The two types of surgery is called
arthroscopy and open surgery. Arthroscopy which is done by inserting a small camera into the
joints and using a fiber-optic camera to view the interior of the shoulder joint. And the second
surgery is open surgery which is cut several centimeters long, takes longer to recover is only
done if the injury is large and complex. Both surgeries are mainly done if nonsurgical treatment
or physical therapy has not helped to heal. In choosing which surgery to do will depend open
how major the injuries is. But most times the orthopedic surgeon will discuss with the patient
which is the best procedure that will meet the individuals health needs.

Work cited
"Rotator Cuff Injury." Overview. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research,
03 June 2015. Web. 02 July 2015.
"Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair." Shoulderdoc.co.uk. the Fresh Healthcare Marketing,
7 Feb. 2015. Web. 02 July 2015.
"Shoulder Surgery." Orthoinfo. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Aug. 2009.
Web. 02 July 2015.
Anderson, Kyle, MD, and Kashif Ashfaq, MD. "Shoulder Injuries in the Throwing
Athlete." Shoulder Injuries in the Throwing Athlete-OrthoInfo - AAOS. OrthoInfo - AAOS, Mar.Apr. 2013. Web. 02 July 2015.