Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Treat Rotator Cuff Tendinitis

Rotator cuff tendinitis occurs as a result of inflammation in the joint where the upper arm bone and the shoulder blade come together (rotator cuff). Repeated motions such as raising the arm over the head in sports such as tennis, swimming can cause the irritation and inflammation. Proper treatment is a must to ensure complete recovery.


Instructions


1. Diagnose the injury. The first step to treating rotator cuff tendinitis is to get proper diagnosis. Because rotator cuff tendinitis can be very painful, you want to make sure to diagnose it early to begin the proper treatment regimen.


2. Rest the shoulder. Once you know for sure that you have rotator cuff tendinitis, take a break from the sport or activity that caused the problem. Continuing to carry out the same activities will only serve to aggravate the condition.








3. Ice the area. Ice not only helps to numb the pain, it serves to reduce the unwanted inflammation.


4. Strengthen the rotator cuff muscles. If it is too painful to perform muscle strengthening exercises, take an over the counter anti-inflammatory medication to help reduce the pain and swelling. If the over the counter medication does not reduce the pain, seek help from your doctor. Your might need a steroid injection to reduce the pain and swelling.


5. Rule out a rotator cuff tear. If the rehabilitation pain is too severe, there is a possibility that you have sustained a tear. Treating a tear is more involved than treating tendinitis. The treatment option depends on the size of the tear. Arthroscopic surgery can repair a small tear, while a more invasive procedure is required for larger tears.

Tags: rotator cuff, cuff tendinitis, reduce pain, over counter, pain swelling, reduce pain swelling