A rotator cuff refers to a group of muscles and tendons that surround your shoulder joint. Therefore, rotator cuffs keep the upper head of your arm bone firmly in the shallow socket of the shoulder. The rotator cuff tear exercises to avoid are detailed here.
A rotator cuff tear can happen in two ways
-Falling on your arm while it’s stretched out after a sudden jerking motion causing a sudden tear
-A gradual tear of the rotator cuff tendon
There are also two types of tears:
-A partial tear where the attachments to the bone are not torn off completely
-A full tear where the tendons are torn through and through
Rotator cuff tears are characterized by intense pain that worsens gradually coupled with stiffness or lack of motion in the affected area.
It thus can become a nightmare to perform day-to-day tasks. This is considering how crucial the shoulder is in performing tasks we consider trivial, i.e., from dressing up to brushing your hair.
Unfortunately, rotator cuff tears take time to heal. As such, there are a few rotator cuff tear exercises to avoid considering how delicate the injury is.
These exercises include:
1. CHEST EXERCISES
When you work your chest out, your shoulders are also involved. As such, exercises such as pushups and dumbbell flys might not be your speed.
By taking a risk and exposing yourself to these kinds of exercises, you become susceptible to hurting yourself further.
If you exercise and your form isn’t good you put too much pressure on your rotator cuff muscles. These kinds of exercises also pinch your muscles against the shoulder bones.
2. DIP MOVEMENTS
As mentioned above, one of the symptoms of a torn rotator cuff is difficulty in the mobility of the affected area. As such, you will lack the full range of motion required to execute dip movements properly.
Dip movements require that you support your own body weight, something that heavily involves the shoulder. Putting such amounts of pressure will most definitely exaggerate the tear.
It is definitely one of the rotator cuff tear exercises to avoid.
3. SHOULDER RAISES
Shoulder raises move your arm away from the body at 60 to 120 degrees. This range of motion often occurs specifically in lateral raises and overhead press.
4. UPRIGHT ROW
An upright row can easily aggravate a rotator cuff tear. As you bring your arm up, the upper arm rotates internally in the shoulder.
Considering the cuff tendon is torn such rigorous activity will surely instigate pain. It is thus definitely one of the rotator cuff tear exercises you should avoid.
5. DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISES
This exercise is great for isolating the medial deltoid; however, it can have a very nasty effect on a rotator cuff tear.
This is due to the lack of proper form. You therefore often see people holding the dumbbell downwards at an inverted angle. This causes added pressure on the rotator cuff, which aggravates the tear.
WHAT IS THE BEST EXERCISE FOR ROTATOR CUFF INJURY?
Unlike the rotator cuff tear exercises to avoid, there are rotator cuff strengthening exercises that help increase the injured area’s strength and flexibility. They include:
ARM REACH
To do an arms reach, use the following procedure.
1.Lie flat on your back, extend the arms and legs and engage your abdominal muscles
2.Reach out to the ceiling. Keep your hand rising until your shoulder blade comes off the floor.
3.Hold for 5 seconds
4.Let your arm down
SIDE-LYING EXTERNAL ACTION
1.Lie down on the side opposite your injured arm.
2.Bend the elbow of your arm to about 90 degrees. Your forearm should rest across your abdomen.
3.Hold a light dumbbell in the injured side’s hand. Keeping your elbow resting on your abdomen, raise the dumbbell towards the ceiling. Stop rotating your arm if you feel pain.
4.Hold the dumbbell up for a few seconds then resume to starting position
5.Do about 3 sets of 10 reps at least 3 times per day
CROSS OVER ARM STRETCH
It involves the steps below:
1.Lift one arm so that it is perpendicular to the floor and extend it straight without locking it
2.Lock the extended arm under your wrist
3.Pull the arm across the front of the body, almost as if you’re trying to hug yourself
4.Hold the stretch for 5 seconds before slowing releasing it
5.Repeat on the other arm
IS IT OKAY TO EXERCISE WITH A TORN ROTATOR CUFF?
Having a rotator cuff tear means doing away with all forms of weighted exercise. It also means you can’t effectively do anything that involves having the elbow outside the body.
That said it’s not all doom and gloom there are ways you can work around your situation. In fact, there are ways you can exercise and play your part to rehab a rotator cuff without surgery.
Well, no, you can’t fix a torn rotator cuff through exercise, but you can play a part in the process. This can be done through cross-education.
Cross education refers to the process of strength transfer from the injured to the non-injured side. This involves unilateral strength training on the non-injured side alone.
In fact, there are scientific claims that people who work around their injuries will heal faster when one side is immobilized.
So, as long consider the rotator cuff tear exercises to avoid, there are ways to exercise with a torn rotator cuff.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR A ROTATOR CUFF TO HEAL WITHOUT SURGERY?
Rotator cuff injuries can heal without surgery, albeit slower. Various treatment methods can be used, ranging from anti-inflammatory medication to physical therapy.
This is, however, dependent on the nature of the tear. It the tendon is completely torn, and there are no fibres left on the bone, stronger measures are required.
In such a case, surgery is the best course of action. That means cases that don’t necessarily need surgery aren’t completely torn off.
However, the time it takes to heal is dependent on the extent of tear. So, the larger the tear, the longer it takes. The average recovery period for a torn rotator cuff is about 4 to 6 months. This might, however, take longer.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR ROTATOR CUFF HEAL FASTER
Making your rotator cuff heal faster primarily means making it stronger and healthier. That means making healthier, more informed lifestyle choices.
Some of these choices include:
TAKING SUPPLEMENTS
Supplements just as their name suggests, provide additional nutrients to the body. There are a variety of supplements such as Vitamin C and E, which help reduce pain.
It is important to note that supplements should be taken after consultation with your doctor. This is especially so if taking medication already.
STOP SMOKING
Cigarettes are filled with nicotine. A component that slows down the healing process of injuries
HOW DO YOU TELL IF YOUR ROTATOR CUFF IS TORN OR STRAINED?
Some of the most common symptoms of a torn rotator cuff include:
Pain while sleeping especially on the affected shoulder
Cracking sound when your shoulder is positioned in a certain way
Weakness when lifting or rotating your arm
CONCLUSION
By knowing the rotator cuff tear exercises to avoid, you set yourself up for better rehabilitation period. A rotator cuff tear can be a painful period if not well tended to. If injured, it is okay to take adequate time to formulate a proper rehabilitation plan.
