Shoulder Injuries – Rotator Cuff Treatment

Shoulder injuries can be some of the most aggravating and painful to endure, and when in the midst of trying to get through, it often seems as if they won't ever go away. If you're there now, you likely know this to be true.

Simple things are difficult or impossible to do and even getting dressed is a chore rife with pain. The range of motion for that injured rotator cuff can become so severely limited that you might not even be able to lift your arm even halfway, much less grab anything from an upper shelf.

Shoulders are one of the most amazing parts of the body considering the wide range of motion they were designed for, and this complexity, especially of the rotator cuff is why recovering from an injury in this area can be more difficult. Just consider the anatomical engineering required to provide complete freedom of movement through a whole 360 degree circle.

The many muscles and tendons making up the rotator cuff all work in concert to hold your arm to your shoulder by keeping the ball on top of the upper arm firmly pressed into the socket in your shoulder blade. There is no other joint that allows for movements as complicated as those performed by the shoulder when it works properly.

However, this amazing range of motion can put the shoulder under considerable stress, and as a result, a rotator cuff injury is fairly common. Repetitive overhead arm movements, strains from lifting, or the impact shock from a fall are potential causes. Activities that involve throwing are among the most obvious causes and it's easy to see why. However actions like reaching, especially in cramped quarters can sometimes lead to the injury, and many are surprised when this happens.

It's also common among people whose jobs or hobbies include heavy demands on their shoulders, such as athletes and construction workers. Poor posture can contribute too, plus as one gets older, the risk of a rotator cuff injury increases even more.

Our shoulders extremely wide range of performance, when its working as advertised, is exactly why we feel its loss so much when its not. After an injury, the most prevalent symptom is pain. In some cases nothing you do makes it stop. Reaching for anything is out of the question and even if you could, holding it up to bring it to you would be agonizingly impossible.

The shoulder will often feel weak and just trying to put on a shirt or jacket will be an ordeal. If the injury itself doesn't force limits on movement, you will likely find that favoring that arm by not sleeping on it or doing much with it will help reduce the pain. In general, the more continuous the pain, the more serious the injury up to the point of a torn rotator cuff.

The correct treatment depends on the type and extent of the injury and obviously no one wants a mild inflammation to become a more serious rotator cuff tear. Types of injury range from muscle inflammation with no material damage, all the way to a partial or complete muscle tear that may require some sort of surgery.

Often it's the case that self-care methods and exercise therapy bring about healing and recovery. First, allow the injury to heal by resting it, using cold and heat treatments, and anti-inflammatory medications along with something for pain. Once that happens start gently exercising it to relieve stiffness, then start a proper exercise regimen to recondition and strengthen the muscles once they've healed.

Keys to recovery are not ignoring an injury when it occurs, knowing when medical intervention is appropriate, and avoiding improper exercise that can make the injury worse and prolong healing. In a majority of cases, where there is not an acute problem, rotator cuff injuries are treatable with stretching, strengthening, and anti-inflammatory medication with the expectation of a full return to normal activity.

That last may sound too good to be true, especially if you're suffering now, but having been there, I can say with certainty, it's something that can be beat.