Rotator Cuff Injury Treatment – Physical Therapy Exercises For Full Recovery

There are different treatment options for shoulder injury, but the most effective rotator cuff injury treatment over all must be a program of physical therapy. A protocol of specific exercises for the rotator cuff 4 muscles and tendons can help them self repair and strengthen, reducing recovery times to a fraction.

Such rehabilitation program is suitable for all different injuries that can occur to a rotator cuff, such as a tear or a dislocation, and is mandatory following surgery to restore strength and flexibility and prevent future injuries. A torn cuff can occur as the result of repetitive or forceful movements as performed in a sport like golf, baseball or tennis. More commonly, repetitive manual jobs can lead to a tear.

Dislocations can occur as a result of a bad fall or an accident and usually involve the Humeral Head (the ball part of the shoulder joint) becoming dislodged from the Glenoid (its socket). Rest in a swing is always prescribed before the cuff is strong enough to start a rehabilitation program. In a similar way, a post surgery physical therapy involves a passive phase performed by the therapist first, in order for the cuff tendons and muscles to have sufficiently recovered to start an active phase performed by the patient.

In all injury instances, steroidal and non steroidal anti inflammatories are always prescribed as a matter of course to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Also cold packs are beneficial at reducing inflammation. Drugs and ice pack are good to a certain extent, they do have a time and place, but they have limitations in effectiveness and come with side effects, in the case of medicines. The best rotator cuff injury treatment available for fast and effective recovery is a program of physical therapy based on specific external and internal rotation exercises for the rotator cuff.

These exercises are peculiar to the rotator cuff set up only and do not involve common movements performed in shoulder exercise routines like military presses or lateral raises. These may be performed only later once a solid foundation of strong rotator cuff muscles and tendons has been achieved. In fact, they are so effective that they should also be used as part of a shoulder conditioning program, not just following injury or surgery.

A rotator cuff injury treatment based on such exercises can and will reduce inflammation naturally, strengthening the cuff tendons and muscles, thus drastically cutting down recovery times and gradually eliminating the need for anti inflammatories.

If you need a professionally devised rotator cuff injury treatment following a tear or even surgery, please check out this website on physical therapy exercises for shoulder. Click on rotator cuff injury treatment now.

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Physical Therapy For Rotator Cuff Injury – Exercises to Rehabilitate the Rotator Cuff

A physical therapy based on specific exercises for the rotator cuff will strengthen the injured cuff, helping it recover faster and preventing further injuries. An injury can be anything from a tear, to a dislocation or a post surgery recovery period. A torn cuff is often the result of repetitive or forceful movements as those performed in sports, so it is more frequent amongst young people. A dislocation instead is the result of a trauma like a bad fall or an accident, while a post surgery rehabilitation implies the rotator cuff being artificially operated say, for a Frozen Shoulder, therefore requiring the same rehabilitation protocol as a naturally occurring injury.

Following a tear, the arm affected is placed in a swing while taking anti inflammatories for a quick relief of pain and to rest the cuff before starting the therapy. The therapist then decides when is the right time to start the program, which consists of few specific rotation exercises to strengthen the cuff muscles to healthy levels. These exercises repeated systematically can greatly accelerate recovery times, reducing pain and swelling along the way.

Similarly, after a dislocation the arm is placed in a swing, today often in an external position for better repairing of the Glenoid socket and to prevent future dislocations from occurring again. Such resting position is odd and a limitation in daily activities, but offers the best results on the long term. After the rest period is over, again 6 or 7 exercises of internal and external rotations repeated daily will help the cuff recover fast.

After surgery and the usual anti inflammatory treatment course to soothe the pain, the implementation of a physical therapy program is mandatory to prevent future injuries. Inactivity is not an option. However, given the severity of the stress on the rotator cuff following surgery, such rehabilitation program starts with a passive phase performed by the therapist, not the patient. This means the patient does not move the arm on his/her own accord, but let the therapist do so to let the weakened muscles and tendons heal enough first and prevent further stress or additional injury.

It is only when the rotator cuff is considered strong enough that the patient can start training the cuff with an active phase without any help. This phase is then followed by a strengthening phase and a full recovery one. It can take few months to have a rotator cuff restored to former glory. Without a specific physical therapy it can take much longer or worse, the cuff will not have heal properly and be prone to easily getting injured again.

A program of physical therapy for rotator cuff injury is easy to follow but must be adhered to strictly, as commitment and regularity are the key to a successful recovery. If you need a professional program of physical therapy for  rotator cuff injury by a leading therapist, check it out by clicking on the links. Always consult your physician for professional diagnose first.