There are several muscles that can cause shoulder pain, but tightness or injury to your rotator cuff is one of the most common. Accurate diagnosis of the specific rotator cuff muscles involved is key to optimizing your individual treatment plan however. Otherwise it could be doing more harm than good.
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What Is The Rotator Cuff?
Several muscles and tendons make up the rotator cuff. They connect your upper arm (humerus) to your shoulder blade (scapula). The tendons provide the stability and hold the arm in place and the muscles cause it to rotate.
The main muscles of your rotator cuff are the Teres Minor, the Infraspinatus and the Supraspinatus(1). These externally rotate your arm. The Subscapularis internally rotates your arm.
How The Rotator Cuff Can Cause Shoulder Pain
Repetitive strain injuries from sports or work can cause rotator cuff problems and shoulder pain. As a result, inflammation of your muscles or tendons can trap nerves. This type of shoulder pain is often sharp and sudden and your arm may feel weak.
Shoulder pain from a tear or strain usually happens during sports, a fall or from weight training. Tears or strains can compromise shoulder stability, potentially causing the arm to drop in a manner similar to a fractured collarbone. This is due to the damaged rotator cuff muscle no longer being able to hold the joint in place.
Initial diagnosis of damaged muscles involves a test of the flexibility in your shoulder and the internal and external rotation of your arm. This can help identify which of the rotator cuff muscles is causing your pain. For example, your subscapularis can be checked using the “lift off” test.
Prevention And Treatment of Rotator Cuff Shoulder Pain
Keeping the rotator cuff flexible with regular stretching can prevent shoulder pain and injuries. Repetitive movements, sports and weight training all contribute to tightness and shortening of the muscles. This can lead to chronic pain that could progress to a condition known as frozen shoulder. Weight training with proper technique and not exceeding comfortable range of motion can prevent rotator cuff injuries. This is especially important when strength training.
Deep tissue massage can help to loosen up tense muscles in your rotator cuff which will help to relieve shoulder pain and prevent injury. If injury has already occurred, sports massage can speed up rehabilitation time. A massage therapist can also help to maintain proper range of motion to avoid further problems in the future.
Other Causes Of Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain often involve rotator cuff issues, but there are other potential causes. At the front of the shoulder and around the top of the arm, several muscles and tendons come together and attach to the radius bone. Many everyday activities, such as using a computer or driving, put these muscles into shortened positions. Over time this can lead to a lack of flexibility, especially if combined with sports or weight training.
The deltoid muscles in the shoulder can be a common source of pain. Particularly the anterior deltoid at the front. Raising the arm up and forwards is when this will become apparent, as well as when performing a front raise exercise. Similar to this, the pectoral muscles of the chest also attach to the radius bone in the arm and can become inflexible in the same way as the deltoid(2). This pain can often be felt doing exercises such as the bench press as even with good technique it puts a lot of stress on the chest/shoulder area.
Massage to the deltoids, pectorals and other muscles that are tight and inflexible can relieve shoulder pain. It can also decrease the time it takes to recover from injury and help to prevent them occurring in the first place.
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