| I'm no expert, simply someone who suffered with an | | | | Always get a shoulder injury checked out by a doctor |
| injury to my rotator cuff and took a keen interest in it | | | | as it is important to rule out other problems before |
| as a result. Understanding the injury was the first step | | | | arriving at the diagnosis of rotator cuff syndrome. |
| to recovery. Having gone through this painful condition | | | | The injury can take several months to repair and in |
| myself and made a full recovery it seemed sensible to | | | | some cases surgery is recommended to try to repair |
| write down my experience for others. | | | | the damage, usually followed by physiotherapy. Steroid |
| The rotator cuff is a band of four muscles that help to | | | | injections and treatment with anti inflammatory drugs |
| move and stabilise the shoulder joint. The shoulder is a | | | | can also help. In my case the steroids alleviated the |
| ball and socket joint but unlike the hip joint the socket is | | | | symptoms short term but within about six weeks the |
| made up of cartilage rather than bone and the ball of | | | | pain had returned and I was offered surgery. It was |
| the joint isn't enclosed as it is in the hip joint but sits in a | | | | whilst waiting for that surgery that I started to |
| shallow socket, being held in place by the group of | | | | research the subject and discovered that |
| muscles that make up the rotator cuff. | | | | physiotherapy is used in most shoulder injuries as part |
| This allows the shoulder to go through the wide range | | | | of the fix. So after a bit more research I started some |
| of movement that we enjoy but also leaves us open | | | | shoulder specific exercises aimed at strengthening the |
| to one of the most common shoulder injuries which is | | | | rotator cuff, which in turn strengthen the whole |
| rotator cuff syndrome. | | | | shoulder joint. |
| Rotator Cuff Syndrome can effect any of these four | | | | I started with very small shoulder movements, being |
| muscles, either through general wear and tear as we | | | | careful to avoid any pain as this was a sign of possible |
| get older or through a specific injury. In my case it was | | | | injury. As the weeks went on I was able to increase |
| down to lifting badly and tearing one of the muscles. | | | | the exercises in terms of difficulty and time. After a |
| Because of the damage the tendons of the muscle | | | | couple of months I ended up pain free, with full |
| can become inflamed. As these muscles run under | | | | movement and a shoulder that felt as good as new. I |
| and over the bones of the shoulder this inflammation | | | | have since postponed the surgery to see how my |
| can cause pain. This is known as shoulder | | | | shoulder holds up but three months on I am confident |
| impingement. | | | | that the surgery will be cancelled. |