One day, you’re lifting a box up onto a shelf above your head when you feel a sharp pain in your shoulder. You may think that you just strained a shoulder muscle, but if the pain develops into a dull ache that doesn’t go away, you may have a rotator cuff injury. The shoulder pain and other symptoms of rotator cuff injuries can make normal daily tasks difficult to do, but a physical therapist can help you treat your injury. In order to begin your rotator cuff injury treatment with a physical therapist, there are two basic steps you’ll need to take in El Paso, Texas.
1. Have an initial screening
The first step in your rotator cuff injury treatment process in El Paso will be to have an initial screening. This step allows the physical therapist to meet with you one-on-one, and it will help them determine if you do in fact have a rotator cuff injury. One tool that your therapist may use to make this determination is a goniometer, which is a device that measures the range of motion and the strength of the shoulder.
Your shoulder function may also be tested using the empty can test. For this test, you’ll be asked to lift the affected arm to shoulder height while keeping it straight. Then, you’ll rotate your arm forward so that your thumb is pointing down, and the therapist will apply downward pressure to the arm and ask you to resist the pressure. If you feel pain or weakness during this test, then you’ve just tested positive for a rotator cuff injury.
2. Make a plan with your therapist
Once it’s confirmed that you need rotator cuff treatment, the next step you and your therapist will take is to create a recovery plan. This plan will typically include a number of physical therapy techniques, and this is intended to help speed up your recovery and reduce your pain by attacking your injury from multiple angles.
Manual therapy is one technique that can be included in treatment plans for rotator cuff injuries. This is a hands-on technique where the therapist will move your shoulder through various movements. Typically, these will be movements that you aren’t able to do yourself. Other movements included in this technique can be used to reduce tension in muscles and other soft tissue, and these can help improve range of motion and decrease pain.
Another technique that may be included in your treatment plan is electrical stimulation. When using this technique, your therapist will attach several electrode pads to your shoulder. These pads will then be connected to an electrical stimulation machine, which will send low-power electrical pulses into your shoulder. The pulses are intended to reduce pain by blocking the pain signals the shoulder nerves are sending to the brain.
Get started with your rotator cuff injury treatment in El Paso, TX, at Border Therapy Services
These two basic steps are two of the ones we use here at Border Therapy Services in El Paso. We find that a one-on-one screening and creating a personalized therapy plan for you can offer more benefits, such as:
- Quicker recovery
- Reduced pain
- Improved range of motion
- Increased ability to do normal daily tasks
Are you ready to begin your treatment with us? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an appointment.