If you have any pain in the shoulder, neck, or elbow joint (e.g., tennis elbow), you might be dealing with rotator cuff tendonitis.
Rotator cuff tendonitis can be extremely painful and limit your range of motion. There are a few different treatments available, including icing and stretching to relieve pain and more involved surgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation or arthroscopy surgery to remove the inflamed area[¹].
Today, I want to share a straightforward yet effective treatment you can do at home. It is designed to reduce your pain and increase mobility in your shoulder.
Many of my rotator cuff clients complain about rotator cuff pain[²] with the lateral raise exercise. Many of my rotator cuff clients complain about rotator cuff pain with the lateral raise exercise. It is an effective exercise for building the posterior deltoids and upper back musculature. However, the rotator cuff tendons become inflamed because of inflexibility in the shoulders. When this happens, the lateral raise exercise can become uncomfortable and painful.
Before discussing what you can do to relieve lateral raise rotator cuff pain, let me explain why I exercise lateral raise with my rotator cuff clients.
Why do I give my rotator cuff clients the lateral raises exercises?
The lateral raise movement is the abduction of the shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint). For clients with rotator cuff injuries, this is often a weak movement. I want to improve the strength in the abduction of the shoulder joint from 0 degrees to 85 degrees of abduction.
Lateral raises exercises are simple and effective for building the upper back muscles. I want my clients to develop healthy posture and a sturdy upper back for supporting their body weight, especially as they age.
They are easy to perform with dumbbells, with no equipment required. That is why I prefer dumbbells over barbells when working with rotator cuff tendonitis clients or people with shoulder pain in general.
Lateral Raises Technique
Lateral raises are an essential move in the weightlifting program. It is used to improve the overall strength and power of your back. This exercise aims to raise your shoulder blades so that they form an angle with each other, which will help increase the range of motion for your rotator cuff muscles.
In the lateral raises technique, stand hip-width apart with toes pointing straight ahead. Ensure your core is activated and your arms are at the side with dumbbells. Position your head in a neutral position, or your eyes look straight ahead and abduct the arms from 0 degrees to 85 degrees (just below shoulder height).
CLICK HERE for Rotator Cuff Exercise Modification for the Lateral Raise Exercise
I go through this and much more in the Effective Rotator Cuff Exercise Program.
If you are a fitness professional looking for exercises to help your clients with rotator cuff injuries, I recommend looking at the Effective Rotator Cuff Exercise Program. It is full or rotator cuff exercises to help your clients out.
Great Kettlebell Exercise for the Rotator Cuff
Rick Kaselj, MS
References:
- Shah, S., Crepeau, A., Stavinoha, T., Nepple, J., & Carsen, S. (2024). The Evolving Role & Technique of Hip Arthroscopy in Children and Adolescents: Current Concepts Review. Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, 100064. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jposna.2024.100064
- Meng, C., Jiang, B., Liu, M., Kang, F., Kong, L., Zhang, T., Wang, C., Wang, J., Han, C., & Ren, Y. (2023). Repair of rotator cuff tears in patients aged 75 years and older: Does it make sense? A systematic review. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1060700
