Rotator cuff injuries are common for recreational athletes such as golfers and softball or baseball players, and can affect people in professions that require a lot of work to be done overhead, such as work in a warehouse. Resistance bands can be used to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles to help prevent further injury after recovery.
Rotator Cuff Function
The rotator cuff is a complex of four muscles. These muscles are the teres minor, the subscapularis, the infraspinatus, and supraspinatus. The supraspinatus keeps the bone of the upper arm, the humerus, in the socket while it is raised away from the body. The infraspinatus and teres minor work to externally rotate your humerus; turning the palms of your hands outward while your arms are hanging relaxed beside your body is an example of external rotation. The supraspinatus rotates the humerus internally. Damage to or imbalances in one of these four muscles lead to injury.
Common Rotator Cuff Injuries
Three of the most common rotator cuff injuries are tendinitis, muscular imbalances, and overuse injuries to the shoulder joint due to repetitive overhead motions. Tendinitis occurs when the tendons that attach the rotator cuff muscles to bone become inflamed, restricting their function. In muscular imbalances, one or more of the four cuff muscles is weaker than its counterparts, which result in unequal actions on the joint, pulling it out of alignment. Lifting the arms overhead rotates the head of the humerus to its most extreme point in the shoulder joint; repeated movements in this position can cause damage to the joint surfaces.
Exercise and Rotator Cuff Rehabilitation
Rest is imperative immediately after a shoulder injury. After a period of rest long enough for inflammation to recede, resistance exercise with bands can improve the tendons' resistance to inflammation. Strength imbalances can also be targeted by exercise; in many cases, the external rotators are weaker than the internal rotators. It addition to strengthening weaker rotators, exercise can help strengthen the stabilizing abilities of the cuff assembly, which will maintain the humerus in a healthier position during overhead activities.
Resistance Band Strength Training
Resistance bands can be anchored at any height, which allows the resistance to be directed at any angle desired. Band resistance can be increased slightly by moving away from the anchor point. You can use additional bands for heavier resistance. Unlike rotator cuff exercises performed with dumbbells, you can arrange the bands so that the angle of resistance will match your movements even when standing up, while dumbbells often require different prone and supine positions. This makes bands more convenient.
Resistance Band Exercises
There are three basic rotator cuff functions that resistance bands can help strengthen. These are external rotation, internal rotation, and scapular depression.
To perform an external rotation with your right arm, stand with the band anchored on your left side, Hold the band in your right hand with your elbow bent, and rotate only your upper arm to bring your hand out to your side.
Performing an internal rotation is the opposite motion; to use your right arm, stand with the band anchored on your right side. Holding the band with your right hand out at the same level as your elbow, rotate your upper arm to bring your hand in.
Scapular depression can be performed with a band on your left side, though it is demonstrated with dumbbells as a side lying raise on sportsinjurybulletin.com. Holding the band in your right hand with your elbow straight, lift your arm out to a 45-degree angle.
