Rotator Cuff Injury: Northwood Chiropractor Explains

At Northwood Chiropractic Oxford, we prioritize getting to the root cause of rotator cuff injuries by asking the question of why. Why did it develop in the first place and why is it not healing? By answering these, we can truly get to the cause of the problem for lasting results. The rotator cuff consists of 4 small muscles that surround your shoulder, primarily working to stabilize it during shoulder movement. While these muscles are vital for proper shoulder function, when injured they can cause significant problems.

Rotator cuff injuries often develop due to underlying mechanical dysfunction in the shoulder and/or nerve pressure from the spine going to the shoulder that places excess pressure on the tendons or muscles. This often leads to the rotator cuff becoming more suseptible to inury which typically occurs with some type of trauma. Risk factors include:

• Age-related muscle and tendon changes
• Frequent overhead activities
• Poor shoulder mechanics
• Repetitive strain
• Previous shoulder and/or spinal trauma

Understanding these factors is crucial to getting to the root cause, rather than just the symptoms, and leads to better long-term outcomes.