If you have injured the rotator cuff portion of your shoulder, you are most likely experiencing a bit of pain. After seeing a doctor to make sure that you have not torn the underlying muscles in the area, there are several steps to take in helping pain while regaining the range of motion of the shoulder. Here are some of the ways you can lessen the amount of pain you feel during the rotator cuff injury recovery process.

Start With Gentle Healing

During the first week after the injury occurred, take the time to rest your shoulder as much as you can. The amount of movement you will be able to do will be extremely limited, so to save yourself from injuring it further, place your arm in a sling to remind you not to move your arm around. Often a person will try to reach for something, forgetting that their range of motion is compromised, and possibly hurting the shoulder worse as a result. Use ice or heat to relieve pain during this time and try not to sleep on the affected area.

Do Recommended Exercises

Your doctor will most likely have you enroll in a rigid physical therapy schedule to help with your rotator cuff recovery. Doing a series of exercises several times a week will help build up the muscle, strengthening it slowly. You will find your range of motion will increase as you do more and more of the exercises. To learn more about physical therapy, visit a website like http://www.parkavetrauma.com.

Some exercises include pulling handles set on a pulley that hangs from the ceiling or gripping the sides of a doorway with both hands while you push your body weight through the door, stretching the fronts of your shoulders during the exercise. Many physical therapy exercises require the use of an elastic band to give resistance while performing them. Light weights are added as you progress.

Use Medications If Necessary

Take any prescribed medications that your doctor recommends. In time you will be able to wean yourself off painkillers. If you find that after you do physical therapy for several weeks, you are still feeling a lot of pain, your doctor might recommend you have a corticosteroid injection to help relieve the pain associated with the injury. These usually last for several years, allowing you to use your shoulder pain-free. Often during this time, the rotator cuff muscles will repair themselves, making a second injection unnecessary.