Unfortunately in some sports and occupations rotator cuff injury is not uncommon. This is because under certain conditions, especially where repetitive stress is concerned, the small muscles that make up the rotator cuff can be quite vulnerable to injury. Sudden stresses and strains that routinely occur in sports like baseball and martial arts can be extremely stressful to the muscles of the rotator cuff. Poor form while performing weight training exercises is another risk factor.
Even something as seemingly innocent as the repetition of certain movements throughout the course of normal daily activity can lead to injury if continued for long enough. Of course, certain occupations carry a higher risk of repetitive strain type injuries than others but it is something we all should be mindful of. Pain should be your guide – if an particular action or activity hurts after doing if for a while that’s your body’s way of telling you to stop and take a break.
Once the damage is done, a rotator cuff injury can be surprisingly debilitating. These injuries can be quite painful even while sleeping and restrict arm movement and carrying capacity on the affected side to a startling degree.
A rotator cuff injury can also take a long time to heal or, worse, may even require surgery if the muscle tear is extreme.
There is some good news, however – you can take steps that will greatly reduce the likelihood of your ever having to deal with a rotator cuff injury. Here are three things you can do:
1. Do the best you can to avoid activities or movements that place undue stress on your shoulder joints and so involve a high risk of injury to the rotator cuff.
2. Secondly, if your sport or occupation puts you at risk of rotator cuff injury make sure you keep the muscles of your rotator cuff strong and flexible. You can do this by including specific rotator cuff exercises and stretches in your exercise routine.
3. Be sure to always do a proper warm up before any vigorous exercise or activity.
I’ll go into more detail on each of these in later posts.
