5 Reasons You Should Consider Physio for Your Rotator-Cuff Problem

When it comes to shoulder pain, the rotator cuff is right up there on the high end of the pain scale. It's common for both very active and sedentary people of any age to injure their rotator cuff, and this kind of injury can be rather challenging to recover from.

Fortunately, there is a wide range of physio treatments readily available.

Here are five good reasons why you ought to think about getting your recovery started with a local area physiotherapist:

 

You May Need a Restorative Exercise Program

Depending upon the exact nature of your rotator cuff injury, you may need to follow a specific restorative exercise program. Your physiotherapist can assist you to determine your particular rotator cuff problem and develop a special workout program to address it. It's worth keeping in mind that a corrective exercise program is distinct from an exercise program designed to assist you to get back into your routine activities immediately.

The latter type of program can be effective for pain management and enhancing your range of movement, but it will not particularly target your rotator cuff injury. If you wish to make sure your rotator cuff injury is treated appropriately, your physiotherapist will likely develop a corrective exercise program that's customized for you.

 

Your Rotator Cuff Injury May Require Stretching or Taping

Depending on the degree of your rotator cuff injury, you may profit from some light stretching or taping. For example, if you have mild rotator cuff stress or sprain, your physiotherapist might suggest that you attempt some light stretching or moderate taping simply to help reduce a portion of your pain and stiffness.

If you have a severe rotator cuff tear or your rotator cuff injury is degenerative, on the other hand, your physiotherapist may recommend some more extreme stretching or taping. To be clear, this does not always suggest that you'll have to be in treatment for hours at a time.

Instead, your physiotherapist may suggest that you do some mild stretching or light taping in your home just before your treatment sessions and once again after your treatment sessions.

 

You May Profit From Hands-on Treatment for Discomfort Management

One of the important things that set physiotherapy apart from other types of medical treatments is that it incorporates a manual treatment component. What this means is that a physical therapist will likely use some kind of manual therapy for pain management, such as myofascial release (MFR) and joint mobilization.

MFR is a massage-like technique that can assist to loosen tight tissues, minimizing swelling, and improving flexibility. Joint manipulation includes physiotherapists utilizing their hands to put pressure on your joints. 

Manual therapy can be greatly advantageous for people with rotator cuff injuries. This is because your rotator cuff muscles are linked to your shoulder joint, which signifies that they can get incredibly swollen and painful if they're not functioning properly.

Manual therapy techniques can assist to ease your chronic pain, enhance your range of motion and help your muscles work more efficiently.

 

You Could Get Relief From Dry Needling and/or Ultrasound Therapy

If your physiotherapist believes that dry needling or ultrasound treatment will be effective for your rotator cuff injury, they'll likely offer these as a part of your treatment plan. Dry needling is a kind of acupuncture. Your physiotherapist will use really thin needles on your muscles. However, dry needling is in fact made use of to deal with discomfort rather than attempt to deal with other health issues such as general acupuncture.

Your physiotherapist may recommend dry needling if they believe your rotator cuff injury is caused by or exacerbated by muscle knots. If they feel that ultrasound therapy will be valuable, they'll likely apply it to your muscles. Both dry needling and ultrasound therapy can be beneficial for treating rotator cuff pain.

Dry needling can assist to get rid of muscle knots, and ultrasound can help to boost blood flow to the injury site.

 

You Might Need to Address Your Core Dysfunction

Your core is the center of your body where your back, stomach, and hips come together. It's made up of your muscles, ligaments, and your spine. For example, your core muscles may become too weak, triggering them to be incapable of holding your shoulder blades together. As a result, your shoulders will be pulled forward, which can put a lot of pressure on your rotator cuff muscles.

Your physiotherapist may recommend that you resolve your core dysfunction if they see that a weak core is bringing on your rotator cuff injury. Your physiotherapist may suggest specific exercises or activities you can do at home or in the gym to fix your core dysfunction.

However, the physiotherapist would also make sure that your shoulder pain is not caused by something else. Other common conditions or reasons for shoulder pain include shoulder injury, shoulder bursitis, shoulder dislocations, scar tissue development, overhead activities, arthritis pain, tight muscles, abnormal movement or sudden shoulder motion, arm weakness, etc.

 

Your Rotator Cuff Injury May Be Brought On By a Strong Core

As we just pointed out, your rotator cuff might become hurt if your core muscles are too weak. Conversely, your rotator cuff may suffer if your core becomes too strong. Your core muscles are in charge of keeping your spine stable and straight. If they end up being too strong and overpower your rotator cuff muscles, your shoulder blades may be drawn back and together.

This can put a lot of stress on your rotator cuff muscles, which can lead to an injury. If your physiotherapist notices that your rotator cuff injury is being triggered by a strong core, they may recommend that you do some workouts that target your core. These exercises can help to stretch your core muscles so that they don't overpower your rotator cuff muscles.

 

Wrap Up

Rotator cuff injuries are typically slow-healing and require a long program of treatment for a full recovery. Thankfully, physiotherapy has a range of treatments readily available that are shown to assist ease rotator cuff pain and promote recovery of the rotator cuff muscles. But it is essential to begin your treatment soon after your injury. Extended use of an injured rotator cuff might aggravate your pain and trigger lasting damage to the muscles and ligaments surrounding your shoulder.

Contact Maximum Potential Physiotherapy in the Calgary NW area to learn more about how physiotherapy can help your rotator cuff.

Give us a call today and we can schedule relieving your rotator cuff pain. Now booking new clients!