SpecialistCondition · Dubai
Rotator Cuff & Shoulder Pain Treatment in Dubai
Shoulder pain is one of the most misattributed complaints we see — the cuff, the joint surface, the bursa and the neck all refer pain to the same area. Working out which one is talking is the job of the assessment, and it changes the plan entirely.
What it is
Rotator Cuff & Shoulder Pain, explained.
The rotator cuff is a group of four tendons that stabilise the shoulder and move the arm. Rotator cuff pain describes irritation, degeneration or tearing of those tendons, typically felt on overhead movement and at night.
The rotator cuff holds the ball of the shoulder centred in its socket while the larger muscles move the arm. Its tendons pass through a narrow space, and they can become irritated, thickened, partially torn or, less often, fully torn.
Tendon changes are common with age and are frequently found on scans of people with no pain at all. That is the central difficulty with shoulder imaging, and the reason a scan finding is interpreted alongside an examination rather than on its own.
Arthritis of the shoulder joint itself is a separate cause of the same complaints, more typically producing stiffness and a grinding restriction in movement. Part of the assessment is separating the two, because they are managed differently.
Common signs
What people usually notice.
- Pain reaching overhead or behind your back
- Difficulty lying on that shoulder at night
- Weakness lifting or holding the arm out
- A painful arc partway through raising the arm
- Stiffness that limits how far the arm moves
- Clicking or catching with movement
Signs overlap between conditions, and this list is not a diagnosis. What you have is established by examination, not by a checklist.
Assessment
How a specialist works out what is going on.
- 01
History
Whether it started with an injury or came on gradually, which movements provoke it, and how it affects sleep and work.
- 02
Examination
Range of movement, strength through specific directions, and tests that load individual tendons. The neck is checked as a source of referred pain.
- 03
Imaging, if needed
Ultrasound can show the cuff tendons and the bursa dynamically. Further imaging is requested only where it would change the plan.
- 04
The plan
What the specialist thinks is driving the pain, what to do first, and what would prompt a surgical opinion.
What may be considered
Options a specialist may discuss with you.
Which of these is appropriate — if any — depends entirely on what the assessment finds. They are described here so you know what the conversation may cover, not as a menu to choose from.
- Ultrasound-Guided InjectionsThe shoulder’s targets are small and layered, so where an injection is considered appropriate it is placed under live imaging.
- PRP for Joints & TendonsAn injection prepared from a concentrate of your own blood, considered case by case after the tendon has been assessed.
- Exosome Therapy for JointsA regenerative-category injectable, discussed only where a specialist considers it suitable for your presentation.
When to be seen
Don’t wait this one out.
Be seen promptly if you cannot lift the arm at all after an injury, if there is obvious weakness rather than just pain, or if the shoulder followed a fall or dislocation. Persistent night pain, or pain that has not settled over several weeks, also warrants an assessment rather than more waiting.
Questions
Good to know.
Does a tear on a scan mean I need surgery?
Why does it hurt so much more at night?
Will an injection fix the tendon?
How much does it cost?
Licensed & Regulated
DHA-licensed. MOHAP-approved.
Every treatment is delivered at Shookra, a DHA-licensed medical facility in Dubai. Every physician and clinician on our team is DHA-licensed and works to clinical protocol. Our health communications are independently reviewed and approved by the UAE Ministry of Health & Prevention (MOHAP).
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Get it assessed properly.
Message our team on WhatsApp and we’ll arrange a specialist consultation in Business Bay — assessment first, options after.