
A Guide to Effective Rotator Cuff Injury Treatment
What is a rotator cuff injury? Rotator cuff injury occurs when the muscles and their tendons, in the shoulder get inflamed or irritated. A rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that play a vital role in stabilizing the shoulder and regulating its’ movement. Rotator cuff injury may occur either due to impingement (the swelling of rotator cuff muscle or due to a tear), or when the rotator cuff muscle or the tendon gets torn. The swelling or the tear may either result due to an injury, constant pressure over the shoulder muscles, or due to aging. The symptoms of rotator cuff injury include pain, swelling, and stiffness in the arm and shoulder area, weakness, inability to carry any weight. Also, you might notice a clicking sound when you raise your arm and feel pain whenever the arm is put to work. Rotator cuff injury treatment Once you are certain that the rotator cuff is the reason for uneasiness in your shoulder joint, the following treatments can be considered: RICE Technique : Try adopting the RICE technique, after an injury to the shoulder joint. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. This is the initial treatment that’s recommended for treating rotator cuff injury. Rest : Rest is the best remedy for treating rotator cuff injury. You should rest for a while and restrict yourself from any activity involving the shoulder or the arm, so the problem settles rather than getting elevated. Ice : Apply the ice pack on the shoulder area where the problem exists, to reduce the pain or swelling. Apply the ice pack for 10-15 minutes, and repeat it at least twice a day. Compression : Wrap around a crepe bandage on the painful area, which helps in reducing both the pain and the swelling. Wrap the bandage loosely, so that the blood circulation doesn’t get affected.