| > | | | | around the shoulder joint to help stabilise it. They run |
| Alright, I know that if you have a painful shoulder at the | | | | over the surface of the shoulder blade. One of them, |
| moment the last thing you need is some happy soul | | | | called the supraspinatus even runs through a channel |
| being glib about how to sort it out, but the reality is that | | | | of bone at the top of the shoulder blade before it |
| for almost all of us rotator cuff rehab is really quite | | | | attaches to the humerus. |
| simple. | | | | This tendon causes the most trouble with a rotator |
| Okay, I know that if you are suffering from rotator | | | | cuff injury because when it gets inflamed and starts to |
| cuff pain right now the last thing you want is some | | | | swell it has nowhere to go so it starts to get trapped |
| cheery soul being glib about how to fix it, but the reality | | | | or impinged by the bone which leads to further pain |
| is that for almost all of us rotator cuff rehab is really | | | | and injury. Think of it like a tow rope being rubbed |
| very simple. The only exceptions to that are if you | | | | against a hard surface. Sooner or later it will start to |
| have either managed to acquire a bad tear or what is | | | | fray and eventually it will snap. |
| known as a full thickness tear. If you have then you'll | | | | So if you want a rotator cuff to heal completely there |
| be booking surgery before you are able to start using | | | | are really three steps. |
| your shoulder again. | | | | Step one, Let the muscle rest so that it can heal. That |
| But, like I said, for the majority of us rotator cuff rehab | | | | means avoiding any painful movements. Which may |
| is reasonably simple. | | | | involve changing the way in which you work for a |
| The first thing that you need to understand is what | | | | while or even taking some time off. |
| kind of injury you have, because once you do, then | | | | Step two, work on the the inflammation. Try |
| you begin to understand just how you are going to fix | | | | anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen and start using |
| it. | | | | ice packs whenever you are able. If that doesn't |
| A rotator cuff injury is damage to the muscles of the | | | | worksee if your doctor will give you a steroid injection. |
| rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is made up of four | | | | Step three, when the cuff has settled down start a |
| muscles that all connect to the scapula or shoulder | | | | simple course of shoulder specific physical therapy |
| blade at one end and the top of the arm at the other. | | | | exercises aimed at strengthening and rebuilding the |
| What they do, in the great scheme of things, is to hold | | | | muscles of the rotator cuff. These will involve small |
| the arm in place as you move. Depending on how you | | | | movements with light weights or low resistance that |
| move, different muscles within the four work harder. | | | | isolate and exercise this small but important group of |
| Once you get your arm above shoulder height your | | | | muscles. |
| rotator cuff is working at its hardest to prevent the ball | | | | It's quite logical really. Muscles won't heal unless you |
| of the humerus coming away from the socket of the | | | | rest them. Working through a rotator cuff injury will |
| shoulder joint | | | | cause more damage. Let the inflammation go down |
| This is why when you injure your rotator cuff it always | | | | before you start exercising and do exercises that |
| seems to hurt worst when you raise your arm above | | | | strengthen the right muscles. |
| shoulder height or reach for something.the muscles are | | | | Told you it was simple! I know because that's exactly |
| all grouped tightly together forming a cuff of muscle | | | | how I fixed my shoulder. |