What is the rotator cuff?
- Supraspinatus
- Infraspinatus
- Subscapularis
- Teres Minor
What are the most common injuries of the rotator cuff?
What can cause a rotator cuff injury?
A traumatic injury such as a fall or a car accident can injure the rotator cuff, as well as repetitive overhead movement or activity. Repetitive movement in a not so ideal posture can really irritate the rotator cuff and cause inflammation. The chances of injury also increases as we age due to degeneration of the tissues.
When you injure your rotator cuff, it can’t do its job of stabilizing the shoulder. This can contribute to more pain and other issues.
Should I have surgery?
Why is my rotator cuff not getting better?
If you’ve been doing resistance band exercises to strengthen your rotator cuff but don’t see improvement in pain or range of motion, you’re missing one big piece of the puzzle. You have to address your thoracic spine (upper back). Try this:
Sit in your worst posture – hunched over. Now try raising your arm in front of you as high as you can go. How far did you get?
Now, sit upright – rib cage stacked over your pelvis, elongate your spine. Raise your arm in front of you as high as you can go. How far did you get this time?
You’ll see that when you are upright, you can raise your arm a lot further and maybe even have less pain. When you are hunched over, the shoulder blades tip forward and narrows the joint space in the shoulder. Shoulder impingement, bursitis, rotator cuff tendonitis and tears are common results of poor alignment. This means that the position of your spine, rib cage, and shoulder blades matter!
The ribs attaches to the thoracic spine, so moving your spine into an upright position will allow for a more upright position of the rib cage as well. The shoulder blades sit on the rib cage and they need to move accordingly when you use your arms. When upright, the shoulder blades allow for more space in the shoulder joint and is able to glide better on the rib cage.
So if your theraband exercises aren’t helping your shoulder pain, it’s time to switch it up. Get to the root cause by addressing the spine, rib cage, and shoulder blades. The video below demonstrates 3 exercises to improve posture & alignment of these structures to allow for healing of the shoulder.
Exercises demonstrated:
- thoracic extension with a foam roller
- quadruped thoracic rotation
- wall angels
Equipment needed:
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Thanks for the tips! I have bad shoulder pain in my left shoulder and no matter how much PT I get, it’s still there. Really trying to avoid surgery. I’ll try these exercises and see how they help.
So sorry to hear! Hope this helps! I say most times surgery is avoidable. Sometimes all you need is a different approach from the PT if the current one is not working.
Yea. I’ve been avoiding surgery for almost 6 years now! I found a chiropractor who has helped a lot with cupping, massage and ultrasound but she no longer uses our insurance so I can’t go and since I stopped I’ve experienced a significant increase in pain. So definitely looking for more help!
Cupping, massage, and ultrasound are all passive treatment. They are only effective for the short term. For long term pain relief and to decrease chances of reinjury, corrective exercise is key. Working on mobility, flexibility, alignment, and strength tailored to your individual body will give you real changes. If you are in NY, we would be happy to take care of you 🙂
Thanks. I totally agree. I wish I was in NY! I’m on the other side of the country in CA, but I’ll definitely try your exercises! 🙂
These exercises may not take away your pain completely. But it may be a missing piece that you may need. Everyone’s body is different so it’s best to be assessed by a skilled physical therapist. Good luck!! ❤️
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