| Statistically around 25% to 30% of the population | | | | 1. When and if any kind of shoulder injury occurs we |
| suffers, at one stage or another, from shoulder pain | | | | have to arm ourselves with ton of patience and |
| due to rotator cuff injuries such as tendonitis, bursitis | | | | perseverance. Recovery time may range from 4 |
| and tears. The fact is that the shoulder articulation is | | | | weeks to several months even years depending upon |
| by far the more complex and therefore fragile | | | | several factors like individual state of health, age and |
| articulation in the human body. | | | | seriousness of the injury. In my case it took 7 months |
| Our shoulders have a range of motion unequaled by | | | | before I could hit the water again with an almost |
| any other articulation in the body, and this on the one | | | | painless shoulder. |
| hand makes our daily life activities much easier and | | | | 2. In this kind of circumstance one thing that is |
| more plentiful. But on the other hand, if we don't treat | | | | absolutely paramount is the guidance of a |
| our shoulders with respect and care, they can make | | | | knowledgeable and dedicated Physical Therapist. He is |
| our daily life a misery. | | | | the one who is going to guide you step by step during |
| The muscles and joints of the shoulder allow it to | | | | those different stages of recovery. I was fortunate |
| move through a remarkable range of motion, making it | | | | enough to meet a real specialist in all kind of shoulder |
| the most mobile joint in the human body. The shoulder | | | | injuries. Let me introduce him to you in my blog (please |
| can abduct, adduct (shoulder fly), rotate, be raised in | | | | scroll down to the bottom of the article and click on |
| front and behind the torso and move through a full | | | | the embedded link). He has written a few publications |
| 360° in the sagittal plane. | | | | (available online) about rotator cuff pain and injury and |
| As I said earlier, this tremendous range of motion also | | | | frozen shoulder, where he gives us simple exercises |
| makes the shoulder extremely unstable, far more | | | | to do, specially designed towards a safe and durable |
| prone to dislocation and injury than other joints. | | | | recovery. After complete recovery those exercises |
| The rotator cuff is an anatomical word given to the | | | | will be used to strengthen our shoulders and therefore |
| group of muscles and their tendons that function to | | | | keeping us safe from further future injuries. |
| stabilize the shoulder. It is composed of the tendons | | | | 3. Shoulder surgery should only be contemplated at the |
| and muscles that hold the head of the humerus (ball) in | | | | very last resort. The main problem with surgery being, |
| the glenoid fossa (socket).Two filmy sac-like structures | | | | that we cannot be assured that we will ever recover |
| called bursa permit smooth gliding between bone, | | | | the original full motion of our shoulder, even after |
| muscle, and tendon. They cushion and protect the | | | | several months (years) of recovery. It is almost like a |
| rotator cuff from the bony arch of the acromion. | | | | gamble. After my injury I visited 3 orthopedists to get |
| So to resume: The shoulder being such a fragile | | | | different opinions, and all 3 of them told me that the |
| articulation it is no surprise that so many people end up | | | | only solution to my injury was surgery. On the other |
| with shoulder pain or injury during their life. It happened | | | | hand 2 physical therapists told me, first stay away |
| to me a few years ago and this is something that I | | | | from it. They told me surgery should only be |
| won't forget, but also an experience from which I have | | | | considered as the absolute last resort, and when |
| learned a lot. | | | | everything else has failed. I am immensely glad that I |
| What I got at that time is called a frozen shoulder after | | | | listened to them and followed their wise advice; my left |
| too much gym exercises and training at my favorite | | | | shoulder has now recovered a 100% painless range of |
| sport, water ski, over a certain period of time; just a | | | | motion. Have you ever felt a kind of stiffness or |
| few weeks in fact. This is what is called over-use and | | | | sharp pain in your shoulder? If yes, then you could be |
| it is quite common in the sport circle. | | | | suffering from a rotator cuff injury. Due to the nearly |
| Just a short while after a routine training on the water | | | | limitless mobility of our shoulder joints, which authorizes |
| one evening, as my muscle were cooling down, the | | | | for great adaptability and function, we often place |
| range of motion of my left shoulder was diminishing to | | | | excessive demand on them in our everyday life. |
| the point that when it was time to drive home I could | | | | Without proper exercises to strengthen your rotator |
| hardly switch gears with my left hand. | | | | cuffs, if you place excessive stress on them, it is likely |
| What happened in the next few months was very | | | | that one day you will suffer a shoulder injury of some |
| challenging and at the same time very interesting. The | | | | kind. Overhead athletes such as swimmers, pitchers, |
| 3 major things that I have learned from that | | | | volleyball players and quarterbacks are especially at |
| experience are: | | | | great risk of injury if practicing without proper |
| | | | preparation. |