| Whether it is shoulder tendonitis, a shoulder | | | | channel of bone and start to get trapped. This leads to |
| impingement or a rotator cuff tear the best treatment | | | | an increase in pain as the tendon gradually becomes |
| for a rotator cuff injury is rest to allow the muscle to | | | | worn. Treatment is the same as for tendonitis but the |
| heal, treatment of any inflammation followed by | | | | rest period needs to be longer and the treatment for |
| shoulder specific exercises aimed at strengthening the | | | | inflammation needs to be far more intensive. Again |
| rotator cuff. What varies with each injury is the timing. | | | | exercise will help to strengthen the rotator cuff to |
| Shoulder tendonitis is simply inflammation of one of the | | | | avoid a repeat of the injury but should only be done |
| tendons of the rotator cuff. It tends not to last very | | | | when the shoulder is pain free. Any movement that |
| long a few days rest and treatment with ice packs | | | | causes pain should be avoided as this is an indication |
| and anti inflammatory drugs will tend to sort it out quite | | | | of further injury being done to the muscle. |
| quickly. If the pain lasts more than two or three days it | | | | Again the best treatment for rotator cuff tears will |
| is worth getting it checked out by a medical | | | | initially follow the same route but the timing will be |
| professional. The best way to make sure that it | | | | different with each stage of the recovery taking |
| doesn't happen again is to start exercises aimed at | | | | longer. Occasionally if conservative treatment doesn't |
| strengthening the shoulder muscles and rotator cuff in | | | | work it may be necessary to have surgery to either |
| particular. | | | | free up the impingement or clean up the damaged |
| A shoulder impingement is caused when an inflamed | | | | tendon to facilitate healing. |
| tendon becomes trapped or impinged. The tendon that | | | | The important thing with any shoulder injury is proper |
| is most at risk is the supraspinatus tendon. This is one | | | | rest. Trying to work through a shoulder injury will |
| of the rotator cuff muscles which, unlike the others | | | | invariably result in a worse injury, requiring a longer |
| runs through a channel of bone on its journey from the | | | | recuperation period so always resist the urge to ignore |
| shoulder blade to the upper arm. When it gets | | | | even simple shoulder problems. |
| damaged and inflamed it can become too large for the | | | | |