| > | | | | So a weak or damaged rotator cuff equates to a |
| Rotator cuff strengthening exercises are the secret of | | | | weak shoulder. It has been found that weight lifters |
| shoulder health and strength, whether you are trying to | | | | who include rotator cuff strengthening exercises in |
| get stronger shoulders, recover from an injury or avoid | | | | their workouts can lift significantly higher weights than |
| injury. | | | | those who don't. |
| Rotator cuff strengthening exercises are the key to | | | | So the secret to healthier shoulders is to strengthen |
| shoulder health and strength, whether you are trying to | | | | this group of muscles. |
| build strength, recover from an injury or just stay fit. In | | | | Unfortunately it is not quite that simple if you have a |
| my case it was a shoulder injury that got me looking | | | | damaged rotator cuff. I had torn my left rotator cuff |
| into ways to strengthen my rotator cuff but whatever | | | | lifting something awkwardly. I was facing shoulder |
| got you started you can learn from my story. | | | | surgery to sort it our but through exercise managed to |
| Shoulders are the most complicated joint in the body. | | | | avoid surgery. |
| They have to be simply so that they can give us the | | | | The first thing I had to do was rest my shoulder |
| wide range of movement that we enjoy. They are | | | | properly avoiding any movement that caused pain. I |
| capable of moving our arms in almost any direction. | | | | had to stop driving and rearrange my desk at work to |
| This ability comes about because the shoulder is made | | | | help with this. At the same time I treated the pain and |
| up of a very shallow ball and socket joint. The ball at | | | | inflammation with anti inflammatory drugs. |
| the head of the arm sits on a shallow socket of bone | | | | Then I started some stretches to help bring back the |
| at the outer edge of the shoulder blade. If you think of | | | | mobility in my shoulder. Several months of not working |
| this as like a soccer ball sitting on a saucer you get | | | | properly had caused some stiffness. |
| some idea. | | | | Next I began a series of exercises aimed at stabilising |
| Although the shape of the shoulder gives us the wide | | | | and strengthening not only the rotator cuff but all the |
| range of movement it also gives the shoulder its | | | | muscles of the shoulder. These were low resistance, |
| inherent weak point which is that it is very easy to | | | | low weight exercises that gradually built up over a few |
| dislocate the shoulder by knocking the ball off the | | | | weeks. Because I had actually torn my rotator cuff it |
| saucer. | | | | was important to strengthen the other shoulder |
| Along with ligaments and cartilage the rotator cuff | | | | muscles in order that they could support the cuff while |
| group of muscles are designed to prevent dislocation | | | | it healed. With over twenty muscles involved in moving |
| by holding the ball on the saucer giving us stability in the | | | | your shoulder there are plenty to help out as long as |
| joint. When we use our shoulders in a way that puts a | | | | you have got them working properly. |
| strain on them, our cuff muscles pull on the arm to hold | | | | It took me two months to get my shoulder back to |
| it in the socket. They are worked hardest when we | | | | one hundred percent pain free movement. It would |
| make rotational movements, hence the name. When | | | | have been much easier to have started exercising my |
| we raise our arm out to the front or side we put an | | | | rotator cuff before I tore it. So take my advice, if it's |
| extra load on the rotator cuff. This is why these | | | | not too late, and start working on your shoulders. |
| movements hurt if you have damaged the rotator cuff. | | | | |