| > | | | | shoulder works more efficiently. This way other |
| | | | muscles will take the load and allow the cuff to heal. |
| Rotator cuff problems are one of the most common | | | | Therapy for a shoulder injury must start with a period |
| injuries. Eight million Americans will visit their doctor with | | | | of rest to let healing start, treating inflamed tendons |
| a shoulder injury this year and most of them will be for | | | | with anti inflammatory drugs and ice at the same time. |
| rotator cuff related injuries. | | | | If you control the inflammation in shoulder injuries you |
| Rotator cuff problems are one of the most common | | | | tend to control the pain. If off the shelf |
| injuries. Eight million people in the USA will go to their | | | | anti-inflammatory drugs do not seem to do the trick |
| doctor with a shoulder injury each year and the vast | | | | then steroid injections administered by your doctor will |
| majority of them will be for rotator cuff problems. | | | | kick start the process. |
| These could be anything froma strain to a full | | | | Once the injured muscle has settled down and |
| thickness tear. | | | | movement has started to return you can start a |
| The good news is that for most people a rotator cuff | | | | shoulder specific physical therapy programme to |
| repair will not involve any surgery. Surgery is thought | | | | facilitate the rotator cuff repair. This will tend to start |
| of as a last resort unless your shoulder injury is getting | | | | with simple stretching exercises to improve mobility |
| in the way of work, you are keen on a sport or you | | | | gradually moving on to low resistance or low weight |
| have a full thickness tear. There is recent research | | | | exercises to start waking up weakened shoulder |
| that shows that there are a number of people walking | | | | muscles. The most important thing is that you do not |
| around with torn rotator cuffs who do not exhibit any | | | | rush things as you need to avoid any painful |
| of the usual symptoms. The number could be as high | | | | movements. |
| as thirty percent in the over fifties who have a | | | | Gradually over the next few weeks you increase the |
| rotator cuff tear that shows no symptoms. This figure | | | | level and variety of exercises to strengthen the |
| could be as high as seventy percent in the over | | | | shoulder. This in turn, supports the injured rotator cuff |
| eighties. | | | | tendon and allows it to heal. |
| Physical Therapy is now the number one treatment | | | | These exercises do not involve pushing weights at the |
| for rotator cuff problems and most cuff injuries | | | | gym. Gym work will probably cause more damage. |
| respond well to it. The theory, confirmed by recent | | | | Shoulder rehabilitation exercises focus on flexibility and |
| research, is that a rotator cuff tear does not need to | | | | control before moving on to strengthening exercises. |
| heal in order to be rehabilitated. With twenty two | | | | Some will focus on individual muscles and some on |
| different muscles involved in shoulder movement there | | | | groups of muscles but the end result is to strengthen |
| are plenty of muscles around to help a damaged | | | | the whole shoulder to support the healing and avoid |
| rotator cuff. | | | | future injuries.. |
| The aim of shoulder physical therapy in shoulder | | | | So if you are worrying about a rotator cuff repair, |
| injuries is to strengthen all the muscles so that the | | | | stop, it is probably a lot easier than you think. |