Rotator Cuff Symptoms - Recognise Them Early and Save Yourself a Lot of Pain

By: Nick Bryant Click author's name for more of his/her articles

All too often we ignore aches and pains and carry on as normal. Everyone have minor aches from time to time and nearly all of us just get on with life without thinking about it. If we stopped work each time we ached the world would soon grind to a stop.

Whatever you do don't try to work through a painful shoulder, especially if it is consistent. A Rotator Cuff Problem will|Rotator Cuff problems} often give us plenty of warning before they get bad and bring us to a stop. If you notice weakness,stiffness, pain or swelling in your shoulder it may be time to take it easy and start the healing process.

Although some shoulder problems begin as the result of a knock or fall, the vast majority begin simply as a result of |wear and tear on the joint, either as we get older or caused by a repetitive movement. Okay, You can't always do anything to stop an accidental injury but we can take early measures to cut down the damage from wear and tear. As we get older our rotator cuff gets weaker through lack of exercise. We carry our bodies slightly differently to how we did as youngsters, our {posture|shape gradually changes with time. I only need to look at my waist to know that that is true.

As the rotator cuff gradually looses strength we become more prone to shoulder damage. The right kind of exercise done early on to strengthen these muscles can do a huge amount towards preventing shoulder injuries. Although these are a small group of muscles {they are fundamental to having strong shoulders and once we get past forty five we should not ignore them but exercise them regularly.

So prevention is better than cure, but if you've left it too late, what are the classic rotator cuff symptoms? First off, pain and weakness in the injured shoulder. This may only occur when you are using the shoulder. The commonest causes of pain are reaching for an object or reaching up. Whenever you reach up or out the muscles of the rotator cuff starts to work at its hardest. If you are having trouble getting to sleep because of shoulder pain, this is another classic sign. Lying on your bad shoulder can be painful, but lying on the good side so that your painful arm drops in front of you can be equally uncomfortable.

If the pain is constant, it might well be telling you that you have a badly torn rotator cuff.

Most rotator cuff problems can be treated with rest followed by gentle shoulder specific exercise but don't rush out and start lifting weights. These are a small bunch of muscles that need very definite exercise to strengthen them using either no weights or very small weights and exercises that are designed specifically for muscle group.

So whether it's simply shoulder tendonitis or a full blown rotator cuff injury, you will almost definitely end up exercising the rotator cuff as part of your therapy. That might be before or after surgery but really depends on whether or not you listen to your body and heed the warning signs.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: If you found this article useful check out my full story at www..myrotatorcuffcure.blogspot.com My name is Nick Bryant and I tore my rotator cuff lifting something that was too heavy. Despite being told that I would need surgery I have fully recovered with just physical therapy.