“A Great Way to Get Rid of Rotator Cuff Tendonitis and be able to lift, reach, play and work pain-free!”
Imagine being able to put on a shirt, wash your hair and reach into an overhead cabinet without agonizing pain in your shoulder. What if you could do that, and return to work, sport and recreation feeling stronger and more confident because you’re doing it without pain? Wouldn’t that interest you?
What is the Rotator Cuff?
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint, keeping the head of your upper arm bone firmly within the shallow socket of the shoulder. It is made up of four muscles that act to stabilize the shoulder in the socket during shoulder movements.
What is Rotator Cuff Tendonitis?
Rotator Cuff Tendonitis is an inflammatory condition affecting one or more tendons of the rotator cuff in the shoulder. This condition usually occurs over a period of time. Repetitive activity can cause injury to the tendons of the rotator cuff leading pain. Rotator cuff tendonitis is usually associated with repetitive overhead activity such as throwing or lifting. It may also occur as a result of injury such as a fall onto the shoulder. Shoulder pain is the third most common cause of musculoskeletal pain behind neck and low back pain. Rotator cuff tendonitis accounts for the most common cause of shoulder pain and is seen most in ages 40-70. The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles that assist in elevating the shoulder.
Symptoms may include:
• Painful arc of motion when you reach shoulder height during elevation
• Pain when laying on the sore shoulder
• Pain or clicking when reaching behind your back or behind your head
• Shoulder pain that may radiate down as far as the elbow
• Pain triggered by raising and lowering your arm
What causes Rotator Cuff Tendonitis?
Rotator Cuff Tendonitis can occur for a number of reasons. Typically, it is caused by repetitive micro-trauma to the tendons, which lead to increase in shoulder pain due to inflammation. This usually occurs over a period of time. Rarely is this condition caused by a single trauma such as a fall.
The most common causes include:
1) Poor posture
2) Repetitive overhead activity (throwing, lifting, reaching)
3) Sitting for long periods of time such as with desk/computer work
4) Over-training or poor exercise form
5) Weakness and tightness of the rotator cuff and shoulder blade muscles
Impairments Rotator Cuff Tendonitis can cause
Rotator Cuff Tendonitis can make the simplest activities difficult. Even reaching for a glass from an overhead cabinet can be extremely painful. Work productivity can decline due to pain and difficulty with sitting and typing. Altering the way you raise your arm or lift objects can lead to other issues, such as neck pain and elbow tendonitis. Regular daily activities can become more difficult and exhausting to perform because of rotator cuff tendonitis symptoms. We rely on our shoulders everyday for reaching, lifting and carrying. When this becomes painful, the tendency is to avoid the pain, thus leading to more sedentary behavior. This decline in activity can affect the whole body by causing weakness of muscles, stiffness of joints and drop in energy levels.
Physiologically, the pain often stems from…
• Impingement of the rotator cuff tendons against the boney structures of the shoulder usually caused by repetitive overhead reaching and lifting.
• Over time, this impingement can lead to micro-trauma and inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons leading to tendonitis.
• Chronic tendonitis can lead to swelling and thickening of the rotator cuff tendons, which is caused by buildup of scar tissue from a continued cycle of tear and repair of the tendon
• Thickening of the tendons can cause fraying especially if the tendonitis is not treated early and the aggravating activities continue.
When should I worry?
• If symptoms have been present for more than 7-14 days and do not appear to be improving.
• You have taken drugs, such as an anti-inflammatory, but it no longer helps to reduce symptoms.
• If simple activities such as brushing teeth, lifting a glass or sleeping become more painful.
When does it become an emergency?
• You have shoulder pain at rest.
• If you begin having pain in other areas such as neck or elbow.
• You notice numbness or tingling radiating down into the arm.
If you experience any of these symptoms, contact us immediately.
Traditional treatments that most try but are not as effective include:
• Drugs or anti-inflammatories
• Ice or Heat
• Generic Physical Therapy (ultrasound, electric stimulation, etc.)
• Steroid injections
If left untreated, Rotator Cuff Tendonitis can lead to SIGNIFICANT FUNCTIONAL LOSSES.
Ignoring Rotator Cuff Tendonitis can lead to chronic shoulder pain due to build up of scar tissue. This can make performance of regular daily activities more difficult. Basic household chores, work duties, reaching and lifting can become extremely painful limiting how much activity can be tolerated. As a result of pain and inactivity, you can begin to develop weakness, tightness and muscle imbalance that affect your shoulder and upper back. These imbalances make you more susceptible to other musculoskeletal injuries such as cervical disc issues and rotator cuff tears.
Try these Self-Tests to see if you have Rotator Cuff Tendonitis
Because the rotator cuff is responsible for rotating the shoulder, there are several ways to test for tendonitis. Look for loss of mobility as well as pain intensity when performing these tests. Compare the pain level and motion to your non-painful side.
