What can be done to strengthen the rotator cuffs to prevent injury? Are there a number of recommended exercises... and references to rehabilitation exercises? I have learned that the over 50 crowd, of which I belong, is more susceptiable to repetitive injury. I've had a nagging rotator cuff pain and would appreciate some advice. Thanks Robert *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
> What can be done to strengthen the rotator cuffs to prevent injury? > Are there a number of recommended exercises... and references to > rehabilitation exercises? > Canoe Mag had a story in I think March 1991 called Dr Jobe's Shoulder Home Companion. It gives about a dozen strengthening exercises that I do semi-regularly. Steve -- Test Scoring & Reporting Services Sometimes, you never can University of Georgia always tell what you Athens, GA 30602-5593 least expect the most. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
At 04:11 PM 9/21/98 -0500, "Robert C. Cline" <rcline_at_onramp.net> wrote: >What can be done to strengthen the rotator cuffs to prevent injury? >Are there a number of recommended exercises... and references to >rehabilitation exercises? > Robert, I was recently diagnosed with a rotator cuff problem and I can tell you the exercises and stretches that I was given in physical therapy to do if you'd like. It's 7-days a week so you've got to make a commitment. Bill Ridlon Southern Maine Sea Kayaking Network *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
What can be done to strengthen the rotator cuffs to prevent injury? Are there a number of recommended exercises... and references to rehabilitation exercises? > Dunno what a rotator cuff is. The only cuffs I have are around my wrist so I guess that's what you're talking about. I do wrist curls and reverse wrist curls to strengthen my wrists and to avoid tendonitis which supposedly is the kiss of death for paddling. My wrist curls are done by sitting on a bench/chair, placing my forearms on my thighs with the wrists hanging down over my knees holding a weight. Then slowly raise the weight. If your elbows come off your thighs, you're using too much weight. For reverse curls, just turn your arms over. I do 3 sets of 15 repitions once a week. I have learned that the over 50 crowd, of which I belong, is more susceptiable to repetitive injury. I've had a nagging rotator cuff pain and would appreciate some advice. > Yeah, seems like all the joints start creaking a little more as you go zooming past 50. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
>. > > > Yeah, seems like all the joints start creaking a little more as you go > zooming past 50. > ************************************************************************* *************************************************************************** Kia Ora, I noticed that only when trying to get out of the boat and thought it was merely a sign of reluctance to go home????;-) Eddie. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
The article I referred to before on shoulder exercises is in the May 1991 Canoe. It is also available for $5 from Champion Press as a booklet called "Shoulder and Arm Exercises for Athletes. 555 Hardy St Inglewood, CA 90301. The booklet and the article are exactly the same, don't order both, like I did. Steve *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
>What can be done to strengthen the rotator cuffs to prevent injury? >Are there a number of recommended exercises... and references to >rehabilitation exercises? > I have spent a year slowly healing a rotator cuff injury in the weight room. You need light weight, many repetitions and intensity of purpose. See any good book on weight training and join a gym with a variety of machines and dumbells and benches. But if the exercise hurts don't do it. Jerry *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
At 05:51 PM 9/22/98 -0500, Robert Cline wrote: >I'd be pleased to learn what exercises you were given. How bad was your >injury? Did you wait very long before going to the MD? I've been >struggling with this thing for about a month now. The pain is not real >bad. It just doesn't go away. > For those interested in rotator cuff problems: I first noticed a problem with my shoulder while working out with weights. Though I paddle irregularly (every 2nd or 3rd weekend, 2 to 4 days at a time) it didn't seem to bother me then. I had other problems as well: achilles tendons, knees, and hip. Nothing was really terrible but the achilles and knees kept me from running and the shoulder kept me from using much weight at the gym. The doctor did several things. She sent me to a physical therapist, she sent me to an arthritist specialist, she took a blood test, and she took xrays. The diagnosis was that I did not have arthritis. The physical therapist gave me several exercises and stretches to do every day (argh!). Altogether, they consumed 45 minutes of my day. However, just the rotator cuff stuff should only take 20 minutes or so. Here's what I got: First of all, you need a piece of stretchy rubber tubing. I got mine from the therapist