by Carol Wiley

Created on: November 15, 2009

Rotator cuff tendonitis is inflammation of one or more of the tendons of the rotator cuff muscles. You have four rotator cuff muscles that attach from the scapula (shoulder blade) to the upper arm bone (humerus). These four muscles are important in moving (rotating) the arm:

* The supraspinatus is at the top part of the shoulder blade and helps abduct (move out to the side) your arm.

* The infraspinatus is on the lower part of the shoulder blade and helps laterally rotate (turn inward) your arm.

* The teres minor is located next to the infraspinatus and also helps laterally rotate the arm.

* The subscapularis is on the underside of the shoulder blade and helps adduct (move inward) and medially rotate (turn outward) the arm.

The symptoms of rotator cuff tendonitis are pain when you move your arm, shoulder pain at night, and weakness or pain when you lift your arm above your head.

The standard medical treatment for tendonitis is rest, avoiding activities that cause pain, ice, anti-inflammatory drugs, and physical therapy. In more severe cases, a doctor may recommend a cortisone injection, but be aware of potential side effects.

If your doctor tells you that you have tendonitis in your rotator cuff, it could be any of the four muscles. A good sports medicine doctor can tell you specifically which muscle, which lets you target treatment to the specific muscle. For a complete overview and treatment of tendonitis of rotator cuff muscles, I highly recommend these three articles in a Shoulder Series: Infraspinatus Tendinitis, Supraspinatus Tendinitis, and Subscapularis Tendinitis. They are aimed at massage therapists working with people who have rotator cuff tendonitis, but you can get a lot of good information to help you situation.

Here I am going to give some general rotator cuff rehab exercises, but it's a good idea to get your doctor's OK before doing any exercises.

Do these exercises EVERYDAY for six to eight weeks. Start with a weight of 1/2 to one pound and work up to four to six pounds. Do not use a heavier weight, even if you are a weightlifter or bodybuilder. Building muscle is not the goal.

Do three sets of 10 repetitions of each exercise. You should feel some tiredness or stress only on the third set. If you feel stress before the third set, you are using too much weight. Stop, and on the next day use less weight. If you feel no stress in the third set, you are not using enough weight. The next day, add a little weight.

Warm Up

Before using any weight

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>