Shoulder bothering you? The rotator cuff could be to blame.

Hurts when you throw a ball? Reaching into the back seat of the car? Swinging a racket? Reaching for the top shelf?
All of these aches and pains could be caused by an injury to your rotator cuff.

What Is the Rotator Cuff?

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles around the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint that are responsible for centralizing the humeral head in the glenoid. That is keeping the shoulder joint in its optimal position so that the arm can move away from the body to do the tasks it needs.

The four muscles of the rotator cuff are: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis and teres minor. These muscles all originate on the scapula (shoulder blade) and attach to the humerus (just below the shoulder).

Causes of Rotator Cuff Injuries

Rotator cuff injuries can occur with everyday wear and tear of the shoulder especially with occupations or sports with repetitive use of the arm and age-related degeneration. You can also sustain an injury to the rotator cuff by falling onto your arm or by heavy lifting.

These injuries can disturb your sleep, make it difficult to care for your family or make it hard to do your job. Physiotherapy can help these injuries by reducing inflammation and pain, increasing range of motion, increasing strength and facilitate a return to sports or work.

If your shoulder is bothering you, give us a call.