Have you ever experienced pain with raising your arm over your head, behind your back, or while washing your hair? If you have, you have probably suffered from rotator cuff dysfunction. The rotator cuff is comprised of four muscles that are involved in most functional activities that involve using your shoulder. Their role is to provide dynamic stability to your shoulder and to depress your humerus to allow you to reach overhead without impingement. Activities such as washing your hair, putting on a belt, or throwing a baseball/football are just a few activities that rely on optimal function of the rotator cuff to perform specific tasks.
Your shoulder and rotator cuff also function to actively elevate your upper extremity in the first 30 degrees of range of motion. Rotator cuff pain can arise from an acute injury (tendonitis/strain/tear), or it can be chronic in nature (tendonosis). If you suffer from shoulder or rotator cuff dysfunction, Dynamix Physical Therapy clinicians can help.
Almost all rotator cuff pain can be addressed with physical therapy. Physical therapy is often prescribed because it addresses the impairments and finds the driver on why you are having shoulder pain. However, there are some cases where surgical intervention is performed.
To schedule your appointment at your local Dynamix clinic, please visit our locations page for more information.