The four muscles that make up the shoulder's rotator cuff are the supraspinatus, infraspinatur, teres minor and subscapularis. Injuries to the rotator cuff muscles may occur during physical activities and sports, but the risk of a tear or strain increases with age. Pain is a common symptom, and often increases with shoulder movement. Ice, heat and over-the-counter medication may help manage your pain, but severe cases may require surgery.
Pain Management
Pain management starts with resting and limiting shoulder movements. Ice two to three times daily for 15 to 20 minutes during the first 48 to 72 hours following injury, then apply heat, but earlier in the day and prior to activities to avoid causing additional inflammation. Heat one to two times a day for 15 to 20 minutes. If rest, ice and heat do not reduce your pain significantly, take over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen. If pain worsens, seek medical attention.
Strengthening
Do not perform strengthening exercises until the rotator cuff is healed and you don't have any pain with movements. Strengthening exercises include shoulder internal and external rotation, extension, flexion and abduction, and you can use resistance bands, cable machines or light dumbbells. For example, perform shoulder abduction in a standing position with your arm down at your side and holding the dumbbell or handle. Then slowly raise, or abduct, your arm to shoulder level. Perform one to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions, every other day.
Stabilization
Stabilization exercises are crucial to restoring full function to a rotator cuff muscle. Perform small circles or up and down movements at the shoulder, with the arm raised to shoulder level in front of the body. Then repeat the movement with the arm raised to shoulder level out to the side of the body. A more advanced exercise is performing ball circles on the wall, with the arm at shoulder level either in front or to the outside of the body holding a light medicine ball. An even more challenging stabilization exercise is holding a push-up position with the hands on an uneven surface such as a weeble board or upside down Bosu. Perform these exercises two to three times daily for five to 60 seconds per set.
Considerations
A tear or strain to a rotator cuff muscle may be minor or severe. Stop all activities and seek medical attention if your pain continues or worsens. In severe cases, you may need surgery to reduce pain and restore rotator cuff and shoulder function. A physical therapist may also help provide guidelines, exercises and modalities either as a conservative treatment plan or post-surgical rehabilitation.
