Rotator Cuff Muscles

Rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and their associated tendons, which shield the head portion of the humerus (arm bone) as a cuff. Also known as rotor cuff, it helps in rotation of the arm and balancing the shoulder for movement activities. The muscles originate from the shoulder blade (scapula) and extend to the arm bone (humerus), where they join like a cuff. As rotator cuff muscles are involved in regular movements, they are more susceptible to injury than other muscular tissues.

Rotator Cuff Muscles: An Overview

The major functions of rotator cuff are to stabilize the humerus in the shoulder joint and ensure proper movement of the arm, either by adduction or rotation. As per orthopedist, it is a primary area for shoulder related trauma. To be more precise, a patient with shoulder pain is quite likely to have a rotator cuff injury. You can refer to the rotator cuff muscles diagram for better understanding of the anatomical structures. Refer to the following points to learn about rotator cuff muscles functioning and related problems:

Function
Rotator cuff muscles and their actions are studied in detail. The four muscles that make up rotator cuff are supraspinatus muscle (abducts arm), infraspinatus muscle (rotates arm externally), teres minor muscle (rotates arm externally) and subscapularis muscle (rotates humerus internally). Thus, all the rotator cuff muscles are collectively responsible for proper movement of the arm, especially rotational and overhead.

Exercises
No doubt, rotator cuff muscles are engaged in performing day-to-day activities. But, proper weight exercise targeting individual muscles is beneficial to avoid future incidences of shoulder injuries. Some useful rotator cuff exercises are external rotation while lying on sides, internal rotation accompanied with lateral raise, light weight exercise and isometric contraction. These activities aid in strengthening rotator cuff muscles.

Pain
A commonly manifested condition, rotator cuff pain is caused due to exertion of the muscles and/or physical trauma. Pain become worse during lifting of the arm and performing elevation movements. Adequate rest is the thumb rule to reduce pain and swelling. Other home remedies include cold treatment (icing), elevation and compression therapy. If pain persists for an extended period, getting it addressed by a physician is a practical solution.

Injury
A torn rotator cuff indicates tear of one or more tendons of the rotor cuff, whereas injury refers to damage or irritation of the muscles or tendons. Both these conditions affect the normal functioning of the shoulder and arm. However, rotator cuff tear is asymptomatic in most cases, which gradually worsens with time. For mild rotator cuff injury cases, self care tips are effective for management of the painful symptoms.

Testing
For any rotator cuff symptoms, the physician will examine the shoulder and head of upper arm for physical signs, such as swelling, tenderness, discoloration and deformities. The affected area will be checked for strength, limited movement, blood flow and reflexion. For confirmation of other suspected reasons and to rule out shoulder bone related complications, X-ray imaging test of the rotator cuff is conducted.

Educating yourself about rotator cuff stretches and exercises and performing them on a regular basis will help in reducing pain and discomfort symptoms (if any). For majority of the problems, exercises and rotator cuff therapy are effective to heal rotator cuff muscles completely. However, in case of severe irreversible injuries, the orthopedist doctor may recommend surgery as the last treatment option.