The rotator cuffs are the most common cause of shoulder pain. The rotator cuffs are a group of four muscles that mobilize and stabilize the shoulder. Sports injuries and occupations that require repeated use of shoulders and arms are the known causes of rotator cuff injury and pain. Other factors include premature wear and tear that develops over time, or with the advancing of age.
What are the Rotator Cuff Muscles?
The rotator cuffs are the essential muscles of the shoulders. They provide mobility and structural stability to the joint, preventing dislocations and joint damage. Any injury leads to pain, decreased shoulder mobility, and loose of shoulder joint stability.
The rotator cuffs are a group of four muscles that are known as the S.I.T.S. muscles:
- Supraspinatus Muscle: Primary function is to help during the initial stage of lifting the arm sideways (laterally). Also, it helps keep the shoulder joint stability by maintaining joint position during side lifting of the arm.
- Infraspinatus Muscle: Provides outward rotational movement of the arm and shoulder and helps with keeping the joint in place during shoulder mobility.
- Teres Minor Muscle: Provides the shoulder with the ability of outward rotation )external rotation) and to bring the arm down from a raised position. The teres minor also helps in maintaining proper shoulder alignment during movements.
- Subscapularis Muscle: Located under the shoulder blade. Adis in internal rotation of the shoulder as well as providing the joint with stability during movements or activities.
Rotator Cuff Injury
Injuries to the rotator cuff occurs when tendons or muscles of rotator cuff muscle (S.I.T.S. muscles) are overstretched, irritated, or torn:
- Rotator Cuff Tendonitis: Tendons are fibrous cords that attach muscles to bones. Tendonitis (tendinitis) occurs when the one or more tendons of the rotator cuffs are overstretched or irritated.
- Rotator Cuff Tears or Strains: A strain is a muscle injury, describing tears. Rotator cuff tears result from neglected tendonitis, wear and tear or sudden damage from sports or work-related activity
How to Recovery from a S.I.T.S. Muscle Injury Without Injections or Surgery?
Shoulder pain and restricted shoulder range of motion can be due to a rotator cuff injury. A rotator cuff injury causes shoulder joint instability or leads to internal derangement of the shoulder. Shoulder joint dysfunction and dysfunction is responsible for the majority of pain in shoulders.Common findings with joint dysfunction are a limited range of motion, shoulder instability, the aches, and pain in the shoulder joint.
The subacromial space is located under the acromion and above the glenohumeral joint. Shoulder impingement syndrome present with:
- Capsular tightness
- Abnormal shoulder joint translation
- Reduced strength
- Abnormal scapular movement (scapular dyskinesis)
Also, an impingement syndrome in the shoulder can cause problems in the neck, upper back, between the shoulder blades. Therefore, it is critical to get your shoulders assessed as soon as possible. Neglecting minor shoulder issues are the main reason why so many have shoulder surgery.
Causes of Shoulder Muscle Injury
Rotator cuff injury is prevalent among athletes that participate in overhead activities. Athletic activities such as swimming, throwing and racquet sport are culprits in rotator cuff injury. Chronic and untreated shoulder joint malpositioning (subluxation) predisposes your rotator cuffs to injury. Instability of the shoulder joint due to recurrent subluxation will further weaken the shoulder. A weak shoulder is readily susceptible to injuries. Those with a supraspinatus injury may feel a palpatory tenderness over the supraspinatus tendon near its insertion site on the shoulder. A painful arc may be reported when the patient is actively lifting up the arm from the side of the body.
The shoulder pain normally will be more intense around 60 to 120 degrees of abduction as the sub-acromial space becomes narrower when the head of the humerus approximates the acromioclavicular joint. This will result in further impingement of the supraspinatus tendon and the surrounding soft tissues. Pain and weakness of the rotator cuff muscles can be reproduced by applying a resistance force while the patient actively contracts the muscles to create movement at the shoulder joint.
Rotator cuff injuries can be an acute, chronic or acute exacerbation of a chronic condition. Shoulder pain with sudden onset may be a muscle strain, labral damage, partial or complete tear of the tendon of the rotator cuffs. Rotator cuff tendons with disorganized matrix and scar tissue tend to be weaker, and they are more prone to injury. This can lead to swelling, inflammation, and pain in the shoulder joint. MRI of the shoulder joint is useful in determining the location of the tear or other abnormalities in the rotator cuff muscles.
Best Treatment option for a Shoulder Pain and Injury in Malaysia
As with any injury, the best method of care is targeted non-surgical treatments. Surgical interventions are short lived. In fact, those that have opted for an invasive procedure often have a recurrence of shoulder pain for repeated injuries. The recurrence of symptoms following a surgical intervention is almost always due to the scar tissues left behind from the surgical procedure. Therefore, seek conservative treatment options for your rotator cuff injury that do not include surgical interventions
In our centers, we have clinical physiotherapists and the best teams of chiropractors in Malaysia who have combined their skills, knowledge, and experience to bring you the best of the non-operative treatments for a rotator cuff injury. In addition to chiropractic and physiotherapy, our clinical research-based teams will utilize specialized therapy devices to help your recovery. Best of all, the care we provide is painless. Visit one of our centers to discover the best non-invasive rotator cuff injury treatment in Malaysia.