Saturday, 12 May 2012

Rotator Cuff Stretches What Is Best?

By Steve Kaiser


Rotator cuff stretches must always be included in your rotator cuff exercise program. Aside from helping regain your complete range of motion especially after an injury, rotator cuff extensions will help alleviate pain and prevent injuries from happening. For instance, playing sports that involve the use of the rotator cuff usually result to injuries and this is where cuff stretches prove to be effective methods of thwarting any untoward incidences.

The rotator cuff is actually a group of muscles, ligaments, and tendons that surround the shoulder joint. Truth is, the structure of the joint is complex and that is what makes your joints vulnerable to damage and displacement. There are times when simple activities such as reaching for high places or stretching after you wake up could cause you pain. This is also apparent when you engage in sports such as tennis, golf, and rowing, among others. Because of unbearable pain, it limits your shoulder joint's range of motion.

Including rotator cuff stretches in your fitness routine is extremely beneficial to you because they help in building your strength, other rotator cuff ailments are addressed, and it is something that you can do even without the help of any gym equipment. Another important aspect of this is that it boosts your range of motion to its maximum potential, thus, your muscle performance is greatly improved as well.

When doing your exercises, ensure that you warm up prior to engaging in any type of exercise or sports activity through stretching. This will help prepare your body to whatever extreme actions you will subject it to. When stretching, do not overexert yourself to the point where you feel extreme resistance. You will just hurt yourself in doing so. For more effective stretches, aim to hold your stretch posture from 20 to 30 seconds before moving to your other side. In case you feel pain while doing the stretches, stop and rest in between stretches.

Although stretching exercises are effective, there is no single rotator cuff extension that can claim it could help eliminate incidences of cuff injuries. Nevertheless, the following exercises can help prevent muscle tautness.

Pendulum routine. Dangle both arms and sway them from right to left, forward and backward, and in clockwise motion. After eight counts in each direction, reverse position and count eight counts each.

Wall climb. With your left side on the wall, raise your left arm up the wall with your palms flat on the wall. Using your fingers, walk the hand further up the wall and hold your position once you feel a side stretch. Slowly release and go back to your starting position. Repeat the same with your right arm. Do this exercise at least eight times on each side.

These rotator cuff stretches will help your body and muscles retain their elasticity. A word of caution though if you think you are suffering from a shoulder injury: You must secure your orthopaedist's consent before you do any of the exercises just to check if they are safe for you.




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