3 www.orthopedicandbalancetherapy.com Is your shoulder pain due to a rotator cuff tear? Find out in these 3 Quick Self-Tests Do you have shoulder pain with any of the following day-to-day activities? • Reaching Overhead? • Reaching into the Back Seat? • Reaching Behind Your Back? • While you Sleep? Dear Valued Patient, If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you surely know that shoulder pain can be such a menace… It can ruin a good night’s sleep… and when you lack sleep, you get cranky. It can change the way you put on your shirt…or for the ladies, your bra…because it’s just too painful to do it the way you used to. It can stop you from enjoying daily simple tasks…making you frustrated…forcing you to take more pain pills than you would care to admit. And for golfers out there…it can ruin your game…getting scores you’re too embarrassed to tell…your friends are probably wondering why you even care to play! Is it your rotator cuff that’s the culprit? The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that run from our shoulder blade into the top end of our bone in our arm. They help keep the ball end of our arm bone centered in the shoulder socket. When healthy, the rotator cuff allows us to reach in all directions smoothly and without pain. If you experience pain, weakness or difficulty during the tests mentioned here, it is highly likely that you are suffering from a rotator cuff tear. 1. This first test is called the Drop Arm Test. With your arm relaxed by your side, turn your arm out so your thumb faces directly to the side. Slowly raise your arm to the side, then slowly lower the arm. Test is positive if the arm suddenly drops or you experience severe pain on the way up or down. 2. The Lateral Jobe Test. In this test for the right shoulder, raise you right arm out to the side by lifting your right elbow to 90 degrees, with your hand hanging down, fingers pointed to the ground, your thumb pointing to your tummy. With your left hand, push down on the right arm just above the elbow. Test is positive if you experience pain or weakness. 3. The third test is called Lift-Off Test. The hand of the affected arm is placed on the lower back. Now try lifting the hand off the back without straightening your elbow. Test is positive if you’re unable to lift the hand off.
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