Rotator Cuff Injuries
Rotator Cuff Injuries
The Rotator Cuff consists of a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint.
These are:
Supraspinatus – this holds your humerous in place, keeps your upper arm stable and helps lift the arm
Infraspinatus – Rotates and extends the shoulder
Teres Minor – Smallest muscle, assists in rotation of the arm away from the body
Subscapularis – Holds your upper arm bone to the shoulder blade and helps you rotate, straighten and lowers your arm
Rotator Cuff injuries are very common and often caused by general wear and tear or an injury such as a fall with an outstretched hand or wrong exercise prescription.
Symptoms of Rotator cuff injury
Pain that keeps coming back, when doing certain activities such as lifting overhead.
Pain that prevents you from sleeping on your injured side.
Grating or cracking sounds when moving your arm.
Limited ability to move your arm.
Muscle Weakness.
Without Treatment, problems may lead to permanent loss of motion or weakness and may cause severe degeneration of the shoulder joint.
Once again Muscle imbalance is a key factor to a rotator cuff injury as more people focus on the chest, shoulder and upper arm exercises but it’s equally important to strengthen the muscles in the back of the shoulder and around the shoulder blade for muscle balance.
Shoulder Impingement
This is a common injury where a tendon inside your shoulder rubs or catches tissue and bone as you lift your arm.
Symptoms of pain or weakness in the shoulder particularly when lifting arm above the head.
Like Rotator cuff injuries it important to strengthen, mobilise and stabilise the entire shoulder to prevent imbalances and further injury.
See the video on our Facebook Page for our top exercise tips for working with a rotator cuff injury. CLICK HERE
