A rotator cuff tear can either be acute or chronic. An acute tear may happen when your rotators are put under tension when playing sports or when making quick movements like swinging or extending your arms. Over time, the tendons can rub against the bones in the shoulder and cause a chronic tear. The rotators include the teres minor, infraspinatus, supraspinatus and subscapularis. Exercises may help people with chronic tears maintain shoulder flexibility.
Standing Rotation Lifts
Standing rotation lifts strengthen your rotator cuff muscles with a pair of dumbbells. By standing up and holding the dumbbells at your sides, you can raise both dumbbells up as high as your range of motion allows. To begin, stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms straight at your sides. The dumbbells are parallel to the floor with your palms facing your legs. Then, rotate your wrists so that your thumbs point toward the floor and the dumbbells are vertical. Lift your arms straight out to the sides and up to approximately 45 degrees from your torso. You can also do this exercise one arm at a time.
Prone Dumbbell Rotation
The prone rotation exercise uses a single dumbbell to strengthen one set of rotator cuff muscles at a time. Lie on your belly on a flat surface off the ground such as a massage table or exercise bench that leaves room for you to hang your arm over the side. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and hang your arm over the edge of the table. Bend your right arm to make a right angle with your hand and dumbbell closest to the floor. Your elbow points toward the ceiling. Then, rotate your shoulder so that your arm moves forward until your forearm is parallel to the floor. Rotate your arm back to point toward the floor again. Repeat with the other arm.
Forward Elevation Stretch
The forward elevation stretch is an exercise to help maintain shoulder flexibility. You can have a friend assist you with this exercise or do it yourself. Either way, the forward elevation stretch starts out with you lying on your back. Hold your right arm straight at your side. Bend your left arm across the front of your body and grab your right elbow. Then, pull your right arm up toward the surface you are lying on and above your head. You can also have a friend lift your arm to elevate it over your head as well. The left arm and shoulder get stretched the same way.
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