| If you have managed to damage your rotator cuff | | | | then you need to either change the way that you |
| then exercise is going to feature somewhere in the | | | | work or if this is not possible it may be that you need |
| recovery process. Rotator cuff problems can start in | | | | some time off work. Stop driving if this is painful and |
| a number of different ways, whether it is a sports | | | | get help with anything else whenever you can. |
| related injury, from an accident or just through getting | | | | While you are resting the muscles treat the |
| older. They can also vary from tendonitis and shoulder | | | | inflammation with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs |
| impingement up to a full thickness tear, but what they | | | | to bring down any internal swelling. This in turn will help |
| all have in common is that they all involve the rotator | | | | to alleviate the pain. If pain persists it may well be |
| cuff and they are all potentially very painful. | | | | worthwhile asking your doctor for a steroid injection |
| The last thing on your mind with any of these injuries is | | | | which can quickly bring down inflammation. You can |
| any form of exercise and anyone who tells you that | | | | also use ice packs to help with inflammation |
| shoulder injury exercises are the way forward will | | | | Once the joint has stopped being so painful and range |
| probably be met with disbelieving stares. If you are | | | | of movement has improved you will need to do some |
| anything like I was when I tore my rotator cuff you are | | | | shoulder injury exercises to strengthen the injured |
| thinking of ways to avoid exercise not how to try to | | | | muscles and stabilise the joint. This will in turn help to |
| start a new routine. | | | | improve your range of movement. You will tend to |
| It is important to listen to the messages that your body | | | | start with gentle stretching exercises to help to avoid |
| is giving you. Any pain caused by a rotator cuff | | | | further injury before moving on to strengthening |
| problem is almost certainly the result of inflammation of | | | | exercises. These will be exercises that use little or no |
| the muscles and tendons. Because your shoulder is | | | | weight or resistance focusing on control and flexibility |
| such a complex joint, any inflammation can result in an | | | | as well as on strengthening the rotator cuff. It is |
| impingement of the muscle resulting in more damage | | | | important to stop if your shoulder becomes painful |
| being done as you continue to use it. | | | | when exercising. |
| This means that the first two priorities for any shoulder | | | | Shoulder injury exercises tend to be quite simple |
| injury are to rest the shoulder properly and treat the | | | | exercises that can easily be done at home as they do |
| inflammation in that order. | | | | not require specialist equipment. Rather than buying a |
| First order of the day is proper rest. This means | | | | set of small weights you can substitute tins of food for |
| seriously avoiding any movement that causes you pain. | | | | weights. |
| The pain is often an indicator that more damage is | | | | Exercise, done properly can get an injured shoulder |
| being done to your rotator cuff so it is essential to | | | | back to its pre-injury state in around six to eight weeks |
| avoid painful movements. In order to be effective this | | | | and it is always worth carrying on with them to avoid |
| may well mean some changes to your day to day | | | | future injuries. |
| routine. If your work necessitates painful movement | | | | |