| In order to understand a rotator cuff impingement it is | | | | to an old rope being rubbed against something hard, |
| probably best to find out a bit about the make up of | | | | after a while the rope would begin to fray and if left |
| the shoulder joint and problems that can beset it. | | | | long enough could actually snap. |
| The shoulder joint comprises of three bones, the | | | | The causes of rotator cuff impingement are similar to |
| humerus or upper arm bone, clavicle or collar bone and | | | | other injuries. Any strain or injury to this particular |
| the scapula or shoulder blade. All of these bones | | | | tendon, that causes inflammation, can set off an |
| affect the shoulder. Before I got a shoulder injury, I | | | | impingement. Arthritis can cause the channel to narrow |
| thought of my shoulder blade as a triangle of bone | | | | and as we age some of us can actually grow bony |
| that sat on my back and stuck out if I pushed my | | | | spurs on the acromion that will narrow the channel and |
| elbows forward. I had never really given any thought | | | | cause problems. |
| to its design or purpose. | | | | The symptoms of rotator cuff impingement are |
| It is actually quite a complex piece of anatomy. At the | | | | shoulder pain especially when raising the arm above |
| top outer corner it has a cup of bone called the glenoid | | | | shoulder height or reaching out for something coupled |
| which forms the ball of the shoulder ball and socket | | | | with difficulty sleeping at night. A simple test that your |
| joint. The shoulder blade also attached to the collar | | | | doctor may do for an impingement is to ask you to |
| bone at the top. This part of the shoulder blade is a | | | | straighten your arm with the palm facing away from |
| hook of bone that curves over at the top called the | | | | your body and then to raise it up. If this is painful then |
| Acromion. | | | | you almost certainly have an impingement. |
| As well as the bones of the joint there are seventeen | | | | Do not ignore shoulder impingement as this can lead to |
| different muscles which work the shoulder as well as | | | | more serious problems. Treatment is rest and |
| ligaments and cartilage that all go to make up and hold | | | | anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the swelling. Make |
| together this complex joint. | | | | sure that you avoid any overhead movements. If you |
| The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that all run | | | | work at something like plastering or painting you will |
| from the scapula to the head of the humerus, | | | | need to modify how you work to avoid these |
| surrounding the joint in a cuff of muscle. They all help | | | | movements. Once the muscles are rested and have |
| to pull the ball at the head of the humerus into the | | | | started to recover you can start physical therapy to |
| socket of the glenoid. Because the socket of this joint | | | | strengthen the rotator cuff to help avoid future injuries. |
| is very shallow these muscles are essential to hold the | | | | In persistent cases or if the bone has changed shape |
| arm in place and stabilize the joint. Without them it | | | | then you are almost certainly looking at surgery to |
| would be very easy to dislocate the shoulder joint. | | | | correct it. This will involve keyhole surgery called a |
| One of these muscles, the supraspinatus runs through | | | | sub-acromial decompression where the surgeon |
| the hook of the acromion before attaching to the | | | | shaves away a piece of bone to free up the tendon. |
| humerus. Imagine a thin tendon running through a | | | | The vast majority of rotator cuff impingements can be |
| channel of bone. If the channel narrows or the tendon | | | | solved without resorting to surgery but it is vital to take |
| gets inflamed the tendon can start to rub on the bone | | | | this injury seriously and rest it, avoiding overhead |
| which will start to damage the tendon leaving it | | | | movements. |
| vulnerable to tearing or fraying. You could compare it | | | | |