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Here is a little something for ya mudge...for now....short, sweet and simple. 
FLEXIBLE BUT VULNERABLE
The rotator cuff is a complex of four muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and the subscapularis) and their tendons that connect the humerus to the shoulder blade and help rotate the arm in the shoulder socket. The shoulder joint is extremely flexible, but its wide range of motion also makes it vulnerable to injury.
Rotator cuff injuries can occur after heavy work, such as persistent lifting of heavy objects or repetitive tasks with arms extended fully overhead or with the elbows above mid-torso. Sports movements that are repetitious, such as throwing a baseball, playing tennis, or golfing, are common causes of rotator cuff injuries. Accidents and trauma are other leading causes.
SHOULDERING THE BURDEN
After age 60, most people have some degree of tearing in the rotator cuff, generally secondary to diminished blood flow. Tears or rupture of the rotator cuff may follow, even in the absence of significant trauma. (In older people, remember that referred pain from coronary artery disease, pulmonary tumors, or gallbladder disease may mimic the pain of a rotator cuff injury.)
Rotator cuff injuries vary in type and severity:
Tendinitis is inflammation or injury of tendons in the rotator cuff. Repetitive stress or calcium deposits in the rotator cuff can cause pain, or the tendons can become pinched under the shoulder bones.
Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa, the fluidfilled sac between the shoulder blade and rotator cuff tendons.
Tears in tendons or muscles can be caused by stress from overuse or a fall. Untreated tendinitis can weaken a tendon and lead to a tear. Small tears may be indistinguishable from tendinitis.
TREATING INJURIES
Rotator cuff injury is diagnosed by physical assessment of symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging, and shoulder X-rays. A small or incomplete tear is treated conservatively with applied ice, aspirin, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The shoulder may be immobilized for 2 to 3 days to stabilize the joint; longer immobilization could cause a frozen shoulder. Large tears are repaired with arthroscopic surgery. The patient should also follow an exercise program to strengthen the muscle group.
Stewart, K.B.
FLEXIBLE BUT VULNERABLE
The rotator cuff is a complex of four muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and the subscapularis) and their tendons that connect the humerus to the shoulder blade and help rotate the arm in the shoulder socket. The shoulder joint is extremely flexible, but its wide range of motion also makes it vulnerable to injury.
Rotator cuff injuries can occur after heavy work, such as persistent lifting of heavy objects or repetitive tasks with arms extended fully overhead or with the elbows above mid-torso. Sports movements that are repetitious, such as throwing a baseball, playing tennis, or golfing, are common causes of rotator cuff injuries. Accidents and trauma are other leading causes.
SHOULDERING THE BURDEN
After age 60, most people have some degree of tearing in the rotator cuff, generally secondary to diminished blood flow. Tears or rupture of the rotator cuff may follow, even in the absence of significant trauma. (In older people, remember that referred pain from coronary artery disease, pulmonary tumors, or gallbladder disease may mimic the pain of a rotator cuff injury.)
Rotator cuff injuries vary in type and severity:
Tendinitis is inflammation or injury of tendons in the rotator cuff. Repetitive stress or calcium deposits in the rotator cuff can cause pain, or the tendons can become pinched under the shoulder bones.
Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa, the fluidfilled sac between the shoulder blade and rotator cuff tendons.
Tears in tendons or muscles can be caused by stress from overuse or a fall. Untreated tendinitis can weaken a tendon and lead to a tear. Small tears may be indistinguishable from tendinitis.
TREATING INJURIES
Rotator cuff injury is diagnosed by physical assessment of symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging, and shoulder X-rays. A small or incomplete tear is treated conservatively with applied ice, aspirin, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The shoulder may be immobilized for 2 to 3 days to stabilize the joint; longer immobilization could cause a frozen shoulder. Large tears are repaired with arthroscopic surgery. The patient should also follow an exercise program to strengthen the muscle group.
Stewart, K.B.
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