aidmyrotatorcuff.comRotator Cuff Injury - Swimmers Shoulder - Pitchers Shoulder - Tennis Shoulder

*** -- *** -- *** -- *** -- *** -- *** -- *** -- *** -- Rotator Cuff & Shoulder Related Injuries The Rotator Cuff Rotator Cuff Anatomy Symptoms of Rotator Cuff Injury Types of Rotator Cuff Injury Diagnosing Rotator Cuff Injury Treating Rotator Cuff Injury Surgical Treatments Preventing Rotator Cuff Injury Rotator Cuff Tendon Injuries Tendon Strain Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy Rotator Cuff Tendonitis Calcific Tendonitis Rotator Cuff Tendinosis Tendon Tear (Rupture) Related Muscle & Tendon Injuries Impingement Syndrome Shoulder Instability Biceps Tenosynovitis Pectoralis Muscle Strain Shoulder Bursitis Subacromial Bursitis Shoulder Tears SLAP Tear Supraspinatus Tear Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis) Trigger Points More Rotator Cuff Facts: The rotator cuff is a shallow 'ball-and-socket' joint where the humerus (upper arm) meets the scapula (shoulder blade). 2-5% of the population will experience Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder), most for no apparent reason. Women and diabetics are common sufferers of Frozen Shoulder. Deep Tissue Therapy can greatly reduce the time it takes to move through the 3 stages of Frozen Shoulder. Rotator cuff tears occur most frequently in men, ages 40-50, who do manual overhead work. The most common tendon torn in the rotator cuff is the supraspinatus tendon. A complete tear of the supraspinatus tendon will limit your ability to lift your arm at your side (abduct). Advanced Rotator Cuff Treatments Proven Treatment Options for Rotator Cuff Tears and other Soft Tissue Injuries of the Shoulder Joint It Is Now Possible For You To: Accelerate the healing of your rotator cuff injury Relieve rotator cuff pain to a manageable level Reduce the amount of scar tissue from your shoulder injury Regain lost Range of Motion by reducing the atrophy in your injured shoulder ...you simply need the right treatment. But before you decide on a treatment path, an understanding of the three major stages of the healing process is critical . With the right knowledge and the right treatment options, you can accelerate your recovery without the fear of re-injury or setbacks (which unfortunately, happens to many people - we will explain why further down the page). Step 1: Reduce The Initial Inflammation Inflammation is the body's natural response to an immediate shoulder injury and is a normal part of the healing process - helping to reduce tissue infection in the early stages of injury. Swelling, pain, heat sensation, redness, and loss of function are the main symptoms experienced. The combination of rest, topical pain relief cream and minor amounts of cold therapy is the gold standard in medicine for minimizing tissue damage and reducing inflammation after injury or activity. It serves as a critical bridge into the next phase of the healing process. Step 2: Enhance Blood Flow to the Injured Soft Tissue Tendons,ligaments, cartilage, and some muscle fibres are dense tissues. As a result, they naturally receive limited blood flow and this is precisely why injuries to these tissues take so long to heal. The challenge is, how do you effectively increase blood flow to these tissues? Rigorous exercise is out of the question as it will lead to further injury. Heating pads merely provide a surface heat and do not effectively penetrate into the dense tissues. Therapy is helpful, but that only happens a few times a week. *** -- It is through the blood that the body carries nutrients, oxygen, and antibodies that injured tissue needs to repair and rebuild. Research shows that electromagnetic energy is a very effective treatment for stimulating blood flow to dense tissues such as tendons, ligaments, muscles, and even vascular portions of cartilage. This dramatically improves the healing process. Electromagnetic energy is an energy waveform that is absorbed by dense tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments) and not absorbed much by less dense tissue (fat cells, skin). Absorption of this energy translates to thermal heat, and the body increases blood flow to the area as a response to this heat. This increased blood flow speeds up the healing process, clearing the area of toxins and excess fluid build up, thereby reducing inflammation. More details on this are found further down the page. Electromagnetic Energy is recognized in scientific circles as a legitimate treatment for many forms of muscle and soft tissue injuries. Step 3: Recognize That Healing is a Process *** -- With dedication, the right tools, and the right information - you will achieve your goal of a sustainable recovery. A combination approach of cold therapy, deep heat treatments, and functional movements will make it happen much more quickly. Healing takes a comprehensive approach and will differ from person to person. If you have questions, we welcome you to call our office toll-free at 1-866-237-9608 (Continental US), or Internationally at +1-705-532-1671. What Exactly IS the Rotator Cuff? Most of you are reading this because you suspect you have a rotator cuff injury, or perhaps you have already received a confirmed diagnosis. Either way, you are most likely interested in learning; what are the steps I need to take to properly heal it ? We receive questions like this on a daily basis. The approach we take is based on years of experience and based on sound, scientific principles. We discuss these approaches in-depth further down the page and throughout the rest of the website. Before getting into that however, it is important to understand the characteristics of the rotator cuff and the role it plays within the shoulder. Though many people refer to the rotator cuff as a general area of the shoulder, your rotator cuff itself is a group of 4 tendons located at the top of your humerus . These tendons are called the subscapularis tendon, the supraspinatus tendon, and the teres minor tendon. These tendons come together to surround the front, back, and the top of the shoulder socket acting as a 'cuff' to connect your humerus to the rotator cuff muscles. When you contract the attached muscles (subscapularis muscle, the supraspinatus muscle, the infraspinatus muscle, and the teres minor muscle), they pull on the tendons causing the shoulder to rotate up or down, back or front, in or out ; hence the name 'rotator cuff'. These muscles, along with the teres major and the deltoid, keep the shoulder's ball and socket joint firmly in place and are responsible for stabilizing the shoulder. These muscles work together as a unit rather than individually. Once one or more of the rotator cuff muscles or tendons are injured it becomes very difficult to recover 100% . As a result, rotator cuff injuries usually involve more than one of these muscles or tendons . If any of the 4 main rotator cuff tendons or muscles become injured, the stability of the shoulder is greatly compromised. This is why it is critical to take a comprehensive approach when managing rotator cuff tears and strains. What it Really Means to have a Rotator Cuff Injury Rotator Cuff injuries can and do persist for years unless treatment is properly addressed. They are very common because the shoulder joint is under relatively constant stress during an average day. Everyday tasks and leisure activities can contribute to a gradual weakness in the shoulder - this makes the muscles and soft tissue within the shoulder joint prone to straining, tearing and degeneration over time. Simple tasks , such a shopping and gardening suddenly become more challenging . Lifting groceries into a cart or planting flowers can suddenly cause sharp throbbing pains through the shoulder joint. An interruption of your sleeping patterns will become more prominent. Sharp pain can be experienced when you inadvertently roll onto your injured shoulder. This can happen multiple times during the night, greatly building on the frustration of having a shoulder injury. Driving an automobile becomes troublesome, especially when having to turn your body to look sideways or behind th...