| > | | | | particular muscle resulting in the muscle gradually |
| Earlier this year I tore one of the muscles in my rotator | | | | fraying. Surgery was recommended. The aim was to |
| cuff. Rotator cuff tears come in a number of different | | | | shave away a piece of bone to give the damaged |
| shapes and sizes and can be caused by a variety of | | | | tendon more room to move so that it could heal. As I |
| different things so I was fairly fortunate in that mine | | | | was in the UK the date was booked for three months |
| was only a partial tear not, a full thickness tear. | | | | away and I started a painful wait. |
| Earlier this year I tore one of the muscles in my rotator | | | | I began looking into shoulder injuries and their various |
| cuff. Rotator cuff tears come in a number of different | | | | therapies and found out that most rotator cuff tears |
| shapes and sizes and can be triggered by a number | | | | are treated without resorting to surgery. Allow the |
| of different events so I was fairly lucky in that my | | | | muscle to heal with rest whilst treating the pain and |
| injury was only a partial tear not, a full thickness tear. | | | | inflammation with anti-inflammatory drugs and ice |
| I had a piece of furnitire awkwardly and put far too | | | | packs and then, once the pain has lessened start |
| much strain on my shoulder. I felt a sharp pain at the | | | | simple low weight rotator cuff exercise to build up and |
| top of my shoulder and fortunately had the common | | | | strengthen the muscles. |
| sense to put it down. I gave my shoulder a rub and | | | | The most important element of this is the rest. If I had |
| carried on but the next time I lifted it was much more | | | | continued using my shoulder normally, I would have |
| carefully. The pain had stopped and everything | | | | been damaging it further every time that I used that |
| seemed fine, until the day after. | | | | muscle. If I had managed to ignore the pain or even |
| The next morning my shoulder was agony. Trying to | | | | managed to work through the pain I could have |
| lift my arm straight up in front of me, reaching out for | | | | eventually snapped the tendon completely. That would |
| anything or even getting dressed all caused me pain. | | | | have definitely needed surgery! |
| I couldn't even tuck in my shirt without feeling a sharp | | | | In the end,by resting my arm amd avoiding any painful |
| pain at the top of my shoulder. Over the next three or | | | | movement, by carefully treating the inflammation I |
| four days my shoulder gradually became stiff up and | | | | gradually improved until I could do very simple easy |
| the same movements that had hurt became | | | | exercises without any pain. As the exercises |
| increasingly painful. Not only did it hurt in the day but I | | | | strengthened my muscles I regained the strength and |
| was having trouble sleeping. If I lay on my bad shoulder | | | | movement in my shoulder and now ten weeks on I |
| I was kept awake by the pain. If I lay on my good | | | | have full pain free movement again. |
| shoulder, I had lie my arm carefully along my body to | | | | I'm lucky in that I have an office job. Just by changing |
| stop it dropping in front of or behind me as both those | | | | my desk layout I could avoid using the injured tendon. If |
| positions were painful Life was getting very difficult.. | | | | you have a more physical job you may have to think |
| I resorted to sleeping on my back which really | | | | a bit more about how to avoid using the injured |
| annoyed my wife as I immediately started to snore like | | | | shoulder, but it is vital that you do so as continuing to |
| a trooper. | | | | use it will make it worse and all the therapy in the |
| In the end, I was diagnosed as having a rotator cuff | | | | world wont help if you manage to tear it completely. |
| tear. I had managed to tear my Supraspinatus tendon | | | | Rotator cuff exercise features in nearly all shoulder |
| which runs under my collar bone, through a channel of | | | | injury therapy courses simply because the strength of |
| bone before attaching to the head of teh humerus | | | | the rotator cuff is fundamental to the health of your |
| (upper arm bone). Because it was torn it had become | | | | shoulders. Even if you have healthy shoulders it is |
| inflamed. Because it was inflamed it was getting | | | | worth spending a few minutes a day keeping these |
| snagged on the bone every time that I used that | | | | four muscles in good shape. |