How to ease (and maybe prevent) a rotator cuff injury

Take care of your shoulders!

Quick! You’re most likely to see a rotator cuff injury in:

a. A baseball pitcher

b. A tennis player

c. A bodybuilder

d. A woman over age 40

You guessed it. A woman over age 40 is more likely to develop a rotator cuff injury than any of these athletes!

The rotator what?

The rotator cuff is the area comprised of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulders. So, it’s no surprise when athletes who use their arms in overhead motions a lot tend to develop problems here.

But an orthopedic surgeon I spoke to recently says that, for every 30-year-old man who comes in with a rotator cuff problem, he sees 100 older adults with the condition.

Why are we at risk?

As we age, collagen breaks down in the body, causing tendons and muscles to weaken and become more susceptible to injury. And it doesn’t take bench pressing your bodyweight for an injury to occur!

According to the surgeon, most of his older patients with the condition simply come in saying, “I woke up and couldn’t move my shoulder.”

Repetitive overhead pushing, pulling or throwing motions can cause inflammation in the rotator cuff. Eventually, they can cause a tear.

Poor posture—in which you round your shoulders and neck forward—can also cause a muscle or tendon to become pinched under your shoulder bones, causing you pain.

You can also bruise or tear a tendon or muscle in the rotator cuff by using your arm to break a fall. (Which naturally highlights the importance of strengthening your entire body and making sure your balance is up to snuff.)

So what can you do?

There are quite a few exercises you can do to strengthen the muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff. I’ll dedicate a video post to them.

You can also stretch the shoulder in simple ways. Stretching your muscles and tendons will help keep them limber and flexible.

Here’s a stretch for the front of your shoulders.

• In a seated position, hold your arms at your sides and bend your arms at the elbows. Your forearms come straight out in front of your torso, palms facing each other.  
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Your shoulders will pull back. You want to feel a nice stretch through the front of the shoulder. (You’ll also feel it through the chest.)
• Hold the stretch for several slow breaths. Repeat two more times.  

You can do this stretch throughout the day, whenever you think of it. I do it while I’m at the computer. It reminds me not to slouch over the keyboard!

You can also stretch the back of the shoulder quite simply.

• In the same seated position, cross your left arm in front of your torso and pull it gently toward your chest with your right hand. You should feel a slight stretch through the back of your left shoulder.
• Hold the position for several slow breaths.
• Repeat with the right arm, crossing it in front of your torso and pulling it gently toward your chest with your left hand.
• Repeat the “holds” on each arm two more times.

Naturally, if shoulder pain is keeping you awake at night or you can’t function comfortably after a few days of rest, ice and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, see your doctor.  

I just wanted you to be aware. I was surprised to find this out. Are you?