| Shoulder Impingement is a very common shoulder joint | | | | Impingement, and the three terms are just different |
| disorder, medically known as Impingement Syndrome. It | | | | aspects of the same problem. Typically, people |
| owes its name to the clicking, popping feeling in the | | | | involved in repetitive movements are mostly affected |
| shoulder affected, whenever an over head movement | | | | by shoulder impingement. These can be machine |
| is attempted. This is caused by and inflammation within | | | | operators, tennis players, baseball players, or anyone |
| the shoulder joint set up, specifically in two different | | | | involved with repetitive and/or forceful arm motions. |
| parts of the rotator cuff, the Bursa and the cuff | | | | The normal protocol for a Shoulder Impingement |
| Tendons. | | | | treatment is the prescription of anti inflammatory drugs, |
| Firstly, the rotator cuff is a comprehensive name for | | | | both steroidal or not. Light over the counter drugs such |
| the 4 muscles and tendons that make it up. The 4 | | | | as aspirin and ibuprofen are also commonly used. |
| muscles, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor and | | | | Natural remedies are restricted to ice packs, as the |
| Subscapularis, insert in different parts of the shoulder | | | | cold soothe and reduce inflammation. In more severe |
| blade and converge into the arm bone, the humerus, | | | | cases cortisone injections may be prescribed, and in |
| around the humeral head ball, embracing it and keeping | | | | extreme cases even surgery, called arthroscopy, may |
| it into the Glenoid socket, thus preventing dislocation at | | | | be performed. |
| every movement. This is because the shoulder joint | | | | While drugs are very commonly prescribed and have |
| allows for the greatest range of motion of any joints, | | | | their time and place, they are not the best long term |
| therefore it needs to be very shallow and open to | | | | solution for shoulder impingement or any other disorder. |
| allow for this to happen. This is the background for the | | | | In fact, they carry side effects, are expensive, and |
| onset of different conditions, including Shoulder | | | | lead to dependency. This is even more so in the case |
| Impingement. | | | | of any shoulder condition, as the rotator cuff, due to its |
| Impingement proper does happen because of the | | | | complexity, takes normally months or even years to |
| following: whenever the arm is moved, the rotator cuff | | | | heal, during which time the sufferer has to put up with |
| tendons slide effortlessly over a fluid filled sack called | | | | pain and drugs. |
| Bursa, latin term for bag. This is to prevent the tendons | | | | However, there is a better, natural, drug free, and |
| from rubbing against the bare shoulder bones, causing | | | | effective method to reduce inflammation and cut |
| inflammation. Unfortunately, sometimes the tendons | | | | down recovery times. It is based on specific rotator |
| and the bursa get inflamed for a variety of reasons, | | | | cuff exercises performed with stretches, rotation |
| including age but most commonly over usage. The | | | | motions and very light resistance. These are not the |
| inflammations of these two different parts are called | | | | usual gym shoulder exercises like military presses that |
| Bursitis and Tendonitis. When this happens, a narrowing | | | | target the deltoid. Instead, they are movements that |
| of the space within the shoulder joint occurs, making | | | | target the 4 rotator cuff muscles and tendons sitting |
| movements painful and clicking or popping, thus the | | | | underneath it. Properly executed on a daily basis, they |
| Impingement Syndrome. | | | | can cut down on recovery times from months and |
| So Bursitis and Tendonitis are what causes Shoulder | | | | months to few weeks only, permanently. |