If you have damaged your shoulder in the rotator cuff area which is a grouping of 4 muscles and tendons which help to stabilize the shoulder itself, through sports, weight lifting, or other over use, your doctor may be recommending surgery as the correction. The question becomes should you get a second opinion and are there alternatives?
1st. – Rest your shoulder. Avoid painful movements and stop doing whatever activity caused the injury in the first place.
2nd – Apply ice and heat intermittently to help reduce inflammation and ease pain.
3rd – Over the counter pain relievers may offer some relief as well as taking turmeric and black pepper in combination to greatly reduce the inflammation of the shoulder.
4th – stretching exercises can help loosen and heal.
5th – steroid injections may also be used to help with pain.
6th – Chiropractic treatment is very effective for grade I and II tears.
7th – Complete tears will require surgery.
You know you have a tear in your rotator cuff if:
You experience pain when raising and lowering the arm.
You have pain at night, especially while laying on that side.
You hear cracking sounds or feel them when moving the shoulder.
These are the muscles of the rotator cuff which play an important role:
Supraspinatus. The superaspinatus holds your humerus in place and keeps your upper arm stable as well as helping to lift your arm.
Infraspinatus. This is the main muscle that lets you rotate and extend your shoulder.
Teres Minor. The smallest rotator cuff muscle. It assists with the rotation of the arm away from the body.
Subscapularis. Attaches your upper arm to your shoulder blade and helps you rotate your arm, lower it and hold it straight out at a 90-degree angle.
Chiropractic treatment is very effective for grade I and II tears, but complete tears will need surgery. Many rotator cuff injuries heal by themselves in time. Chiropractic care is the best non-surgical option to work on both spinal and shoulder issues that affect the resolution of rotator cuff issues.
If you suspect you may have damaged your rotator cuff we invite you to make an appointment with Dr. Jason Kaster, D.C. of Fort Myers, Fl for a proper diagnosis and treatment. If you do need surgery he will refer you to a specialist and if your case can be handled non invasively, he will get you on the road to recovery.
Chiropractor & Nutritionist in Fort Myers, FL.
Chiropractic care is a safe, alternative treatment when applied appropriately. Chiropractic treatments help in dealing with the symptoms of many conditions. Are you going to wait for your symptoms to be felt, or are you going to prevent them before they start?
Dr. Jason B. Kaster, a chiropractor, and nutritionist in Fort Myers can help you and your family achieve their optimal health.