Effective Exercises for Rotator Cuff Ailments

By Tom Nicholson

Are you currently experiencing pain in your shoulder? If you do, its possible that you have torn your rotator cuff. There are a number of things that cause this area of the shoulder to tear. People that lead very active lives and take part in sports are at a higher risk for this sort of injury. While it's certainly true that rotator cuff injuries can serious limit the arms movement, it's not difficult to reverse the problem. There are specific exercises for rotator cuff injuries that will increase the range of motion, restore strength, and increase the 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 for rotator cuff strength will usually involve bending the arm at the elbow at a ninety degree angle and then raise it upwards before lowering it. Throughout the entire movement the arm will remain bent. If you are not used to this type of exercise, don't add any extra weight to the movement. Repeat enough times until the body is used to the movement. These exercises can really improve the shoulders condition even without any extra weight. These movements will set the stage for progressive resistance exercises for rotator cuff injuries.

When the time comes to add progressive resistance to the rotator cuff exercises, you don't have to exclusively use free weights. It's a good idea to start with elastic bands which are considered to be common tools for use with exercises for rotator cuff injuries. Once you have developed additional strength with the elastic bands, you will be able to start using free weights.

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.

Exercises for rotator cuff injuries are not as complex as some assume. They start with very light stress levels and the intensity is gradually increased. By starting out on the slow path, you reduce the potential for aggravating the injury and greatly increase the potential for healing the problem. - 30453

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