A new patient came into my office following a fall in which he landed on his outstretched arm.  He was unable to lift his arm without pain as a result.  Even more concerning was that he was having visible difficulty performing the movement at all.  I suspected he might have a little more than pain.

A good sports chiropractor should be able evaluate a shoulder or arm injury comprehensively.  This includes conditions that chiropractors don’t treat–like tears–so that they can refer the patient out to the appropriate health professional.  I suspected that the gentleman who came to see me might have a rotator cuff tear.  My suspicions came from his symptoms as well as my exam findings, most notably, his inability to lift his arm.

So what can a sports chiropractor do for a patient with a muscle tear?  The first thing I did was recommend an MRI so that we can see if in fact a tear was present.  An MRI is necessary since it shows soft tissue, like muscles, tendons, and ligaments.  An x-ray is good for visualizing bone and joint spaces and such; but to visualize a tear, an MRI is necessary.

In this case the patient was reluctant to get an MRI, as he claimed to be claustrophobic.  He also staed that cost was a concern, of which I am thoroughly sensitive to.  So he asked if there was anything else we could do.  He wanted to know if there was any way that the muscle might not be torn.

“Absolutely,” I said.  What we can do is treat it like a sprain for one week and reevaluate.  He’d need to immobilize the area, ice it several times a day to break the inflammation, refrain from exercise (he is a professional dancer and a artistic painter), and he’d need to see me within one week.  I let him know that the only way to know unequivocally if there is a tear would be to get an MRI; and if for any reason, he hasn’t healed to within a particular parameter that would be to my discretion, he’d need to get an MRI, no questions asked.  He agreed.

So now we wait.  Once the week is up and the patient returns, I will reevaluate him.  Active range of motion to the shoulder must return–that means he has to be able to lift his arm significantly more than he did when he first came in.  Does it have to be totally pain free?  No, but he does need to be able to do it on his own.  If there is a significant tear, he will not be able to do it.  If this is the case and the MRI shows a tear, then we have to evaluate the degree of tear.  Some tears need an orthopedic consult and possibly surgery.

Here’s the bottom line: If you have an injury to any part of the musculoslkeletal system, especially one where you are in intense pain and/or can’t move the body part, you need to see a doctor.  You can see an orthopedist, or you can see a sports chiropractor.  If you live in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, or West Hollywood, then you can call my sports chiropractic office.  If you need an orthopedist–I have several that I send my patients to and will likely send you there if conservative care cannot help you.  Otherwise, you can find a sports chiropractor near you here; and I’m certain that every one of them will have an orthopedic office for you if necessary.