Rotator Cuff WHAT?

Uh-oh! Not a rotator cuff tear!!

The rotator cuff, or muscles around the shoulder, is made up of 4 specific muscles: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor. Unfortunately, these muscles are easily damaged and sometimes tear. Populations most vulnerable to these types of injuries include those involved in a lot of over-head motion and contact sport athletes. It could happen to anyone though!

But how? Most rotator cuff tears are a result of poor shoulder stabilization and mechanics. With poor posture being a major player, the shoulders roll forward and you start to take on the ‘cave-man appearance’. This puts extra stress on the soft tissues around the shoulders and forces the body to compensate. Without proper stabilization of the shoulder, the little muscles have to step up and are more susceptible to damage. Additionally, the neck may begin to curve abnormally leading to neck pain and headaches. Domino effect!

In order to prevent this from occurring, functional training and stabilization exercises are a must!

Rotator cuff tears have been successfully treated with manual therapies including soft tissue therapy, laser therapy, joint manipulation/mobilization (shoulder, neck, and upper back), massage therapy, and functional stabilization rehabilitation.

Come in to see us! And bring your rotator cuff tear!