Rotator Cuff Tendonitis is a common but debilitating pathology, whether you are a desk worker or a swimmer.  Overusing our shoulder muscles could cause pain, restriction in movement and reduction in strength, which would affect our work and life, and inhibit us from doing what we love.

What is rotator cuff tendonitis?

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles that hold our arm bone securely onto our joint, their well being is paramount to healthy function of our shoulder.  They are one of the main reasons why our humerus (arm bone) don’t get dislocated every time we swim or throw a ball.

Tendonitis is an overuse injury of a muscle, where the muscle is too weak to handle the normal workload, or it is overcompensating and overworked.

When the rotator cuff muscle are overworked, it would affect our shoulder’s stability and function.

How to know if I have it?

Some common signs are:

• Pain when lifting arms, especially over 90 degrees
• Pain at either front or back shoulder
• Weakness with shoulder movements
• Decreased performance for your sports/day to day activities

How can Unique Physio help?

Health professionals could also help diagnose rotator cuff tendinopathy:

A doctor or a physiotherapist could conduct assessments and tests to determine the function of the shoulder.

Sometimes, scans like MRI or ultrasound could help with the diagnosis of musculoskeletal overuse injuries.

Scans such as MRI or ultrasound could help with a diagnosis, but on the other hand, studies have shown degenerative changes in our muscles may not always correlate with pain or function.

Rotator Cuff tendonitis treatment

Every shoulder is different and treatment would need to be tailored to individual patients.  But broadly speaking, there are usually two phases in treatment. 

• In the first phase, we would focus on treating the symptoms and pain of our shoulder.  Our physiotherapist could utilize modalities like manual techniques, ultrasound machines and advices.
• Once the pain and symptoms subside, a progressive return to work/sports program should be laid out.  Gentle strengthening stretches, and range of motions exercises would commence to re-strengthen to muscles.
• During this period, other associated impairments such as muscle weakness, joint tightness, or improper technique for sports/work should be addressed as well.  So that when the patient returns to their normal activities they could prevent re-injuring themselves again.

Our team can help you!

Shoulder is a complex region and everyone’s goals and expectations are different, and their physiotherapy goal should reflect that.

In Unique Physio, we understand that not everyone fits into a mold nicely, so we offer a wide range of services and modalities, to fit everyone’s needs and expectations.