If You've Suffered a Rotator Cuff Injury Do Not Panic, The Answer is Often Simpler Than You Think

Shoulder problems come in all shapes and sizes. It is probably the most involved joint in the body and consequently is one of the easiest to start having a problem with and one of the most common shoulder problems is a rotator cuff injury. Around thirty percent of us will have a problem with these small but important muscles at some point in our lives.

The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles that help to stabilize the shoulder joint by helping to pull the rounded head of the humerus or upper arm into the socket of the shoulder formed by the end of the shoulder blade. These four muscles run over and around the shoulder forming a cuff of muscle, which gives it the name. If you didn't have these muscles it would be very easy to dislocate your shoulder as the ball and socket joint of the shoulder is a very shallow joint to allow the wide range of movement that we enjoy.

If you damage the rotator cuff you can start to Experience a wide range of symptoms. These include difficulty sleeping caused by pain when you lie down, soon begin to realise just how frequently you use your shoulder, so the most sensible advice is to avoid any movement that causes discomfort. The pain in a rotator cuff injury is a sign that damage is being done. Try anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen to bring down any swelling. Avoid working through this type of injury as you can end up turning a fairly simple problem into a major muscle tear that will require surgery.

Once the inflammation and pain has subsided you can start gentle exercise aimed at strengthening the muscle, gradually building up the amount and frequency of exercise until the shoulder is back to full, pain free, movement. Exercises for this type of injury do not involve heavy weights or strong resistance as that will tend to make you use the major muscles of the shoulder rather than the rotator cuff

Finally, don't stop the exercises once you feel better. If you have suffered a shoulder injury once there is a pretty good chance of it happening again so, on the basis that prevention is better than cure, keep your shoulders in shape as you gracefully age and keep up the exercises.

Nick Bryant is an older dad to a young family who acquired a rotator cuff injury which he was told would require surgery. After researching the problem he managed a full recovery with just rest and the right sort of exercise. Read his full story at his blog
http://www..myrotatorcuffcure.blogspot.com