Two common rotator cuff pain questions in Grand Rapids, MI

You realize that you’re experiencing rotator cuff pain, so you go see your doctor in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Your doctor tells you that you have a rotator cuff injury, and he or she refers you to a physical therapy team. The physical therapy team puts you through a course of therapy, and your pain goes away. However, at the end of the process, you don’t know much more about how your pain was caused or even what your rotator cuff is then when you began.

If this scenario sounds all too familiar to you, then the team at Advent Physical Therapy in Grand Rapids, Michigan wants to help you take part in a totally different recovery process. We want to make you an equal partner in your recovery process. To do this, we know you need to have as much information about your condition as possible. It’s only with all the information that you can work together with our team to help reduce your rotator cuff pain.

Additionally, answering all your questions about your rotator cuff and how it was injured may have other benefits for you. For instance, the new knowledge you have about your condition may reduce the likelihood that you’ll re-injure your rotator cuff in the future. To bring about these positive outcomes, though, we understand that you need to have all your questions about your condition answered. To help you in the question-asking process, here are the two most common questions our team is asked about rotator cuff injuries.

Question #1: What is my rotator cuff?

For many of our patients in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the very first question asked is what the rotator cuff is. When this question is asked, our team works to help you understand exactly what your rotator cuff is and what it does. Your rotator cuff is actually four separate muscles and tendons that connect your upper arm bone to your shoulder blade. The job of this structure is to keep your arm bone in your shoulder socket when you’re moving your arm. In fact, it’s the structure that allows you to perform actions such as lifting, throwing and other complex shoulder movements.

Question #2: How was my rotator cuff injured?

The next question that the majority of people ask deals with how their rotator cuff was injured. Our team will tell you that there are a variety of both every day and uncommon things that can cause a rotator cuff injury. Some of the everyday things that can injure your rotator cuff include:

• Excessive amounts of throwing
• Reaching too far above your head
• Lifting unexpectedly heavy objects
• Having a bad fall around the house 

Also, uncommon things, such as car accidents or sports injuries, can injure your rotator cuff. To determine what exactly caused your injury, our team will perform a comprehensive screening of your shoulder and ask you questions about your recent activities.

Now that you have answers to the top two questions people ask the physical therapists at Advent Physical Therapy, we’re ready to help you begin your rotator cuff pain recovery. In fact, our recovery partnership can begin with just a short, 15-minute screening that’s completely free for you. All you have to do is contact our team at 4085 Burton St. SE, Suite 100 in Grand Rapids, Michigan to schedule your free rotator cuff pain screening today.