Rotator Cuff Injury Exercise -What Works, What Does Not?

I was unlucky enough to get a rotator cuff tear towards the end of last year which really made me think about the rotator cuff and how to fix them and keep them healthy. I found out a few things that surprised me quite a bit and if I had known then what I now know about rotator cuff injury exercise I would definitely have gone about things differently.

So read along and learn from my mistakes.

If you have damaged your rotator cuff the first step on the road to health is stop using it. No, don't put your arm in a sling but you need to avoid any movement that gives you pain. I know that is easier said than done. We use our arms constantly, 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 to communicate. Resting our arms goes against our nature.

However, if you do not stop using your damaged shoulder, if you continue to do the movements that give you pain you will simply end up damaging your arm further.  Trust me, I did it!  You must change your behaviour for a couple of weeks to let the muscle 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 resting it as much as possible, take anti-inflammatory drugs and use ice packs to bring down the inflammation.

I made the mistake of carrying on as normal with a rotator cuff injury and made it a lot 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 anti-inflammatories for about three weeks that I saw any improvement.

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

Once you have managed to get the inflammation and pain calmed doen do not go straight back to using your shoulder exactly as pre-injury. You need to strengthen and build up 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 thinking and any exercise to strengthen them will not involve using weights. Rotator cuff injury exercise tends to be more Pilates based exercises concentrating on flexibility and control rather than power. Get your rotator cuff up to strength 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. Treat a rotator 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 injury.