As some of you know the Rotator Cuff is one of the paddling injuries no one wants to get. It is a sensitive part of your paddling anatomy that does not get much constant workout during paddling but does get occasional large strains. That means that if your not working it out off the river your not working it out on the river either!!!

Now that I am aware I have a sensitive rotator cuff, my Physical Therapist has recommended that I start doing excersises to strengthen it. When you get this type of injury you have either usually torn or strained one of the 4 muscle/ligament groups that connects to your cuff. Sometimes its hard to tell if its strained or torn and MRI's are the method used to make the call. Unfortunately MRI's cost thousands of dollars and are quite expensive. So in my case I have decided to re-hab it as much as I can to determine by recovery time if I have a tear or just a strain.

I am going with just a strain!!!! In the meantime I figured I would post the different exercises I have been given to work on so folks out there can use the information to prevent their own injury or re-hab one if they have it.

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The exercises described below can help you strengthen the muscles in your shoulder (especially the muscles of the rotator cuff--the part that helps circular motion). These exercises should not cause you pain. If you feel any pain, stop exercising. Start again with a lighter weight.

Look at the pictures with each exercise so you can use the correct position. Warm up before adding weights. To warm up, stretch your arms and shoulders, and do pendulum exercises. To do pendulum exercises, bend from the waist, letting your arms hang down. Keep your arm and shoulder muscles relaxed, and move your arms slowly back and forth. Perform the exercises slowly: Lift your arm to a slow count of 3 and lower your arm to a slow count of 6.

Keep repeating each of the following exercises until your arm is tired. Use a light enough weight that you don't get tired until you've done the exercise about 20 to 30 times. Increase the weight a little each week (but never so much that the weight causes pain). Start with 2 ounces the first week. Move up to 4 ounces the second week, 8 ounces the next week and so on.

Each time you finish doing all 4 exercises, put an ice pack on your shoulder for 20 minutes. It's best to use a plastic bag with ice cubes in it or a bag of frozen peas, not gel packs. If you do all 4 exercises 3 to 5 times a week, your rotator cuff muscles will become stronger, and you'll get back normal strength in your shoulder.

 thanks for posting these exercises.  I think I may have a similar problem and I don't want to get a MRI.  Lately my shoulder hurts after paddling.  I can't say that it bothers me while I boat but when I get home my shoulder is very sore.  Thanks for the post.  Does anyone know if doing general weightlifting is bad for a shoulder that may have a damaged rotator cuff?  Is it better to only rehab exercises or is it ok to do other exercises like bench press or pull ups?

Jojo, I am no doctor and I don't know if I would trust just any ole E-vice but for what its worth my doctor told me that PT (Physical Therapy) would not exacerbate a torn cuff however it would be painful without the possibility of rehabilitation until it is properly repaired. The Physical Therapist I am going to told me that a good sign between the two is recovery time. If you feeling better and see signs of improvement your most likely not working with a torn muscle group. But if it is sprained you can have the same amount of pain as a tear but a totally different recovery timeframe. That excites me because I am starting to feel a change in range of motion and I am thinking I just had a good strain or sprain.

I was also told that if I did the PT, got it to the point where I felt it was 95-100% recovered and then it suddenly started relapsing easily it could be a tear that is going to continue to open back up when pushed. If thats the case $$$ up for the MRI and get it done right.

I will let you know how mine ends up in the next few weeks. Thanks for the thoughts guys, hope I'm out there quick like too!

Ok, I am a fan of this website but have never posted until this thread. I'll admit, I am a rubber pusher. Prefer a raft or cataraft but also am a newbie IKer. Translation: Paddle hard, swim class 2.

However, I am a PT and have worked with hundreds of people with shoulder problems in the past 12 years. While I think providing some basic exercises online is helpful, please realize that some exercises may not be appropriate for certain conditions. Just because you have pain in your shoulder does not mean it's your rotator cuff. It could be due to a capsular restriction, ligament sprain, labral tear, strain of another muscle group. People can even feel pain in their shoulder that is referred from their neck or an organ (e.g. gallbladder.)

James? I didn't know you were injured? What happened? Didn't see any report filed, get better soon dude.

Dam dude, your not getting any younger, take it easy for a while!

Shoulder Exercises

Like Pixie said this is not stuff that replaces any recommended advice from a doctor, and you should see your doctor before doing these, but if you don't have money or for some reason just want to build strength it can't hurt to try these.

More Range of Motion Ones



Edited by James - 24 Nov 2007 at 4:47pm

my mom just tore her rotator cuff paddling in the DR :(