A shoulder injury could mean the end of your motorcycle tour. Suzie Bostock explains how you can minimise your chance of such an injury, and what to do if you’re struggling with a rotator cuff problem
The term ‘rotator cuff injury’ can mean a few different things including tendinitis, tendinopathy, impingement, and tears. It is a major cause of shoulder pain, which can make riding a motorcycle challenging, uncomfortable, or almost impossible.
The ‘rotator cuff’ is made up of four small muscles and is key in stabilising your shoulder and allowing you to move it. It’s an often neglected muscle group with many gym-goers focusing on exercises that work the large, superficial muscles like the deltoids, upper trapezius, lats etc. Luckily, you do not need to go to the gym to keep your rotator cuff healthy.
Approximately 50% of new episodes of shoulder pain resolve in eight to twelve weeks, but up to 40% persist for longer than one year with rates of recurrence being moderate to high, so prevention is better than cure. Don’t put off sorting out a painful shoulder or seeing a physio; acute injuries have much better chance of being sorted than ones that have been left for weeks, months or years.
Simple exercises for your rotator cuff
Exercises for the rotator cuff should not be painful. It is not a case of ‘no pain no gain’. If zero is no pain and 10 is worst pain imaginable, do not go over a three. Perform exercises carefully, especially post-injury.
Pendulums
Lean over with your unaffected arm supporting you on a table and let your affected arm hang down relaxed. Slowly let your arm swing back and forwards, then side to side, and then in a circle clockwise and finally anticlockwise. Do each movement 30 times if not painful, 2-3 times a day.
Assisted movements
1 – Use your unaffected arm to lift your bad arm up in front of you.
2 – Hold a pole (wide grip) with arms straight down. Use your unaffected arm to push your affected arm out to the side.
3 – Bend your elbows to 90° and hold a pole. Use your unaffected arm to rotate your affected arm out to the side (keeping elbow by your side).
Repeat the above 5-10 times each if not painful, 2-3 times a day.
Side-lying external rotations
Lie on your side, affected arm uppermost. With your elbow bent, take your hand slowly from your belly and rotate your arm, keeping your elbow in contact with your side, so your hand points towards the ceiling and then slowly lower. Use a small weight if too easy. Repeat 8-12 reps, 3 sets, once a day.
Internal/External rotation and Abduction on wall
1. Stand in a door frame, elbow bent. Place the palm of your hand on the door frame and gently push inwards. Hold 5 seconds. Relax.
2. Stand in a door frame, elbow bent. Place the back of your hand on the door frame and gently push outwards. Hold 5 seconds. Relax.
3. Stand sideways next to a wall, elbow bent. Place your forearm on the wall and gently push outwards. Hold 5 seconds. Relax.
Repeat 8-12 reps x3 of each, once a day if not painful.
Internal/External rotation and Abduction with theraband.
1 – Hold a theraband between your hands, elbows at 90°. Keep your unaffected arm still and rotate your affected arm outwards pulling the band, keeping elbow in. Slowly return to start.
2 – Attach the end of a theraband to a door-handle etc. Elbow bent, stand side on to the theraband and rotate your affected arm inwards pulling the band. Slowly return to the start.
3 – Hold a theraband between your hands, arms straight down. Keep your unaffected arm still and take your affected arm out to the side a little. Slowly return to the start.
Repeat all 8-12 reps x 3, once every two days.
High to low rows
Securely attach the middle of a theraband above shoulder height. If it’s too low you can kneel with one knee bent up. Hold the ends of the band in each hand. Pull the band back and down, bending your elbows and gently squeezing your shoulder blades together. Don’t lift your shoulders up. Slowly return to start position.
Repeat 8-12 reps x 3, once every two days.
Wall slides
Stand facing a wall. Place your forearms on the wall and slowly slide them up the wall with mild pressure keeping good posture. Return to start. Repeat all 8-12 reps x 3, once a day.
NOTE: For all ‘Theraband’ exercises, start with the easiest and slowly progress. Only do what is pain-free and build up slowly. For additional exercises and some key stretches please see the video: www.bit.ly/ABRshoulders
If you have had a shoulder injury and you don’t know what the injury is or it is causing a lot of pain (especially if it’s persistent), it’s always best to get an assessment because different injuries require different exercises.
If you have hurt your shoulder and you are struggling to lift it up without assisting it (especially a few days after it’s settled) you MUST get an assessment to check you have not completely torn your rotator cuff (e.g. one of the tendons like the supraspinatus). For a full list of references please get in touch with Suzie at cyril@avvida.co.uk