Rotator Cuff Disorders

These muscles occur in conjunction with injuries to cricket players, tennis players, golfers, gymnasts or other athletes.

These injuries affect almost all of us to some degree or another. Although they are small in size, these muscles provide the primary means of stability to your shoulder joint. They are working extremely hard with any movement your arm makes.

These muscles are overlooked and inadequately strengthened by most fitness and sports exercise routines. Therefore they are not conditioned properly.

Most of us do not have good coordination in the joints of our shoulder, neck and upper back region. This results in poor posture and repeated motions and continual friction or abrasion to the rotator cuff muscle tendon complex.

Rest and medication does not properly rehabilitate the shoulder and leaves one prone to re-injury. Proper conditioning by corrective exercise and deep massage rectifies this problem. Blood supply to the rotator cuff muscles starts to atrophy in people over the age of 40.

This situation presents a truly unique opportunity for massage therapists. Massage can be the best tool for the non-drug or non-surgical treatment of these injuries. The injuries respond very well to precise soft tissue work and exercise. No other health care practitioner has an advantage here.

There are many causes of rotator cuff disorders. Impingement is critical to be addressed to be able to successfully treat rotator cuff problems. Impingement exists when shoulder joint structures gets pinched as the arm is elevated. The structures that can get pinched are the sub-acromial bursa, the supraspinatus tendon and the tendon of the long head of the biceps brachii. These important structures are located in the sub-acromial space.

Weaknesses in the rotator cuff and tightness in the shoulder joint capsule can be treated with advanced massage therapy. Bone spurs and the actual anatomy of the acromion cannot be changed fast but massage and mineral therapy can help in the long run. Better movement and control of the shoulder joint can result in less impingement. All up correcting the factors causing impingement will have a huge positive effect in the client if they have rotator cuff disorders.

Techniques to correct these factors

• Myofascial techniques can manage adhesions and trigger points in the muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff. Freeing these muscles and tendons of adhesions and trigger points makes them stronger and function much better in stabilizing the shoulder joint. Pain will also be reduced.
• Increase the flexibility of the shoulder joint capsule itself.
• Strengthen the rotator cuff muscles and also the key scapular stabilizers such as the lower and middle trapezius, the rhomboids and the serratus anterior. This will prevent a secondary impingement, which results from a lack of the control of the scapula as it glides around the chest wall.

This rotator cuff treatment service cannot easily be found elsewhere. Most people still have these problems treated with rest and medication, which provide no long-term benefit in preventing re-injury and aggravation.