Shoulder Rehab Exercises Sorted Out My Torn Rotator Cuff
The one thing that all shoulder injuries have in common is that you are going to have to exercise your shoulder it at some point in order to get it working properly again. Whether this is instead of an operation or after an operation can depend on how you treat your shoulder in the meantime.
I tore my rotator cuff lifting something that was too heavy resulting in too much weight being put on my rotator cuff tendons in my left shoulder. They tore. I know that because I heard them go. Just a quiet pop but I knew that I had done something bad. What I had was an acute tear. It is the result of a sudden force. You can also get acute tears as the result of a knock or fall but the most common cause is sports, specifically sports where you are throwing which is why rotator cuff syndrome is often refered to as pitchers shoulder.
If you have an acute tear you need to immobilise your shoulder for a while to let it heal before you begin any king of shoulder rehab exercise. Using a sling is a good idea but definitely try to avoid any action that causes pain or discomfort or you will just make the injury worse probably needing surgery. You also need to treat the inflammation using ice packs and anti-inflammatory drugs. If the pain persists for more than two or three days see your doctor who may decide to administer a steroid injection to reduce inflammation. When the pain and inflammation have subsided you can start exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles. These will often be Yoga or Pilates based as they focus on restoring flexibility and control as well as strength which is needed to avoid future problems.
A chronic tear on the other hand comes about through wear and tear. It usually occurs in the forty plus age group as our posture changes but can also happen to anyone who repeatedly works above shoulder height. A Chronic tear is caused by tendons getting rubbed against bone in our shoulder. It tends to start gradually with you experiencing night pain in your shoulder and the pain gradually gets worse over time as the tendon gets more and more worn. The shoulder becomes gradually weaker and you will start to experience pain as you lift your arm. A tendon can snap completely if you ignore this condition but this is fairly uncommon simply because most people seek help because of the discomfort.
If you have a chronic tear you will again need to focus on bringing dowm the inflammation and managing the pain. Try avoiding any painful movements as this will help but in order to rehabilitate the shoulder you need to deal with the underlying problem. If this is age related, exercises to improve posture will help. Again Pilates and Yoga based exercises are good as they focus on flexibility and control and also tend to improve core strength which can directly affect posture. Get your posture back to how it should be and healthy shoulders quickly follow.
My one main tip for getting your shoulder back to full working order is rest. Do not ignore this one tip like I did which is why I ended up in pain for six months and facing surgery.
Whatever you did to injure yoru shoulder carrying on regardless will make it worse. Resting your shoulder is difficult, especially if it is your dominant arm simply because you use your arms all the time and consequently are using your shoulder as well. Change the way in which you work to avoid any movement that causes pain. Just simple things like moving things on your desk at work can make a huge difference as can giving up driving for a few weeks. Now I know that is not convenient but it will definitely help in the long run. Only when the pain and inflammation has reduced is it safe to start shoulder rehab exercises.
And once your shoulder is better, keep up the exercises and keep your shoulders strong.
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