End Rotator Cuff Pain

We generally hear about rotator cuff injuries, but don’t always realize that there are several rotator cuff muscles and several injury possibilities.

The most common rotator cuff injury is to the supraspinatus muscle.

Fun Facts About Your Supraspinatus Muscle:

1. Location:

   • Your supraspinatus muscle lies “in the gully” that sits across the top of your shoulder blade.

   • And then travels outward and under the bridge formed by your shoulder blade and collar bone.

   • And then attaches to the top of your arm bone.

2. Function:

   • First to Fire — Your supraspinatus rotator cuff muscle is the 1st muscle that fires when you lift your arm up upward and

     • If the “jumpstart” of your swing is weak or even more likely over-active and strained, you’ve lost speed for your swing.

   • 1st 10 – 20° Function Arc — Supraspinatus is responsible for lifting your arm upward the 1st 10 – 20°.

     • If the first stage of your swing is strained and possibly already in pain & protective mode, your swing is handicapped, will lose even more speed, and will undersell your actual capabilities.

   • Shifts to Delt Support —Beyond 10 – 20°, supraspinatus shifts to provide steadying support for your delts as your arm lifts for your overhead stroke.

     • If your supraspinatus is already slow and/or shot, your delts are on their own and your body will have to co-opt other muscles to provide the needed delt swing support.

The Rotator Cuff Problem:

• How Did I End Up with that Rotator Cuff Problem?

  • So many options! — Oh My! How About:

    • Texting

    • Working on a laptop keyboard

    • Driving

    • Curling up on your side to sleep

  • To Give You an Idea:

    • When Texting: If you think about it, your shoulder’s posture when you text is forward and rolled inward.

    • If your arm is constantly in a rolled forward position that means a couple of things are happening:

      • • Your pecs are most likely contracting 24/7 & tight

      — Which means your shoulder is rolled inward

    • • • With your shoulder rolled forward and inward, your supraspinatus, because of it’s attachment on your arm, is also rolled forward and inward

      — Which means your supraspinatus and other rotator cuff muscles are in chronic stretch mode

      — Which means, over time, your rotator cuff muscles never relax or return to neutral

      — Which means, over time they fatigue and “turn-off” for developing muscle strength.

      — Which means your swing is further handicapped!

      — Which means the likelihood of injury continues to increase.

      — Which means that over-time, under constant strain, your rotator cuff muscles will scream with pain…