1. First, try reaching behind your back like you’re going to put your hand in your back pocket. Reach up your back as high as you can and compare this motion and pain level to the opposite shoulder.
2. Next, try reaching your hand behind your head and moving toward your shoulder blades. Almost like patting yourself on the back. If you feel pain or stiffness compared to the other side when doing this, it is likely that the rotator cuff is involved.
3. Finally, attempt to reach across to your opposite shoulder. Once you reach the opposite shoulder (if you are able to without pain), keep your hand on that shoulder and try lifting the elbow up (see below graphic). Pain may indicate tendonitis.
DISCLAIMER: This is not a complete diagnostic test. It may be necessary to have a full evaluation by a physical therapist to get a more accurate diagnosis.
“How do you treat or prevent Rotator Cuff Tendonitis and return to pain-free lifting, reaching, working and recreation?”
My revolutionary “RCT Solutions” pain relieving program helps to get rid of symptoms quickly. Many get relief after the first session. Depending on the complexity of your condition (how long you have had it, severity of symptoms, other medically related factors such as diabetes), it may take up to 6-12 sessions to fix.
I discovered this solution after dealing with my own shoulder tendonitis issues years ago. My shoulder symptoms became so severe that I was having difficulty working on my patients because of pain and weakness. Exercising and lifting weights with my arms became extremely difficult because I couldn’t hold the dumbells without my shoulder giving way. It also affected my social recreation. I was unable to play on my flag football team because I had pain with reaching overhead, making catching a ball almost impossible.
The most difficult part was that I was just starting my career as a physical therapist and this injury was already weighing me down. I didn’t want to go to my doctor or an orthopedist because I knew I would either get medication, an injection, or they would tell me I needed surgery. That’s when I decided to treat my shoulder in my own way, and it worked.
I discovered the importance of not only strengthening the rotator cuff, but also mobility of the thoracic spine, stabilization of the scapula and flexibility of the shoulder. This is the treatment concept I have used while working with hundreds of patients who have suffered from rotator cuff tendonitis. As I treated their shoulders, I noticed that there was not only improvement in pain levels, but they also were able to maintain better posture allowing for improvement in reaching and performing overhead activities.
Through research and treatment, I discovered the importance of the balance of both the rotator cuff and muscles of the scapula. This balance of strength and flexibility of the shoulder and upper back help to improve posture and overhead reaching. Imbalance, weakness and tightness of this group of muscles not only leads to rotator cuff tendonitis and shoulder pain, but also cause an altering of the mechanics of the shoulder.
I found that if I train these muscles properly through several different functional planes of motion, strength and mobility improved very quickly.
Also, this treatment is all-natural! There are no drugs with harmful side effects. There are no painful injections. Most importantly, there is absolutely no surgery involved. It’s all done through proper movement and challenging muscles in a functional way.
This discovery led to a dramatic increase in how fast my patients got better. As a result, they were able to gain strength and mobility that they never had before. They were able to play sports, lift and carry, participate in recreation, work more effectively, and live their lives again!
Not all treatments are the same.
Not all traditional rotator cuff tendonitis treatments lead to improving your level of function. Believe it or not, some do not address these other areas and muscles that help to get you to the next level and keep you there! Not all practitioners treat shoulder pain and rotator cuff tendonitis the same, and not all treatments target these muscle groups properly and effectively.
This treatment method is highly unique. I focus on creating balance of all muscle groups that feed into your shoulder pain (looking more at the entire body rather than just the shoulder itself) to get quick, maximum results.
My years of experience and research has led to the discovery of this revolutionary new way to stop rotator cuff tendonitis pain in almost anyone of any age, body type, or condition.
“Who are you?”
My name is Bryan Kreitlow, DPT. I am a licensed physical therapist specializing in shoulder and rotator cuff issues, especially rotator cuff tendonitis. In addition to my physical therapy experience, I have also been working as a personal trainer focusing on functional movements that build strength properly and safely in order to maximize functional ability. My passion lies not only in getting people pain-free, but also making people healthier, stronger and more active.
“What can I expect from this program?”
1. Get rid of rotator cuff tendonitis and shoulder pain*
2. Improve mobility and strength
3. Increase energy throughout the day
4. Improve self-esteem and confidence
5. Move better, faster, and more efficiently
*The complexity of your condition will determine your level of results.
“How quickly will I see results?”
1. Most feel better immediately. You can expect the pain and mobility of your shoulder to improve after the very first session.
2. You could see an improvement in strength, stability and mobility after just 1-2 weeks with this program.
3. Most are finished with the program in 6 sessions and then continue on their own with the “next step” progressions that are provided to each participant. However, some conditions are more complex and require up to 12 sessions.