Home Treatment of Rotator Cuff Disease

Chun, Jae Myeung; Kim, Byeong Choel; Kim, Key Yong

Abstract

We treated 617 patients who were diagnosed as rotator cuff disease at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Asan Medical Center in Korea between March, 1995 and December, 1996. We evaluated 175 cases who were followed up over five months and were treated according to our home treatment protocol. Average follow-up period was eleven months(range, five to eighteen months). We educated every patient who were not suspected of having full thickness tear of the rotator cuff based on clinical and MRI findings. According to patients condition, we treated them with both stretching and strengthening exercise or strengthening exercise only. This physician-directed home treatment was occasionally supported by the use of NSAID in case severe pain. Patients did stretching and strengthening exercise in 93(53%)cases, and strengthening exercise initially in 82(47%)cases. One hundred and forty five(83%) cases had satisfactory results. Home treatment of the rotator cuff disease is effective, convenient and not dangerous. We recommend this physiciandirected home treatment for primary management of almost all the patient with rotator cuff disease except full thickness tear of the rotator cuff tendon.