Interesting rotator cuff study, hot off the press!!

One of the more hotly contested topics in orthopedics is whether or not to repair a rotator cuff tear in the older population. Some people manage just fine without having a repair. It is generally accepted that with each passing decade of life, repair of the rotator cuff becomes increasingly difficult. Furthermore, many studies have [...]

To repair or not to repair the rotator cuff?

To repair or not to repair:  Case study on a rotator cuff tear in an elderly male  I recently had a case where an elderly gentleman (late 60’s, early 70’s) had a confirmed rotator cuff tear on MRI but managed just fine with physical therapy.  This man tore his cuff while fly fishing.  He tripped [...]

What to do about young athletes who are multi-sport athletes?

WHAT TO DO ABOUT YOUNG ATHLETES WHO ARE MULTI-SPORT ATHLETES  It’s amazing to me how we have year round sports being played.  Young athletes are playing their sport in season and then either jump to another sport or begin “off season” camps or travel teams.  There truly is no off season anymore.  Because there is [...]

What is the difference between Laxity vs. Instability?

LAXITY VERSUS INSTABILITY: IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? I was at a course recently and an attendee asked a question about shoulder instability versus laxity. You may have heard those terms before and they are used interchangeably quite often incorrectly. Unfortunately, the answer to the question wasn’t properly addressed. So, I figured I would try and [...]

What is (GIRD) and how does the sleeper stretch help?

GLENOHUMERAL INTERNAL ROTATION DEFICIT (GIRD) AND THE SLEEPER STRETCH When dealing with the shoulder and shoulder problems, particularly in athletes but not uncommon in non-athletes, there can be a loss of internal rotation of the shoulder (you need to internally rotate to tuck in your shirt in back, or to fasten/unfasten a bra). There is [...]

“Prone Series” Shoulder Exercises

“PUTTING ON THE BRAKES:”  THE KEY TO SCAPULAR STABILIZATION  As you probably have seen from perusing this site, we are big fans of giving you tools for you to do things on your own.   The “prone series” is an excellent group of exercises to perform.  Ideal candidates for these exercises are overhead athletes (swimming, tennis, [...]

Stretching Basics

WHEN TO STRETCH? BEFORE EXERCISE, AFTER, OR BOTH? Even though this really isn’t a shoulder specific post, this is a question it seems like I address every day. It has been an accepted dogma that you must stretch before exercise, although no research proves that it’s necessary for injury prevention. A review by Witvrouw et [...]

Strength Training for Young Athletes

STRENGTH TRAINING FOR THE YOUNG ATHLETE AND THE SHOULDER  A baseball coach for a local high school inquired about a shoulder program for baseball players.  He mentioned that they are doing the “usual stuff” – lat pull downs, bench pressing, military presses.  He asked if they should be doing anything else.  Boy, should they ever!  [...]

Labral Tear

What is a Labral Tear?   Remember our golf ball analogy?  (“… think of the shoulder as a golf ball on a tee, or imagine a seal balancing a ball on his nose.  Can you see it?  Big ball, small surface holding it in place.  That’s the “rub” with the shoulder – the design of it [...]

Impingement Syndrome

What is Impingement Syndrome? Well, first we have to decide what kind you have. Primary impingement is basically irritation of your rotator cuff and/or the bursa in your shoulder. The bursa is kind of like a water balloon. It’s there to cushion the rotator cuff and acts as a “buffer” between the humerus (where the cuff [...]

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