Medicine Information

7 Tips to Immediately Reduce Rotator Cuff Pain


1. Support the affected arm during activities of daily living. This includes driving, typing at the computer, sitting in a chair and relaxing in your lazy boy at home. Gravity pulls the arm down when it is unsupported, and this increases strain on the rotator cuff. It is best to use a soft pillow or cushion when available.

2. Use ice along the top of the shoulder daily. I always suggest a frozen bag of veggies or soft wrap that conforms to the shape of the shoulder. Be sure to support the arm as mentioned previously while icing. Keep the ice on for 15-20 minutes and then off for an hour. You may ice more than once per day if desired based on pain. I usually suggest icing before bed to improve sleep.

3. Avoid raising the arm overhead in painful ranges of motion unless absolutely necessary. The rotator cuff gets compressed when the arm is elevated above 90 degrees and this often further aggravates the symptoms. This is problematic with getting dressed, fastening the seat belt or placing carry-on baggage in a plane. Overhead athletes will simply need to rest for a given period of time to let the inflammation subside.

4. Do not perform single arm or overhead heavy lifting during periods of inflammation. This position coupled with external loads will prolong your pain and slow the recovery process.

5. Perform arm pendulums (clockwise and counterclockwise circles) with arm hanging down in a dependent position to reduce pain and loosen the shoulder joint up. This gentle motion stimulates receptors in the shoulder joint and helps to increase joint space and reduce pain. This also a good warm-up activity prior to shoulder exercises. You can eventually add a small weight or soup can to increase the effect.

6. Use a pillow under the arm at night to better support the injured arm. I also recommend trying to sleep on the other side if possible, as lying on the sore side compresses the bursa and will typically increase pain and wake you. Another no-no is sleeping with your arms overhead or on your stomach with arm tucked above your head. This is sure to create a shoulder ache.

7. Perform a routine rotator cuff strengthening program within a pain free range of motion. Lower intensity and higher repetition exercises designed to work the rotator cuff muscles are essential to promote healing, reduce inflammation and return you to pre-injury activity levels again. You will not be able to break free of the pain cycle without this type of exercise. More importantly, effective rehab exercises will prevent future injuries and more damage to your shoulder.

Brian Schiff, PT, CSCS, is a respected author, physical therapist and fitness expert. For additional information and a proven exercise program for solving rotator cuff pain and related shoulder injuries, visit http://www.rotatorcufftraining.com

Copyright © 2005 Brian Schiff


MORE RESOURCES:

China Medicine Corporation Awarded GSP Certification
MarketWatch - 21 hours ago
("China Medicine" or "the Company"), a leading developer and distributor of prescription and over the counter pharmaceuticals, traditional Chinese medicines ...


MEDICINE CABINET: Options for treating inflamed salivary glands
Newsday, NY - 3 hours ago
I've been diagnosed with inflamed salivary glands. I've lived with this condition for almost five years. I have had some glands removed and have been tested ...


Telegraph.co.uk

Strong medicine
Financial Times, UK - 28 minutes ago
The European Commission is right to criticise drugmakers’ practice of extending their monopolies on high cost medicines by keeping out low-cost generic ...
Drug firms 'block' cheap medicine BBC News
EU report: Drug makers block market entry of competing medicines Xinhua
EU says drug industry delay tactics cost us €3bn Times Online
United Press International - euronews
all 337 news articles


New Marketing Coaching and Consulting Firm for Physicians ...
MarketWatch - 21 hours ago
"There are a growing number of physicians making the switch to concierge medicine, but they either don't know how to effectively convert their existing ...


Voice of America

Effort in Senegal to Join Traditional & Conventional Medicine
Voice of America - 20 hours ago
By Scott Bobb Traditional medicine was once thought of as sorcery or quackery. But the craft is slowly gaining the respect of conventional medical ...
Modern West African Market Offers Traditional Remedies for Illness Voice of America
all 2 news articles


Organogenesis Receives Two Prestigious Awards for Economic Impact ...
MarketWatch - 19 hours ago
Organogenesis was the first company to successfully mass produce living regenerative medicine products -- reaching hundreds of thousands of patients in the ...


New York Daily News

Laughter the best medicine for Brooklyn thoroughbred
New York Daily News, NY - 2 hours ago
'Sopranos' actor Steve Schirripa emceed a show at the Borgata comedy club in honor of Ray Garvey. Let me tell you about my pal Ray. ...


Three FAAPs elected to Institute of Medicine
AAP News (subscription) - 18 hours ago
Three AAP Fellows were among 65 new members elected to the Institute of Medicine, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine that ...
FELLOWS IN THE NEWS AAP News (subscription)
Lake Tahoe hosts Practical Pediatrics, offers range of seminars AAP News (subscription)
all 3 news articles


Cardiologists Debate Expensive Heart Scans
New York Times, United States - 10 hours ago
In the latest study, published last week in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers assessed the accuracy of CT angiography in identifying ...
Heading off heart attacks in women Chicago Daily Herald
all 4 news articles


Javno.hr

Childhood health problems linked with media exposure
TheMedGuru, India - 1 hour ago
Co-author Cary P. Gross, professor at Yale School of Medicine, said, “Our kids are sponges, and we really need to remember they learn from their environment ...
Lots of TV and Web harms kids' health Reuters
Study: Media Responsible For Childhood Health, Safety Risks Broadcasting & Cable
all 29 news articles

Medicine - Google News

home | site map
© 2006