Rotator Cuff Strain

The rotator cuff consists of 4 muscles; the supraspinatus, the infraspinatus, the teres minor, and the subscapularis. These are small muscles that bear a lot of responsibility within our shoulder joint. Thus they are more prone to injury. Muscle strains can occur anywhere in the body and are common sources of pain in and around the shoulder region, especially due to the rotator cuff. Muscle strains in the rotator cuff tend to arise from lifting items that are too heavy, moving awkwardly, prolonged positions, putting more force through the muscle than it is capable of handling, or overusing a muscle too much. Once a muscle becomes strained it can become a significant source of pain where people can often find it difficult to find a comfortable position. Muscle strains are graded between 1-3 with 1 being mild and 3 being a complete rupture. The good news is muscles injuries respond very well to physical therapy and tend to heal quicker than tendons, nerve, or ligament related injuries. Physical therapy focuses on using hands on treatments to release the tight or pulled muscle and promote blood flow to the area so it heals. Once the pain is reduced we work on strengthening the region to prevent recurrences of the injury. Please see examples below for some photos of certain techniques we use to treat rotator cuff strains. If you would like to schedule an appointment please reach out to us. 

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