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Rotator Cuff Exercise - The Secret of Shoulder Health
If you have ever felt a dull ache or sharp pain in your shoulder or upper arm, have trouble reaching into your back pocket or tucking in a shirt or are unable to get comfortable at night because of pain in your shoulder, then you have probably damaged your rotator cuff.
Rotator cuff troubles are one of the most common shoulder injuries. Over eight million Americans will go to their doctor with shoulder problems this year and the vast majority will be problems such as bursitis,tendonitis and cuff tears. The rotator cuff comprises of four fairly small muscles that all run from the scapula or shoulder blade to the head of the Upper arm bone (humerus). Their job is to pull the arm into the socket of the joint stabilizing the shoulder as we move. They also move the shoulder whenever we rotate the arm.
The most common injury is to the supraspinatus tendon which helps when we raise our arm and is at most risk of injury when we lift our arms above shoulder height. With a supraspinatus tear you will have an ongoing pain in your upper arm with a sharp pain in your shoulder when you raise your arm. The arm will become weak and you will experience difficulty lifting it as well as night time pain.
It may be, that rather than a torn rotator cuff, you have acute tendonitis which can present with very similar symptoms. The best way to get an accurate diagnosis is with an MRI scan.
You are more likely to need surgery if you have torn your rotator cuff. Tendonitis ,however, will nearly always respond well to rest, treatment with ice packs and anti-inflammatory drugs followed by rotator cuff exercises aimed at rehabilitating and strengthening the rotator cuff.
Tears are fairly rare in younger people. They tend to come along as we get older and our muscles weaken although younger people who play repetitive overhead sports can be at risk. Swimmers, baseball players and gymnasts often suffer from rotator cuff tears.
Research has shown that a lot of people can get by perfectly well with a rotator cuff tear. A lot will depend on the level of pain that you experience and how you intend to use your shoulder. The main reason for surgery is to help with pain relief rather than to restore movement. Recovery from a shoulder operation can take up to eighteen months depending on the severity of the injury. Tendonitis on the other hand can usually be healed within four to six weeks.
Which is why it is so important to treat shoulder problems sooner rather than later to avoid them getting worse.. Tendonitis that is ignored can develop into a tear that will require a much longer rehabilitation time or even surgery to rectify.
One of the most important things, as we get older, is to stretch and condition our shoulders before we do any serious exercise with them. A few shoulder stretches done before playing baseball with the kids can save you from weeks of pain and inconvenience. And if you are over forty and still have healthy shoulders a few rotator cuff exercises will go a long way towards avoiding potential problems.
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