Physical Therapy for Post-Accident Rotator Cuff Injuries

If you have been in a car accident and have suffered a rotator cuff injury, we understand how painful it can be. The “rotator cuff” is a group of muscles and tendons keep your shoulder joint stable. Yes, injuries to the rotator cuff are common, but that doesn’t make them any less painful! 

If left untreated, a rotator cuff injury could cause chronic severe pain and a decrease in the mobility in your arm. Physical therapy can help address the pain and stiffness, restore movement, and improve your daily life. Keep reading to learn more! 

Symptoms of a Rotator Cuff Injury Following an Accident

If you experience a rotator cuff injury during a car accident, you will likely have some of these common symptoms: 

• Intense pain, usually at the front of the shoulder
• Picking things up is painful 
• Loss of range of motion of the shoulder
• Pain or the inability to raise your arm
• Pain while sleeping on your injured-shoulder side
• Shoulder weakness

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms following a car accident, seek a medical evaluation at Impact Med Sun City Center to determine if you have a rotator cuff injury and what your next steps for care should be. 

When Should I Start Physical Therapy After a Rotator Cuff Injury? 

If you need to undergo surgery for your rotator cuff injury, healing the rotator cuff properly is a must before starting any physical therapy—otherwise, you risk further injury. 

Give yourself time to heal and come visit us at Impact Med Sun City Center for a physical therapy consultation and we can discuss your options for beginning physical therapy. 

But, in many cases, depending on the severity of the injury, surgery can be avoided by undergoing physical therapy. 

Physical Therapy for Rotator Cuff Injuries 

While physical therapy cannot heal an injured rotator cuff, it will strengthen the shoulder muscles and help restore proper shoulder mechanics. By strengthening the surrounding muscles, physical therapy can strengthen the area around the damaged tendons and improve the stability of the shoulder joint and the entire shoulder, thus decreasing pain and inflammation. 

Here at Impact Med Sun City Center, our physical therapist will help you:

• Regain your strength 
• Carry objects with less pain
• Learn exercises to target and strengthen shoulder muscles 
• Reduce pain with proper posture
• Regain range of motion
• Offer techniques to improve sleep
• Utilize ice or heat pain management
• And more! 

Benefits of Physical Therapy for Rotator Cuff Injuries 

There are many benefits to going to a physical therapist when you have a rotator cuff injury, and they can often keep you from having to get surgery. The benefits include:

Decreased Swelling and Pain

Immediately after a rotator cuff injury, you may experience swelling and pain that can last for hours, days, or even weeks. One of the initial goals of physical therapy is to decrease these symptoms as soon as possible with cooling modalities, manual, and gentle stretching.  

Once we have the pain and swelling under control, we can take a more aggressive approach to your recovery. 

Increased Range of Motion

Increasing range of motion and preventing stiffness are key to your recovery after a rotator cuff injury. Initially, our physical therapists will stretch your shoulder for you with various stretches, but as your range of motion increases, you should be able to stretch your shoulder at your sessions and home on your own.

Regained Strength

The key to regaining proper function is to also prevent future injuries, which is why we prescribe strengthening exercises. We target the rotator cuff, shoulder, neck, and upper back, and when completed, the patient is often stronger than they were before their rotator cuff injury. 

Say Goodbye to Rotator Cuff Pain at Impact Med

If you have injured your rotator cuff and are in pain following a car accident, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at Impact Med Sun City Center. Once your condition is diagnosed, we can get to work on getting you healed! 

The road to healing starts with a simple call. Reach out to Impact Med Sun City Center today—813-938-5195!