PT Is a Shoulder Pain’s Best Bet

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that are attached to the bones of the shoulder joint. They allow the shoulder to move while keeping it stable. When it comes to shoulder pain, this is the most common area affected. The tendons of the rotator cuff pass underneath a bony area on their way to attaching to the top of the arm bone. These tendons join together to form a cuff that surrounds the shoulder joint. This helps keep the joint stable and allows the arm bone to move on the shoulder bone.

Injury to these tendons may result in:

• Rotator cuff tendinitis- Irritation and swelling of the tendons
• A rotator cuff tear – Occurs when one of the tendons is torn due to overuse or injury

These injuries often lead to pain, weakness, and stiffness when you use your shoulder. A key part in your recovery is doing exercises to make the muscles and tendons in your joint stronger and more flexible.

Treatment
It is common knowledge that shoulder surgery fails when it does not achieve the expectations of the patient and the surgeon. This failure results from stiffness, weakness, instability, pain or failure to heal as well as from complications such as infection or nerve injury. Every surgery has a risk of failure, whether it is an operation for dislocation, rotator cuff tear, arthritis or a fracture. Because fracture fixation, bankart repairs, rotator cuff repairs, shoulder joint replacements and reverse total shoulders are performed commonly, a substantial number of patients have experienced these failures.

The right way to go, especially for pain pertaining to your shoulder, is Physical Therapy.
Your physical therapist is able to:

• Help you strengthen and stretch the muscles around your shoulder
• Teach you proper ways to move your shoulder, for everyday tasks or sports activities

Physical Therapy Exercises
You will learn simple exercises you can do at home like:The Pendulum Exercise
– Stand with your good hand resting on a chair. 
– Let your other arm hang down and try to swing it gently backwards and forwards in a circular motion. 
– Repeat about 5 times. 
– Try this 2–3 times a day.

The Shoulder Stretch
– Stand and raise your shoulders. 
– Hold for 5 seconds. 
– Squeeze your shoulder blades back and together and hold for 5 seconds. 
– Pull your shoulder blades downward and hold for 5 seconds. 
– Relax and repeat 10 times.

The Door Lean 
– Stand in a doorway with both arms on the wall slightly above your head. 
– Slowly lean forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your shoulders. 
– Hold for 15–30 seconds. 
– Repeat 3 times. 
It would be best to avoid this exercise if you have a shoulder impingement.

If you find that that your shoulder pain continues even after these simple at-home exercises, visit a trusted physiotherapist.