No really, who’s fixing your rotator cuff?
I like to point out things I see happening over and over in the industry and this is definitely one of them. The random fixing of rotator cuffs and or shoulder problems by everyone including the guy at the water cooler. Everybody knows how to fix a rotator cuff or so it would seem..
Rotator Cuff Exercise
“Rotator Cuff Exercise” is just such a catchy line that we can’t help but pay attention to it but, is that the right move when it comes to a sore shoulder? Should we be diving into all kinds of rubber band exercises and side lying dumbbell raises to fix our rotator cuffs?
At my current count, the different exercises for the rotator cuff and the different combinations of them as part of a “shoulder rehab” program number somewhere in the way of 30-50 exercises times any number of combinations.
I think there are approximately 1,608,945 rotator cuff programs out there right now and the number is only going up!
So what does that mean?
Well, it means that someone probably doesn’t know what they’re doing. So the first thing you need to do is make sure you’re listening to program #60732! Just kidding. Instead, make sure you’re taking care of this finicky and highly mobile joint properly.
First, Don’t Get Your Trainer To Fix Your Shoulder
Way too many trainers claim to know how to fix shoulders and or rotator cuffs with exercises. Yes we can say that general movement is part of any muscle rehab program but who administers said program is really important.
As a trainer, I’m happy to refer out for things like this. I know I shouldn’t be messing with someone’s possibly arthritic, dislocated 6 times, impinged and or frozen or whatever shoulder. It’s just not my scope of practice.
So the first thing I do is get someone more qualified than me to look at my client’s “rotator cuff” issue.
How My Physio Helped My Shoulder
My right shoulder was jacked right up a few years ago. Sorness on the collarbone, tension in the pec and overall lack of range above my head.
I tried a few silly things with it and it didn’t improve but the second my physio started to manipulate it, I felt that “good kind of discomfort stretch” where it was giving the sensation of “Ohh yep, yep, that’s starting to get it moving”. It was awesome.
My Physio just knew how to move it so I could let it go. Sometimes good Physical Therapists can get a muscle to release, relax or free up. This can of course happen all by itself but I’m all for the fast track especially when it comes to shoulders.
I left with it feeling better and with one exercise. Now of course, I’m not going to tell you said exercise because that would be “treating” your shoulder but I will assure you, there are people far better than me at doing just that.
How I Help Clients with Their Shoulder
*Keep in mind I’m doing all this in conjunction with the guidance of a Physical Therapist.
#1 Daily Movements and Tasks
I put a lot of time into looking at what someone does during the day. I look at postures, activities, how they move, how they sit, how they workout and more. It’s basically what I’m trained to do and it often reveals a lot.
If you’re jamming your shoulder into a locked position while you drive or you always come over the top when you’re at your desk, that’s a movement we might work on. It can sometimes be part of the problem from a soft tissue perspective.
#2 Bad Furniture or Postures
If my client is laying on the couch and looking at a TV over the fireplace, that could be an issue. If their new desk is very shallow and they can only sit up straight or sit back and never lean forward, I may discuss that with them too.
If they’re at their desk and they have to watch an iPad that’s way below their eye level, that may be another area we need to address.
So far so good, no rotator cuff exercises as of yet..
#3 Overdoing Activities
So some clients will squeeze their neck on every rep and crank their butt muscles on every set. In most cases, they’re just trying to follow instruction but this can obviously over-cook things. Here’s a few common areas you might be over-doing..
- Over squeezing your glutes. (One or both).
- Over engaging your core.
- Standing up too straight and straining your back.
- Always hinging and bobbing on your lower back when you stand or walk.
- Doing too many rotator cuff exercises too many times a day.
It’s kind of a “too much of a something” mistake and it comes up quite often. The nice thing about it is the fix is less effort and less discomfort –a true double win!
#4 Sports Movement Problem
Sometimes it’s a bad golf swing, other times it’s a really fast grandchild. Both need movement guidance and I often offer movement correction for situations like this.
Typically this is pretty simple to spot and if it’s not, I defer to point #5 below.
#5 Let The Pros Fix Your Rotator Cuff
Notice how all the stuff I do doesn’t help to find anything serious? That’s why you get a pro to check your shoulder.
As much as look at the above areas, I don’t try to specifically fix someone’s shoulder. I’m not trained to “fix” anything. This is the job of a physical therapist and your job is to find a good one.
Most good physical therapists that I’ve referred to in the past are now full and not taking new clients. The good ones get busy really quickly. Make the effort to find one of them or find someone they can refer you to. It’s unfortunate but that’s just the way it goes. There’s still good help out there but it’s even tougher to find with all the stuff coming at people these days. In the end, you just have to dig a bit to find good help and be very wary of which “Rotator Cuff Programs” you buy off the internet and who is providing them.
There’s of course more to your shoulder and rotator cuff than we’ve touched on here but hopefully this gives you a bit of info to get started. Take care of that shoulder, it’s a great joint when it’s working properly.
Cheers,
Coach James.
