When it comes to any type of injury, especially one that involves muscles, the first thing that comes to mind is heat – no – ice – yes, heat – yes – ice -no. Should you apply heat or ice for a rotator cuff injury? Which is it?
Some people say will tell you to put ice on an injured muscle and others will say completely opposite and tell you to apply heat first then ice. Everyone claims to be an expert on this subject so I decided to write a blog post and give my thoughts on exactly what to do specifically for a rotator cuff injury.
If you’ve just suffered a rotator cuff injury, say within the last 48 hours, I recommend you apply ice to your shoulder. With your new rotator cuff injury, there will be undoubtedly some swelling, pain and inflammation. The first thing you need to do is to control keep the swelling to a minimum. By simply applying ice you will immediately reduce the pain and muscle spasms and reduce any further bleeding of the damaged tissues and muscles.
As you apply the ice to your rotator cuff injury you will help prevent your shoulder from seizing up on you and allow you to have normal range of motion and functionality. As with any repetitive stress injury such as a rotator cuff injury, part of your recovery will include a specific set of shoulder strengthening and rotator cuff exercises. I recommend that after you perform these exercises, you apply ice immediately to your shoulder for at least 10 minutes. This will help decrease any pain and help improve your shoulder’s range of motion.
If you don’t have an ice pack, you can use a bag of frozen peas or vegetables. You should never apply ice directly to your skin as this can cause permanent skin damage.
After the first 48 hours of your rotator cuff injury, you can move onto using heat to help improve blood circulation for your muscles to recover and repair. Heat helps blood vessels to open up which sends more blood to your injury. Be careful when you apply heat as too much heat can burn your skin and cause as much damage as applying ice directly to the skin. The easiest way to apply heat is with a hot water bottle or hot cloth. Keep an eye on the color of your skin as to make sure you are not burning the skin.
Within the time it takes for you to recover from your rotator cuff injury, you will discover that ice will provide better pain relief than applying heat. Icing provides a deeper penetration into your damaged muscles and tendons plus the relief you will feel will last longer.
So now that you know that ice is your best option for a rotator cuff injury, what you really need is a proven system that accelerates your healing process so you can get back to all your favorite sports and activities again – in the shortest possible time.
All it really takes are 4 simple, step-by-step techniques that you can do from the comfort and convenience of your own home without any special exercise equipment. Simply click the ‘Learn More’ button below to learn just how easy it is to cure your rotator cuff injury and eliminate shoulder pain!
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