Causes

Rotator cuff injuries are majorly tears or inflimation in the tendons surrounding the rotator cuff area. This tear or irritation is often times caused by repetitive motion or by a single injury.

Causes​

There are two primary causes for rotator cuff tears - injury and degenerative. 

• Injury - A fall or lifting a heavy object sometimes in conjunction with other shoulder and back injuries such as a dislocated shoulder or a broken collar bone.
• Degenerative - The tendons typically in the dominant arm can degenerate naturally through day to day use. Factors that may contribute to degenerative damage are repetitive motions, lack of blood supply due to age, and bone spurs. 

Risk Factors

• Age : Increasing age plays a large factor for injury, after the age of 40 the risk of rotator cuff injury increases drastically.
• Sports : Athletes who perform regular straining movements on their arms are at a higher risk of rotator cuff tears and injury. Sports like baseball and tennis for example may increase strain on the rotator cuff area leading to injury.
• Occupation : Similarly to athletics jobs that require excessive repetitive arm motion increase risk of injury to the rotator cuff. Jobs especially in construction that require overhead reaching and movements are especially at risk for these sorts of injuries . 
• Family History : Genetics do play a small roll in the likelihood of having rotator cuff injury.