Have you had a Shoulder Tear?

If you have suffered a shoulder tear then you will know all about it! You will most definitely feel shoulder pain and probably neck pain as well; everyday movements such as brushing hair or getting dressed will range from the uncomfortable to the excruciating.

A shoulder tear will occur if one of the muscles around the shoulder joint is damaged. Most clients tell me they “felt it go”, which means some of the fibres in the shoulder muscles themselves (deltoids) have been damaged, resulting in bleeding within the muscle and subsequent inflammation and pain. This is the body’s way of dealing with an injury; inflammation to protect and clean the area of any infection, and pain and swelling so that you’ll keep still and rest the muscle until the body figures out how bad the damage is. Your immune system is clever! Never continue to exercise through pain – you may make the problem much worse and it will take longer to heal.

If my client has been using Shoulder Press machines at the gym, or working with free weights, I would test for damage to the deltoid muscles. These muscles sit on the top of you shoulders rather like epaulettes on a uniform, and are involved in all arm and shoulder movements except bringing the arms in towards the body. So, if you raise your arms out to the sides in a crucifix-type position, the deltoids are working. For bringing your arms back to your sides, the deltoids are relaxed.

If, however, my client has been playing a racquet game or taking part in a circuits class, I would suspect damage to the Rotator Cuff. This is a group of 4 small muscles that are involved in inwards and outwards rotation of the shoulder – hence the name. So a backhand in tennis or a forward smash hit from a squash player would have me testing for Rotator Cuff injury.

The initial treatment is the usual advice; Rest and Ice. I’d usually add Compression and Elevation to that, but you can’t compress the shoulder, and it’s already elevated! Any worrying symptoms, such as numbness or tingling, and you should go to see your health professional as soon as possible.

All the best,

Carol J Bartram
(Sports Therapist, Personal Trainer & Pilates Instructor)

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