Desk-bound professionals at risk of rotator cuff injury

When Dr Clington J. Fernando, consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon, Apollo Group of Hospitals, visited the L&T Park, he found a number of IT professionals with a common complaint — rotator cuff injury. Predominantly among those who have been in the industry for a considerable period of time, however, Dr Fernando says that he has seen the problem among doctors who perform laproscopy surgeries too, as it is a result of postural problems. 

He says, “At least 60-70 per cent of these professionals have the problem. Through lifestyle corrections the problem can be rectified. But, a rotator cuff tear and subsequent crippling of normal movement can occur due to a number of causes including aging, diabetes and sports related or childhood injuries.” 

The common causes 

Dr Kannan Pugazhendi, Sports physician of Sports Performance Assessment Rehabilitation Research Counselling (Sparrc) Institute, says that a number of people are at the risk of rotator cuff injury and that it is not caused by a one off factor. 

“Many people reach out to the back seat while driving and the same action over a period of time can make a person pre-disposed to the condition. This coupled by sudden recreational activity that results in a rapid swinging of the arm can aggravate the problem to become an injury or a tear. There is muscular contraction without relaxation that can lead to a problem. That is why we often find sports professionals facing the problem because they end up contracting the wrong muscle without any scope for relaxation,” he says. 

Dr Pugazhendi adds that apart from IT professionals, people like chartered accountants also face the same issue. 

Long-term overhead activities like reaching out to something at the top or even combing the hair are some of the common reasons for those above 60 develop a rotator cuff injury, points our Dr Subair Khan of Orthomed Hospital, which offers orthopaedic, neurosurgical and sport medicine care. He says, “The other category that is prone to the condition is athletes and sports professionals. In some cases, there is partial tear in the rotator cuff and it goes on to become a complete tear,” he adds.