Exercises for Rotator Cuff Blog

Rotator cuff impingement syndrome (also called shoulder impingement) is caused due to several problems:

Inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons, inflammation and/or swelling of the subacromial bursa that sits between the rotator cuff and the top of the shoulder or due to calcium deposits in tendons.

Rotator Cuff Impingement Syndrome Symptoms 

• Shoulder pain at night or when resting
• Weakness of the arm and small range of motion (develops over time)
• Pain when moving or lifting the arm
• Shoulder pain from the top of the shoulder to the elbow
• Cracking sound when moving the arm  

Rotator Cuff Impingement Syndrome Diagnose

• To diagnose the rotator cuff impingement syndrome, the doctor will examine your shoulder; check for tenderness and analysis your range of activities by having movement of arm to a variety of positions
• He also perform strength tests, such as pressing down the arm as try to stay it in a raised situation with the elbow bent 
• Diagnostic tests include x-rays to ensure the condition of the bones in the shoulder area
• Ultrasound or MRI scans to find out if there are any tears in the rotator cuff

Rotator Cuff Impingement Syndrome Treatment

• Rest 
• Ice packs to put on the aching shoulder
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Ultrasound is usually recommended to stimulate the tissues and improve blood flow to the injured area
• Corticosteroid injections into the space under the acromion to reduce inflammation
• In some cases, if the patient doesn’t respond to the treatments above, the doctor may decide a surgery is needed