The Rotator Cuff are a group of 4 muscles that attach from the shoulder blade to the arm bone. They are responsible for aiding precise rotation of the arm bone within the shoulder joint.

Because of their origin on the Shoulder Blade, it is crucial to start with Scapular Stabilization exercises first. You can have the strongest Rotator Cuff Muscles in the world but if the Shoulder Blade is not in the correct position it is very difficult for these muscles to work correctly.

Often is the the External Rotating Rotator Cuff Muscle that are weaker than the Internal Rotating ones. That is why I have included two External Rotation exercise to one Internal Rotation.

Click below to view the video.

Please note: These exercises should not cause pain. If you experience pain please stop immediately.

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The reason it is the second video is that it is crucial to first gain good rotation range of motion first.

The Scapular, otherwise known as the Shoulder Blade is the foundation of the shoulder. For a shoulder to function properly you need your shoulder blade to be in the ideal position and move correctly. That can only be achieved by having good working shoulder blade muscles.

Unfortunately, due to our daily activities and poor posture, the muscles of the shoulder blade often become weak.

Please note: If you experience pain with these exercises please stop immediately.

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The first video is about shoulder stretches.

Achieving the correct range of motions is always the first place to start when fixing your shoulder. You can have the strongest shoulder muscles in the world but with out the correct ranges of motion your shoulder will just not function correctly.

The video below contains information on the following:

• Trigger Point Massage
• External Rotation Stretches
• Internal Rotation Stretches
• Sleeper Stretch
• Horizontal Flexion Stretch
• Latissmus Dorsi (Lats) Stretch

Please Note: Both Trigger Point Massage and Stretching can be uncomfortable. There is a difference between discomfort and pain.

With massage, digging in too much can aggravate the symptoms. Likewise with stretching, you want to feel stretch not pain. If in doubt start off easy.

Basically there are three types of exercises what I feel are important for you to do in this order to help improve your shoulder. They include:

1. Stretching
2. Endurance
3. Strengthening

Stretching
In order for the shoulder to work properly it is crucial that the muscles are at the correct length. Without this the shoulder just can’t operate in the manner that it was designed.

You can have the strongest shoulder muscles in the world, but if your muscles are short and/or tight you will still have a poorly functioning shoulder.

This is why stretching exercises is always the first type of exercises I recommend.

The two most important ranges of motion, when it comes to shoulders, are External & Internal Rotation.

I am currently in the process of creating videos to better illustrate all the exercises.

You typically get the best results from stretching by holding a stretch for 10-20 seconds. You also get better results from doing a small amount at a time e.g. 3-5 stretches, but performing them several times during the day e.g. 2-3 times. This is considered more desirable than doing a lot of stretches all at once.

Once good range is achieved, then you can move on to Endurance Exercises.

Endurance Exercises
Many of the important muscles of the shoulders are stabilizing muscles. They are not designed to lift a hundred pounds, they are designed to function well throughout the entire day. This is why I feel it is more important initially to work on endurance rather than strength.

I also think it is important to sequence which muscle groups you work on. Here is the sequence I use with my patients.

1. Scapular Muscles
2. Rotator Cuff
3. Arm and Bigger Torso Muscles

Here is why this sequence works.

The shoulder blade is like the foundation to the shoulder. In order for the shoulder to function properly it must start in the right position and move correctly.

The rotator cuff muscles attach to the shoulder blade. Without a stable and good functioning shoulder blade (scapular) it is more difficult for the rotator cuff muscles to function, i.e. it is hard to build a solid structure without a strong steady foundation.

Once good endurance is established in the shoulder blade muscles then I recommend building the endurance of the Rotator Cuff muscles. These muscles are crucial for controlling the arm bone inside the shoulder joint while it is moving. They help it rotate precisely so not to cause an impingement.

Once the shoulder has good stability in the shoulder blade and the rotator cuff muscles then it is OK to start on the other arm and torso muscles e.g. biceps, triceps, chest lats, etc..

Strengthening Exercises
Once you have built up endurance in the muscles, now it is OK to build strength, speed and power. This is where you can use heavier weights, plyometrics, and more advanced training activities.

As mentioned earlier in this post I am in the process of creating videos for all of these Shoulder Impingement Exercises. I will post them as soon as they are completed. In the meantime if you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to leave a comment.

This is just the first of many posts.  I plan to cover many topics including a detailed description of how the shoulder works, the structures of the shoulder as well as the best exercises and tips for achieving and maintaining a pain free shoulder.

So Why Should You Listen to Me?

Hi, my name is Dave Delaney, I’ve been a Physical Therapist since 1993.  During that time I have seen hundreds, possibly thousands of people with shoulder problems.

One of the things that I observe on a daily basis is that people don’t have a good understanding of how their body works.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve observed someone perform their exercise workout routine or even their everyday life activities, in such a manner that they are potentially causing long term harm to their shoulders.

I created this blog as an outlet from the frustration of not being able to help everyone on a one on one basis.

The goal of this site is to share with you what I have learned about the shoulder during my time as a Physical Therapist.

I’m not recommending this blog take the place of a medical examination or advice.  If you have a serious shoulder problem you need to see a doctor.

I do however believe that knowledge is power.

My goals is to educate you on how the shoulder works and what to look for as possible signs of what could be causing your shoulder pain or heading it towards trouble.

In order to do that I feel it is essential to educate you, not only about the best exercises to perform, but also about the anatomy of the shoulder, the bio mechanics of the shoulder joint, and what factors can increase the chances of injury.

After achieving a good level of knowledge of how the shoulder works, you will then have a strong foundation to determine what areas you need to focus on.

This will allow you to have a greater functioning shoulder with the least amount of effort and time on your part.

My experience tells me that there is a great tendency to jump straight to the exercises without having a good basic knowledge of why you are doing an exercise.

Please Don’t Do This!

I don’t know how many times I’ve had a patient tell me how they started doing an exercises they saw on the internet, and now their shoulder pain is worse.

The reason for this is they have put the cart before the horse.  They haven’t taken the time to figure out what is deficient in their shoulder.

You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know what the problem is.

The next post will help start building that knowledge foundation.

I hope what you learn from this blog you will find helpful.

Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion on particular topics you may want to learn more about.

Thanks for allowing me to help you with my shoulder impingement exercises blog.

Sincerely,

Dave Delaney.