Is shoulder pain making life difficult for you? Perhaps you’re experiencing a dull ache that’s wearing you down, or maybe you find that when you’re reaching overhead or behind, your arm feels weak and the ache intensifies. Chances are that you have a rotator cuff injury. But what is the rotator cuff, how does it get injured and most importantly, how can you speed recovery and support healing? Here at Osteo & Physio, our team uses osteopathy and shockwave therapy for rotator cuff injury, to help you get back to a pain-free life as fast as possible.
What is the rotator cuff?
The rotator cuff supports your shoulder joint, and is made up of muscles and tendons that, when working well, keep the head of the upper arm bone firmly within the shallow socket of the shoulder.
Symptoms of rotator cuff injuries
The most common symptom of a rotator cuff injury is a dull ache at the top and side of your shoulder. If you tear the muscles in an accident, the pain can feel severe and sudden. The pain might spread downwards toward the elbow.
When you lift your arm above your head, the pain might feel worse. It may disturb your sleep, especially if you sleep on the affected side.
Your arm might feel weak when you lift your arm from your shoulder, and sometimes you might feel or hear a grating or clicking from your shoulder.
How does a rotator cuff injury happen?
If you work in a job which requires repeated overhead motions (for example, painting, decorating or carpentry), you are more at risk of a rotator cuff injury. Sportspeople, like swimmers and weightlifters are also more at risk.
As you age, wear and tear make rotator cuff injury more likely due to wear and tear.
It’s also possible to injure your rotator cuff in an accident. When this happens, it’s important to seek medical advice as surgery may be needed.
Types of rotator cuff injury
The most common two types of rotator cuff injury we see in our clinics are
- Rotator cuff tear – this happens where one or more of the muscles and tendons in your rotator cuff tears, either fully or partially
- Tendinopathy – this describes different conditions that affect the tendons around hour shoulder. Sometimes tendons can get trapped between the upper arm bone and the shoulder blade. This is named subacromial or shoulder impingement and can lead to a tear in the tendon.
How does osteopathy help with rotator cuff injury?
Your osteopath can confirm a suspected rotator cuff injury and prescribe a tailored programme of exercises to improve the flexibility and strength of the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint.
Shockwave therapy for rotator cuff injury
Shockwave therapy can support speedy recovery and avoid the need for surgery. Even when surgery is necessary, shockwave therapy can help relieve pain and support rehabilitation.
Shockwave therapy uses a type of acoustic wave. Your osteopath or physiotherapist will direct it to areas of pain and inflammation, to boost your tissue healing response. Shockwave therapy supports and speeds the regeneration and repair of connective tissue and bones.
Here at Osteo and Physio, our osteopaths and physiotherapists include shockwave therapy as an element of a rehabilitation programme, which will be designed following a detailed assessment of your lifestyle, your needs and therapeutic goals.
The benefits of shockwave therapy for rotator cuff injury
Shockwave therapy is fast and easy – treatment only takes a few minutes, For optimum results, we usually propose a course of 3-4 treatments delivered once every week.
Shockwave therapy can speed recovery and support you to stay off painkillers long-term. It’s non-invasive, helping you to get back to your life and the activities you love more quickly.
Book your appointment now
Even if you’ve suffered a rotator cuff injury, rest assured that we can help you get back to your favourite sport or work more quickly. Including shockwave therapy for rotator cuff injury as part of a manual therapy programme such as osteopathy can prove to be an effective option for speedy recovery.
Our team can help you get back to your pain-free life as fast as possible. It couldn’t be easier to book your appointment with Osteo & Physio! Book a session via our app, website or call our friendly reception team on 0345 5577788.
