Friday, December 4, 2009

Exercises for Rotator Cuff Injuries and Pain

By Tom Nicholson

Do you currently feel any pain in your shoulder region? If so, you may have a tear in the rotator cuff. There are many reasons why a tear in this area of the shoulder may occur. Those that live active lives and pursue sportive hobbies are most at risk for such injuries. While rotator cuff injuries could cause serious limitations in arm movement, it is not difficult to reverse the problem. There are exercises for rotator cuff injuries that can great help restore strength, range of motion, and endurance in the arm.

While we usually look at shoulder exercises as the exercises that involve free weights (dumbbell shoulder raises), or the ones that use the body weight (wide grip pushups), the stretching exercises for rotator cuff injuries are considered to be great exercises for the shoulders. This is particularly true for individuals that are suffering with an injury. Stretching exercises will slowly develop extra strength in the area of the rotator cuff and set the stage for the body to successfully perform more complex exercises later on. Stretches are normally done in a mild and light manner because harsher stretches can further aggravate an injury. When you start doing these shoulder stretches, be sure not to overdo it. Doing too much too soon will not bring faster results.

The most common exercises that develop rotator cuff strength will usually involve bending the arm at the elbow in a 90 degree angle, raising it upwards, and lowering it as it remains bent. If you are new to this kind of exercise, don't add any weight to the routine. You will be able to develop the needed strength by just performing the range of motion. Repeat these exercises as many times as needed for the body to get used to the movement. Even with no weight added, you will be able to improve the shoulders condition and get the body ready for rotator cuff exercises that use progressive resistance.

When you are ready to add the progressive resistance to your rotator cuff exercises, remember that you are not limited to using free weights exclusively. It's not a bad idea to begin with elastic bands. These elastic bands are known as one of the common tools to exercise injured rotator cuffs. When you have developed sufficient strength after working with the elastic bands, you can move on to using free weights like dumbbells.

The amount of weight your use with dumbbell exercises for rotator cuff injuries will vary depending upon your current strength levels. However, it is most definitely advisable that those suffering from an injury should not pack on a lot of excess weight. Light cardio dumbbells would be a good start as would lifting the weights at moderate to high numbers of repetitions. Of course, if you feel any strain or pain, discontinue the performance of the exercise immediately.

Effective exercises for rotator cuff injuries are much less complex than many think. They should be started out with a very light stress level and gradually increase the intensity. When you start out slowly you will reduce the possibility of further aggravating the injury and will increase the potential for healing the injury.

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