people but I've seen them at health clubs, gyms, and aerobics classes so they must be widely available at workout gear stores. The thing is about 3 feet long, 1/3 to 1/2 inch in diameter, hollow, with loops at either end for your hand, a doorknob, etc. Mine just is tied at the end to make the loops. I've seen others with real handles. Their probably the deluxe version. First exercise: Hook one end of your rubber (sorry!) onto a doorknob, (close the door), hold the other end with your hand, and stand at a right-angle to the doorknob so that your problem shoulder is closest to the door. Your upper arm should be against your side and your lower arm at a right angle to your body. It's like you're using your lower arm as a turnstile. The length of rubber should be somewhat taut. Now, keep your upper arm against your body and rotate your lower arm across the front of your body so at the end it touches and is across your stomach. Don't rotate your body. Hold for 1 second and then rotate your arm back to the starting position. My therapist told me to hold a towel against my side with my upper arm. I think this was to keep me from moving the upper arm out from my body. That's an important part. Do 15 of these. Adjust where you stand so that there's a fair amount of effort involved to rotate your arm across in front of your body. However, with this exercise and all the rest, if you experience pain, back off. It may cause some discomfort but should not cause pain. Second exercise: After completing the first exercise, turn around 180 degrees so that your good shoulder is closest to the door. Do the same as before but as you bring your lower arm out from your stomach, keep going past the straight out point so that it's pointing away from the doorknob. Don't worry if you can't rotate a full 180 degrees from you stomach. Just go as far as is comfortable. Keep the towel held next to your side with your upper arm. With this exercise, the rubber is stretching as you rotate your arm away from your stomach rather than as you rotate toward your stomach. Once you've rotated the upper arm as far out as you can (keep that upper arm against your side!), hold for one second and then rotate it back to your stomach. With each of these exercises, they should be done slowly. Take a second to rotate one way, a second to hold, and a second to rotate back. As with the first exercise, do 15 of these. Key points: keep your upper arm against your side, keep your lower arm at 90 degrees, thumb up, like a turnstile. Third exercise: After completing the second exercise, face the door with your elbow on the arm you're working straight and the arm slightly toward the door with the length of rubber somewhat taut. Pull the tubing straight back, somewhat past your body. Hold it for 1 second and then return to the starting position. Repeat for a total of 15 times. Fourth exercise: Stand on one end of the rubber tubing and the other in your hand, with your arm at a 90 degree angle. Bring your hand up while keeping your arm at a 90 degree angle. This is a lot like an uppercut punch. Stop when your hand is at shoulder height. Hold for 1 second and then return to the starting position. Do this 15 times. Fifth exercise: While still standing on one end of your tubing, do a bicep curl. Keep your upper arm against your side. Your palm should face upward. Hold for 1 second at the top of the curl and then slowly return to the starting position. Fifteen reps. The next two are stretches. The first works on your posture. Stand with your arms down by your sides. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for 5 seconds, then let your arms relax to your side. While doing these, stand straight and don't raise your shoulders. Just let them go back as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. The second stretch works on stretching your shoulders back. Stand in a corner with your arms raised like in the old westerns when the bad guys raised their hands after the sheriff got the drop on them: Upper arms perpendicular to the body, lower arms parallel to the body. Put your upper arms against the two walls that make up the corner. You should be standing a foot to a foot and a half out from the corner. Next, slowly lean in towards the corner. Keep your back straight and your chin tucked back. Eventually, you may be able to touch the wall with your chest. Hold this stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. I hope this helps those with rotator cuff problems. I've had pretty good results. Only one of my shoulders bothered me so I only work one arm. If you've got problems on both sides, I guess it may take you 30 or 40 minutes to do these. I've found that if I start skipping this stuff on some days I start losing the benefits of it. If you really want to give it a fair test, you need to do it 7 days a week. With the rubber tubing, if you experience pain, you can make the stretch of the rubber as light as needed. Bill Ridlon Southern Maine Sea Kayaking Network *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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