The Anatomy Ah, the infamous rotator cuff. Nearly everyone knows someone who has injured it, but what is a rotator cuff? During my physical therapy career, I have heard individuals call this a rotator cup, rotary cuff, rotor cup, and many other alternatives, but do not worry because we understand what you mean. First, a […]
When Can I Start Working Out After Shoulder Surgery?
At PhysioDC, we hear this question all of the time. It is a vague question, because it depends entirely on what type of procedure/repair you had on your shoulder. IN GENERAL, here is a basic protocol for many types of rotator cuff repairs, labral repairs, bankart repairs, and acromioplasty. It goes without saying that you […]
Shoulder Surgery: When Can I Get Rid of My Shoulder Sling?
Rotator cuff repairs, shoulder labral repairs, acromioplasty, humeral fractures, and other shoulder surgeries inevitably require the usage of a shoulder sling as a means of protecting the surgeon’s work and allowing early healing of the involved tissue. I have yet to meet a surgeon who does not prescribe the usage of a shoulder sling immediately […]
Managing Expectations When Recovering from a Labral Repair
This article was originally written in 2011, and the content still rings true! Our author had gone through multiple shoulder labral repair surgeries and has some great advice in terms of the realistic time frames for rehabilitation and goals. In the physical therapy clinic, the post-operative protocols that came out around 2005-2010 are holding up […]
Sleeping Comfort after Shoulder Surgery
Rotator cuff repairs, labral repairs, acromioplasties, and shoulder replacement surgeries are performed on countless patients every day in the United States. Although rehabilitative protocols differ depending on the surgery, there is one common complaint shoulder patients have regardless of the type of surgery. Most patients are not equipped to deal with the pain associated with […]
Why Won’t My Shoulder Rotate?
Deficits in the shoulder’s ability to rotate both internally and externally occur in patients with shoulder pain all of the time. Today we will be talking about internal rotation deficits. This is clinically referred to as “GIRD” (Glenohumeral Internal Rotational Deficit). The following photos illustrate how GIRD presents. Note that with the patient’s attempt to […]
What Does a Shoulder Labral Tear Feel Like?
From personal experience I can attest that labral tears can hurt quite a bit. What we will be discussing today in this blog post are a few ways to differentiate between shoulder labral tear pain and pain associated with other shoulder problems. For the sake of brevity, we have already described the basic anatomy of […]
My Shoulder Blades Are Not Even!
Take a look at anyone’s resting shoulder blade position from behind the next time you are at the pool or at the beach. If you look closely, you may notice that many people’s shoulder blades, or scapulae, do not sit evenly. Two common observations to see are one shoulder blade sitting higher than the other […]
How Do I Stabilize an Unstable Shoulder?
A significant percentage of the population has “unstable” shoulders, or shoulders that have the ability to move into ranges that place one at risk for orthopedic injury. Also known by the medical community as “multi-directional instability,” loose shoulders are fairly easy to identify. If you suspect that you have an unstable shoulder, ask yourself the […]
Is Sleeping On My Side Bad For My Shoulder?
Especially for those of us who already have to deal with shoulder pain, the answer is a resounding “yes.” As a quick experiment, lie on your side. Think about the positioning of your shoulder as you lie on top of it. Most people will unconsciously position the body so that the bottom shoulder is forced […]
Strengthen Your Scapular Muscles!
The scapula, otherwise known as the shoulder blade, plays a vital role in shoulder mechanics. If the shoulder blade is not controlled well via the muscles that attach to it, problems ranging from neck pain to rotator cuff tendonitis are often the result. Scapular strengthening is often overlooked both in patients that are trying to […]
Shoulder Pain With Yoga? Adjust your “Downward Dog”!
The bones and tendons of the arms are not anatomically equipped to bear the brunt of our weight. If they were, we would still be walking around on all fours. The yoga “downward facing dog” position places us “on all fours,” placing abnormal stress on the tendons of the rotator cuff as the shoulder joints […]
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
The “thoracic outlet” is the anatomical space through which vital nerves and arteries exit the neck and enter the arm. (See illustration below) You can see from the illustration that there are many structures that have the potential to get in the way of, clamp down on, or otherwise disrupt the nerves as they pass […]
Frozen Shoulder: What should I do?
A forty-year old woman ”Jane” came in to the clinic last week with a look of exasperation on her face, clutching her left arm. A month ago she had reached behind her to get something out of the back seat of her car and felt a sudden, jarring pain in her shoulder that she described […]
How Do I Deal With A Shoulder Dislocation?
Shoulder dislocations typically occur from sudden jarring motions while the shoulder is in a compromised position. An auto accident, fall off a bicycle, or collision while playing sports are common examples of situations that can cause dislocations. For those of us who are naturally hyper-flexible, it may take much less force to cause a dislocation. […]