5 Exercises For The Rotator Cuff

Let’s do a simple activity: lift your arms up and then bend them down. Now rotate your arms in big circles. Grab something light like a book or a jar. Repeat it a few more times. Do you feel any difficulty in doing it? Does your shoulder crack, grind, or stiffen while doing so? If yes, then it means that you’re having certain rotator cuff issues. It can also be the onset of an underlying health condition, i.e., rotator cuff arthritis exercises.

Arthritis is a very common disease that affects the body’s different joints. This terrible health problem affects millions of individuals in the world. It can affect the shoulder joint in various forms like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, rotator cuff arthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, and arthritis due to avascular necrosis. Shoulder exercises play a huge role in its treatment. Read on to know how you can benefit from simple shoulder exercises for rotator cuff and feel your mobility enhance slowly.

Shoulder Arthritis – What It Is?

shoulder arthritis exercise, Credit: Pixabay

Arthritis means an inflammation of the joints. Any joint in the body may be affected. It generally characterizes the affected body part with pain, swelling and stiffness. There are three major bones in your shoulder. Cartilage, a slippery substance, covers the ends of these bones. It provides protection during any movement. Arthritis develops when this cartilage wears down due to aging or any other injury.

Your shoulder consists of two major joints. When both of these are affected by arthritis, it is known as shoulder arthritis. Shoulder arthritis is diagnosed through its symptoms. Difficulty in rotating your shoulders, pain, and swelling are common rotator cuff arthritis symptoms.

There is presently no cure for arthritis, and exercises are used to prevent a decline in mobility and motion range. For severe cases, however, a rotator cuff arthritis surgery is the only treatment option for people. Rotator cuff arthritis icd 10 diagnosis code is M12.9. (https://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/M00-M99/M05-M14/M12-/M12.9)

Rotator Cuff Exercises That You Can Do

1. The Pendulum

2. The Wall Crawl

3. Pushups on the wall

4. Doorway stretches

5. Side-lying rotation

1.  The Pendulum

Keep your hands on a chair or a table for support. Let the other hand hang loosely. Now swing that hand in front and back as well as side to side in a circular motion. Do the exact same thing with the other hand. Try to do it at least thirty times with both hands. It will alleviate pain in the shoulder muscles.

2.  The Wall Crawl

arthritis exercise, Credit: Pixabay

Begin by standing in front of a wall. The distance between you and the wall should be about an arm’s length. Raise your arms and touch the wall with your fingers. Let your fingers crawl up the wall slowly. Reach as high as you can. Don’t let your shoulders move towards your ears while doing this rotator cuff arthritis exercises. Stop for around 15-30 seconds before crawling back down. Repeat it 2-3 times. It  effectively improves your shoulder’s range of motion.

3.  Pushups on the Wall

Wall pushups, Credit: Pixabay

Begin by standing in front of the wall and press your arms flat against it. Your feet should be a bit wider than shoulder-width apart and keep your stomach engaged. Now slowly bend your elbows towards the wall. Keep yourself for about 1-2 seconds in that position. Now slowly push back up and straighten your arms. Repeat this exercise for 8-9 times. It is a great shoulder, arms, and chest strengthening exercise.

4.  Doorway Stretches

Stand between open doors and grab the sides of the doors with each hand. Now lean forward till you feel a little stretch. Keep your back straight when you lean and bring your weight to your toes. During this exercise, you should feel a slight stretch in the front part of your shoulders. Don’t overdo this exercise as it will result in overstretching.

5.  Side-lying Rotation

lying shoulder exercise, Credit: Pixabay

Lie down on that side, which is not affected or injured. Bend the elbow of the affected arm to about 90 degrees and make sure your elbows rest on your sides. Grab a light weight in the affected hand and slowly raise it towards the ceiling’s direction and back down. Do this rotational movement for ten repetitions and increase the weight as the muscles strengthen.

These simple stretching and strengthening exercises, if done every day, can go a long way in helping you manage stiffness and aches that are associated with shoulder arthritis. Start doing them today.