| ust because you have managed to tear your rotator | | | | of the tendons. This inflammation will cause |
| cuff, it does not guarantee that you are going to | | | | impingement which basically means that your tendons |
| require surgery. Rotator cuffs get injured in a number | | | | are getting pinched or caught by bone each time that |
| of different ways and each injury will be different | | | | you move your shoulder in a certain way. Raising your |
| depending on how it occurred in the first place. | | | | arm above shoulder height will be painful, reaching |
| Think of the tendons of the rotator cuff as being just | | | | behind you will be painful, you will find that getting to |
| like a piece of old tow rope, I say old simply because | | | | sleep is difficult because you can not put your weight |
| that's how you feel when you damage your rotator | | | | on your injured shoulder. |
| cuff. If you use the rope too often or allow it to rub | | | | Listen to the message that your body is sending |
| against something sharp, it might start to fray, get worn | | | | because each pain is a sign of you doing more |
| a bit. and weaken. | | | | damage. You need to rest the shoulder, avoiding any |
| It might be that you try towing something that is too | | | | movement that causes pain. |
| heavy and end up stretching the rope, pulling the | | | | Rotator cuff tear treatment will involve rest to let the |
| strands of rope apart. Pull away too quickly when you | | | | muscle to start getting better, combined with reducing |
| are towing and put a sudden load on the rope and it | | | | any inflammation. Try using anti-inflammatory drugs like |
| might simply snap or come away from the car. | | | | Ibuprofen, if there is no improvement, try a steroid |
| Exactly the same can happen to the tendons of the | | | | injection. You also need to treat the inflammation with |
| rotator cuff. You can just wear them out by doing the | | | | ice packs to reduce inflammation. |
| same action over and over, you can put too much | | | | Once the inflammation has reduced movement will |
| load on them and pull the fibres apart or if you are | | | | ease up. It will not be perfect straight away and that is |
| really unlucky you can end up snapping them | | | | where exercise helps to build up the rotator cuff |
| completely. | | | | tendons and get the shoulder moving again. This will be |
| All complete or full thickness tears will require surgery. | | | | low resistance exercise aimed at isolating the rotator |
| If you have managed to detach the tendon from the | | | | cuff muscles. Using large weights will just get the |
| bone you will certainly be looking at surgery to correct | | | | major muscles working and either ignore or at worst |
| it. | | | | further damage the rotator cuff muscles. |
| I am happy to say , however, most or nearly all partial | | | | The good news is that, because of that, a lot of these |
| rotator cuff tears can be treated without resorting to | | | | exercises Can be carried out at home. |
| surgery, providing you take them seriously right from | | | | Treat a rotator cuff tear properly and you can have a |
| the start and don't try carrying on regardless. | | | | pain free shoulder back quickly and easily, ignore it and |
| Even a small rotator cuff tear will cause inflammation | | | | you might as well book surgery now. |