You've likely heard of the term "rotator cuff," but perhaps not been fully aware of what this term represents. You have a rotator cuff in each of your shoulders, and this term describes a small number of tendons and muscles that are involved in each movement of this part of your body. People can develop rotator cuff injuries while playing all sorts of sports. Throwing sports, such as baseball and football, can increase your risk of a rotator cuff strain or tear because of the frequent use of these muscles and tendons. If you believe that you have a rotator cuff injury, you should visit a sports injury clinic. Here are some warning signs. 

Pain

A sure sign that something isn't right in one of your rotator cuffs is that you have pain in this area. You'll often be aware of pain on the outer and/or front part of your shoulder. The type of pain and its severity will depend on the type of injury you have. If you have a mild case of strain, you can expect a mild amount of pain. The pain will be more intense if you've torn anything in this area. The larger the tear, the more pain you'll experience. It's common to experience some degree of pain even during rest, and an increase in pain when you use your shoulder.

Limited Range Of Motion

An injury to your rotator cuff will also affect your range of motion. As an athlete, you likely stretch each part of your body before practices and games. When you're performing certain shoulder stretches, you'll notice that you can't move your shoulder how you used to. You may also find that you can't hold a particular stretch as long as you have in the past.

Weakness

Virtually any type of injury to your rotator cuff will cause you to notice weakness in this part of your body. When you pick up an object that you've picked up many times in the past, you might suddenly notice that you're struggling to lift it—even if it's not particularly heavy. If you're lifting weights without having realized that you have a shoulder injury, you won't be able to lift as much as you usually do.

Any of these issues should alert you to the fact that you may have a rotator cuff injury, and you should contact a sports injury clinic near you.