Sports Medicine
Tendon Injuries: Rotator Cuff & Achilles
Tendons connect muscles to bones. The rotator cuff in the shoulder and the Achilles tendon in the ankle are commonly injured through overuse or sudden force.
Rotator Cuff · Shoulder
Symptoms & Causes
- Pain when lifting the arm overhead
- Night pain on the affected side
- Weakness with lifting or rotation, and a crackling sensation during movement
- Causes — degenerative wear with age, repetitive overhead activities, or an acute injury from a fall.
Rotator Cuff · Treatment
How It Is Treated
- Non-surgical — physiotherapy, activity modification, anti-inflammatories, and steroid injections.
- Surgical — arthroscopic repair for full-thickness tears in active patients, or tears not responding to 6 to 12 months of conservative care.
Achilles · Ankle
Symptoms & Causes
- Tendinopathy — gradual pain and stiffness at the back of the ankle, worse in the morning.
- Rupture — a sudden pop, severe pain, inability to push off, and a gap in the tendon.
- Causes — overuse from running or jumping, a sudden increase in training; risk rises with age 30 to 50, a weekend-warrior pattern, and certain antibiotics.
Achilles · Treatment
How It Is Treated
- Tendinopathy — eccentric exercises, heel lifts, and activity modification.
- Rupture · non-surgical — a cast or boot for 8 to 12 weeks; higher re-rupture rate.
- Rupture · surgical — tendon repair, with return to sport in 6 to 12 months.
Red Flags
Seek Emergency Care
Seek urgent care if:
- You feel a pop and cannot push off
- There is a visible gap in the tendon
- You are unable to rise on your toes
- There is severe, sudden shoulder weakness after an injury
Get Started
Tendon Pain or a Sudden Pop?
Call +966 50 580 8852 to schedule an evaluation with Professor Al-Othman.
Related
Related Sports Injuries
ACL & Ligament Injuries
Knee instability from ACL tears — common in pivoting sports.
Sports Medicine Hub
An overview of sports injury care — diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.