Almost everyone has experienced shoulder pain at some point. You might dismiss it as simple muscle soreness or fatigue-related pain that will resolve over time, but if shoulder pain persists for an extended period, conditions like rotator cuff tears should be suspected, and prompt examination and diagnosis are needed.
The shoulder is the only body part capable of 360-degree rotation. The four muscles needed for this rotation are the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor. Together, these four muscles are called the rotator cuff. Above the rotator cuff is the acromion (shoulder bone), and between them lies a bursa that reduces friction and enables smooth joint movement, protecting the shoulder. However, when injury or excessive use causes degenerative changes, inflammation develops in the bursa and rotator cuff area, weakening the muscles and tendons. A torn rotator cuff doesn't always mean surgical treatment is needed. When determining treatment, factors such as the patient's age, symptoms, and occupation must be considered, along with imaging studies like MRI and ultrasound to assess the tear extent, before deciding on the appropriate treatment approach.
In most cases, early rotator cuff treatment focuses on pain relief and restoring joint range of motion, gradually progressing to strengthening exercises. Well-known prolotherapy treatments can also be tried, such as ligament-strengthening injections and regenerative injections. These treatments can produce good results for rotator cuff tear treatment. However, there are ambiguous cases: tears too small for surgery yet not responding well to injection therapy alone. Or cases where injection therapy was attempted but didn't achieve proper healing, and pain returned. When conservative treatment fails to control pain, some patients are told to wait until the tear becomes complete, then have surgery.
But bone marrow stimulation therapy for rotator cuff tears makes it unnecessary to wait for a complete tear before having surgery. You can use your body's own bone marrow cells for treatment. Bone marrow stimulation therapy uses ultrasound guidance to precisely identify the affected area, then creates multiple small holes in the shoulder bone using a special drill. When holes are made in the bone, various growth cells emerge and regenerate the damaged tendon. Simply put, it's a treatment that uses autologous stem cells to regenerate and heal damaged tendons.
The key to bone marrow stimulation therapy for rotator cuff tears is precise targeting of the torn area and achieving sufficient bone marrow stimulation. Accurate positioning via ultrasound is crucial, and creating holes at proper, uniform depth to allow bone marrow to exit is essential. When bone marrow stimulation therapy is combined with appropriate prolotherapy based on each patient's tear status, the previously torn area can recover to near-normal. Don't wait for a complete tear before having surgery for your rotator cuff. Use bone marrow stimulation therapy to recover your naturally healthy shoulder.
