1. Rest, Rest, Rest
The rotator cuff is composed of four muscles that support many shoulder movements. These four muscles are the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis and teres minor. Their purpose is to assist with abduction (moving the shoulder away from the body), and internal and external rotation of the shoulder. Since these muscles are not the primary power muscles of the shoulder, they can be easily fatigued if they are overworked. It is imperative to rest the shoulder joint if you have pain. Many people will complain of pain with overhead movements, and this may be associated with either a rotator cuff tear or inflammation. Pain that might mimic a rotator cuff injury could be due to a small space between the bones of the shoulder joint, between the acromion and humeral head. If you are involved in a rigorous weight-training program, take time to rest the shoulder while focusing your attention on building your muscles in the lower body.
2. Knock Out the Inflammation
Since rotator cuff injuries are generally associated with a lot of inflammation in the shoulder--termed subacromial bursitis--the importance of anti-inflammatory medications can not be over-emphasized. If you are a person without a strong history of symptoms such as reflux, or have had a previous history of stomach ulcers, you might be able to take over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory drugs to knock out the inflammation that is contributing to your shoulder pain. The primary anti-inflammatory medications available OTC are Aleve, Advil and Motrin. Make sure to take any of the anti-inflammatory medications with food to decrease the likelihood that you will cause stomach irritation. If necessary, you may need to pursue stronger courses of treatments with prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs or a corticosteroid shot into the shoulder joint to alleviate pain.
3. Build Up Strength
It may sound counterintuitive to build up strength since we mentioned the importance of rest in the acute phase of a rotator cuff injury. However, rehabilitation (either formal or own your own) can do wonders for a painful shoulder. Exercises with resistance tubing can build up strength in the rotator cuff muscles without the use of heavy weights that might cause more significant pain. The rotator cuff muscles are frequently neglected in a normal exercise regimen since they are not a "visible" muscle on the outside of the body as, for example, the biceps or triceps muscles might be. When using rubber tubing to work on abduction and internal and external rotation, make sure to rest the shoulder every other day.
If your pain persists, please have your shoulder evaluated by your physician so that they can give you a more definitive plan of treatment. They also will help you to decide if surgical intervention is needed.
