Two Simple Rotator-Cuff Exercises
To Prevent Surgery
These simple rotator-cuff exercises will strengthen your rotator-cuff which is made up of four small muscles that lie just beneath your shoulder. These muscles hold your arm in it's socket.
Their job is to help rotate the shoulder joint such as catching and throwing a ball. This is why it's very common for baseball pitchers to suffer from rotator-cuff injuries because of the repetitive nature of their work. It is also very common to see a torn rotator-cuff in people as they get older.
Weak rotator muscles can be damaged by a simple activity such as reaching into your cupboard for a coffee cup. This is why it is very important to focus on strengthening this particular muscle group that way they are much less likely to suffer a tear or a strain which is otherwise common. When performing rotator-cuff exercises, you should also work your shoulders in different directions to strengthen your deltoids. When the deltoids work it causes the rotator muscles to go into action, if the deltoids are weak it puts you at a greater risk for a serious rotator injury when doing any heavy lifting with your upper body. When to see the doctor...
If you suffer from chronic pain in the shoulder and have trouble raising your arm above your head you most likely have a torn rotator. You may want to schedule a visit with your Dr. who can refer to an orthopedic specialist. Often they will recommend a few sessions with a physical therapist who will help guide them with an exercise program that will help to correct the problem. If that doesn't work then surgery may be necessary in some cases. 
The best exercises for strengthening the rotator-cuff is shoulder isometrics and internal/external rotations using an exercise band. Just tie one end of the band around a doorknob and stand with good posture hold your arm at a 90 degree angle with your elbow close to your side move your arm in towards your belly button for the internal rotation. For the external rotation you hold your arm the same way except you will rotate your shoulder moving your arm away from your belly button. 
This same exercise can be done lying on your side using a 2-3 pound dumbbell. The goal of these exercises is to improve function of the muscle group that surrounds the shoulder. Start out with 1 set of 10 reps and slowly increase it to 2 sets of 10 within a week and then to 3 sets of 10 after 2 weeks.
Return from Rotator-Cuff Exercises to Exercise Benefits for Healthy Living
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