Sports Injury 101: Shoulder Tendonitis

Shoulder pain and injuries are extremely common in athletes and individuals involved in activities that require a lot of pushing, pulling, or overhead use of the arm. Of these shoulder injuries Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy (also known as shoulder tendonitis, or shoulder impingement syndrome) is among the most prevalent and most frustrating for the patient or athlete. In many cases,the condition seems to come out of nowhere and usually fails to go away with rest or stretching. To better understand this injury and why it is often slow to heal lets look at what actually happens with this injury.

The rotator cuff consists of a group of four small muscles that run from the shoulder blade to the top of the arm, or humerus. This group of muscles is very important because the anatomy of the shoulder joint makes it susceptible to injury. The shoulder joint consists of the round head of the humerus making a connection with the flat surface of the shoulder blade. As a result of this round on flat relationship the head of the humerus has a tendency to slip and slide on the joint during arm movements. This is where the rotator cuff comes in. The rotator cuff must contract during all arm movements in order to hold the humeral head in place tightly against the shoulder blade. Over time the rotator cuff muscles can actually become fatigued and will begin to become strained. At this stage the shoulder is not yet painful but overtime this strain can accumulate and develop into a repetitive strain injury of the muscle and tendon. As injury develops there is usually a pain on top of the shoulder that is aggravated by lifting the arm overhead or on the day following strenuous activity.
Unfortunately, rotator cuff teninopathy does not usually get better on it’s own. In fact, unless it is properly treated it will often get worse and may even progress into a more serious injury such a muscle tear. The good news is that the majority of tendon injuries are greatly helped with a combination of Active Release Techniques (ART) and specific home stretches and exercises. When treated in the early stages before it is allowed to progress to a more serious injury most rotator cuff tendinopathies are able to fully heal and the individual is able to fully return to their respective sports without any long-term consequences.