Rotary Cuff Injury

A rotary cuff injury is more common than most people belive. There is a misconception in people that the injury is confined to athletes and bodybuilders.

The truth is you have as much of a chance of getting a rotary cuff injury working in an office as you doing while playing sports. But, how can you tell that if the injury is serious or not? How can you tell that the pain is from a rotary cuff injury?

The following are symptoms of a rotary cuff injury:

1. Pain and Tenderness
2. Loss of Range of Motion
3. Decreased Strength in the Shoulder
4. Favored Arm

Symptoms

Many people tend to take the rotary cuff injury lightly. However, this will likely lead to problems in the future. How can you tell when it is time to seek medical help? The indicator is pain. Pain is our body's way of saying that something is out of balance. If your pain lasts more than seven days then you should consult a doctor about your problem.

If you feel pain in you shoulder you should continue to use your arms as you normally would. However, it is important that you do take action and make it right. Constant and sharp pains in the shoulder are a clear sign that you might have a rotator cuff injury. At this point you may want to schedule a visit to see the a doctor and have it looked at.

Next, let’s talk about some exercises that can help alleviate and prevent the pain.

Before starting the exercises, you should be sure to warm up first. A warm up will help prepare the muscles of the body for hard exercise. For a rotator cuff injury the best warm up exercise is to bend over from the waist and let your arms hang down and move your arms to and fro.

Warm-Up

If you decide not to do the warm up then the exercises will increase the pain instead of decreasing it. Always remember when you exercising that the exercise is not meant to increase your pain in any way. The warm up should be light and easy, it is called warm up because it does not put strain on your body.

I understand that many people do not have exercise equipment at their home; therefore I will be sharing exercises that can be done in your own home without machines.

The Exercises

The first exercise is called external rotation. To perform this exercise, begin in a standing position with arms down at your side. Then take the weight in one hand and bend your arm at the elbow 90 degrees so that your forearm is perpendicular to the ground. Then rotate your arm outward, pivoting at the shoulder joint for 10-15 repetitions. Then slowly and in a controlled manner return to the starting position.

The second exercise for preventing a rotator cuff injury is the internal rotation. For this exercise, lie down on a bench with your arms at your side. While lying on your side, your bottom arm should be bent at 90 degrees holding your weight. Then, rotate the weight up and towards your body pivoting at the shoulder. Repeat this exercise for 10-15 reps and then switch sides.

You can also try the shrugs exercise. All you have to do is stand with your arms relaxed at your sides, and then raise your shoulder. Repeat this exercise 15 to 20 times.

Doing these exercises regularly will reduce your chances of obtaining a rotary cuff injury. There is no sure way to prevent a rotary cuff injury but doing these exercises is much easier than having to go through surgery and really only takes a few minutes each day.

If you are still experiencing pain after performing these exercises for an extended period of time you may want to consider talking with a doctor. Remember that preventative maintenance is the key to avoiding injuries. Do not take the “pain in the shoulder” warning lightly.