Rotator Cuff Physical Therapy Exercises and Rehabilitation

Rotator cuff physical therapy exercises are a key component for its rehabilitation. It's typically used first to try to avoid a surgical procedure since most shoulder injuries tend to respond to these workout routines. However, severe shoulder tears and acute shoulder impingement usually require a surgical procedure and a period of recovery before starting physical therapy.

After the rotator cuff has been injured, it's important to give the shoulder time to rest until the swelling and aching has gone away. Any tenderness or pain you may experience with certain movements is often a sign of a new injury to the muscle tissue or tendons. It may be necessary to use a sling to rest the shoulder correctly, avoiding driving, and also changing your daily routine to avoid painful activities. In addition to resting, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be taken to reduce the swelling. Swelling of your muscles and tendons is what causes most of the aching in shoulder injuries. Also reducing the swelling is crucial for a speedy recovery.

As soon as your swelling and pain are reduced, it's important to start doing exercises that target the shoulder muscle group and rotator cuff specifically to strengthen and rehabilitate. These physical therapy exercises are not common shoulder weight lifting exercises that are used to build muscle, since in those the rotator cuff muscle isn't involved.

Rotator cuff physical therapy exercises typically use very little weight or no weight at all. The body's natural resistance is normally enough to start getting the desired results. The weight of the arm will work just fine. After the muscles get better, it will be necessary to move on to small weights. Before lifting, it is imperative to begin with light stretches to prevent any further damage to the injured muscle tissue. Then move to exercises that stabilize the muscle, followed by a workout routine to strengthen it. It's amazing how fast the shoulder can heal and be back to normal after the rotator cuff muscle has had a chance to start developing.