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Rotator Cuff Injury Exercise -Why Are They So Important?

By: Nick Bryant

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I had the misfortune to get a rotator cuff tear at the tail end of last year which really made me think about the rotator cuff and how to fix them and keep them healthy. Some of what I found out surprised me quite a bit and if I had known then what I now know about rotator cuff injury exercise I would certainly have approached my problem a bit differently.

So read along and learn from my mistakes.

If you have damaged your rotator cuff the first thing you need to do is stop using it. No, don't put your arm in a sling but do avoid any movement that causes you pain. I know that is easier said than done. We use our arms all the time, we swing them when we are walking or running. Drop something and we instinctively reach out to catch it. We use our hands and consequently our arms when we talk. Resting our arms and our shoulders goes against our nature.

However, if you do not stop using your damaged shoulder, if you continue to do the movements that cause you pain you will be damaging your arm further. Trust me, I did it! You need to change how you move and work for a couple of weeks to allow the muscle to heal properly. This is because the rotator cuff can get pinched or impinged when it is inflamed. That pinching or ipingement can make the tendon fray and if you ignore it you can end up with a snapped tendon which is extremely bad news.

So, whilst you are taking it easy, take anti-inflammatory drugs and use ice packs to bring down the inflammation.

I made the mistake of working through a rotator cuff injury and made it much worse. I had tries anti-inflammatory drugs but half heartedly. It was only when I finally decided to rest my arm properly and maxed out on Ibuprofen for about three weeks that I saw any improvement.

Do not pretend to treat the inflammation. Look after your shoulder properly. If you are following a doctor's advice, follow it completely, don't kid yourself.

When you have managed to get the inflammation and pain calmed doen do not go straight back to using your shoulder in the same way as before. You need to strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder. This does not mean lifting weights and exercising the major muscles like the trapeziums. The cuff is a group of relatively small muscles that are focused on keeping ball and socket joint pulled together.

We use them without being aware of it and any exercise to strengthen them will not involve large weights. Rotator cuff injury exercise tends to be more Pilates based exercises concentrating on control and flexibility rather than power. Get your rotator cuff working properly and your whole shoulder will be stronger. Ignore it and you are likely to have another injury pretty soon.

So. Like I said, learn from my mistakes. Take a cuff injury seriously. Rest it properly, no matter how inconvenient it is. Treat the inflammation and soreness for a few weeks, don't stop as soon as it stops being painful, carry on for a bit. When you are ready to start exercising begin with gentle exercises that focus on the rotator cuff. And keep doing the exercises when it is better. You do not want a second rotator cuff problem.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

If you want to know what rotator cuff exercise helped to fix my shoulder without surgery check out my story at www.myrotatorcuffcure.blogspot.com

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