The rotator cuff is a group of muscles that supports the shoulder and helps with arm movement. Try this deep fascial rotator cuff stretch by doing push-ups from your knees or a wall push-up. You can also try doing a lift and reach to target your rotator cuff muscles.
3 out of the top 4 shoulder injuries involve the rotator cuff, so you need to keep them healthy.
This rotator cuff stretches for deep fascial layers will help you recover more quickly from your workouts, reduce your risk of future injury, and prevent additional wear and tear that comes with age.
This level of stretching is sufficient to access the fascial layers beneath our superficial muscles. Practicing these rotator cuff stretches after working out or on days when you’re not training will help you recover faster from future workouts.
How to do a Rotator Cuff Stretch?
- Begin by getting into a standing position with your feet es apart.
- Place one hand on your back (wall)
- Chin is tuck (neutrally do this)
- Rotate your head gently
- Step an inch to your side
Here’s one of the best stretches you can do for your rotator cuff. Most people don’t even know you can do this.
CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video
The deep fascial rotator cuff stretch is way more effective than other traditional static chest stretches because it hits the fascia in the shoulder.
With a regular chest stretch, you hit the affected muscle in a painful joint, the fascia.
With shoulder pain, connective tissue shortens up and gets thick.
We need to hit the fascia to stretch it out, thin it out, and help the muscle move better while loosening up the shoulder. Regular static stretches of the chest do not do that.
This rotator cuff stretch will hit the deep fascial layers of our shoulder and help us recover from injury.
A great stretch to do if you’re recovering from a shoulder injury, have stiff shoulders or have an imbalance in your shoulders.
If you are experiencing pain in the front of your shoulder, back of your shoulder, or anywhere between those two spots, this deep rotator cuff stretch exercise is a big help in alleviating pain.
Importance of Rotator Cuff Stretch
- It helps to lengthen the muscles that support your shoulder joint. These muscles can become shortened with injury or overuse, causing pain and decreased range of motion.
- It can be part of your recovery from an injury or as a preventative measure. If you experience pain or stiffness in your shoulder, it could be due to one or more of the rotator cuff muscles becoming inflamed or shortened.
- It can decrease the pain and discomfort caused by the shortened muscles.
Proper stretching helps you move better, so keep doing it!
Please note that with all stretches, never push yourself to the point of pain or injury. You should be able to feel slight discomfort or ache, but no more.
Click Here To Watch and Try a Sample Fascial Stretch from FMSP
Rick Kaselj, MS
