A rotator cuff injury is more than painful. It's a serious problem that can keep you from performing many tasks of daily living. When you have a rotator cuff injury, you may find it difficult to lift your arm, reach behind your back or pick up something beside you.

Unfortunately, rotator cuff injuries are a common cause of pain and disability among adults. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, more than 2 million Americans see their doctors due to rotator cuff tears every year. If you're one of them, you don't have to live with the pain any longer.

Inside your shoulder, muscles and tendons attach to your bones and help you move. The ball of your upper arm rests in the shoulder blade socket. Four muscles that make up your rotator cuff hold the bones in place. Your rotator cuff makes it possible to rotate your arm and hold objects above your head.

Symptoms of a rotator cuff injury, including pain and loss of movement, can occur from any of the following three rotator cuff injuries:

• Bursitis. Situated between the rotator cuff and your shoulder bones is the bursa, a small sac filled with fluid. It provides padding between the rotator cuff and shoulder bones. Pain and swelling can develop if the bone and muscle rub against the bursa too much.
• Rotator cuff tear. This happens when the rotator cuff gets stressed beyond its ability and tears as a result. The tear may be partial or complete. Rotator cuff tears occur for two main reasons: excessive wear and tear or trauma from lifting a heavy item or falling on your arm. Torn rotator cuffs may cause your shoulder to pop when it moves or loss of arm strength.
• Tendinitis. The tendons that hold your shoulder in place get pinched or irritated. As a result, you experience pain when you lift or move your arm.

Treating a rotator cuff injury helps you regain range of motion and return to everyday life. Depending on your specific case, you may recover with one or more of the following noninvasive treatments: 

• Ibuprofen or other over-the-counter pain relievers
• Physical therapy on the affected arm and shoulder to recover from and prevent future rotator cuff problems
• Resting and icing the injured shoulder joint

Shoulder pain that lasts more than six months may require surgery. The type of surgery depends on what type of rotator cuff injury you experienced.

For partial and complete rotator cuff tears, surgery may be the first line of treatment. With this option, the surgeon repairs the torn tendon by reconnecting it to the top of the arm bone.

In most cases, surgery takes place through small incisions, and you return home the same day. You'll likely have physical therapy afterward to help your shoulder rebuild strength, and in a few months, you should feel stronger and regain range of motion.