Shockwave Therapy and the Rotator Cuff
The rotator cuff is a complex of muscles that surround the shoulder joint. The shoulder joint is unique in its mobility as compared to other joints in the body. It sits in a relatively shallow socket and this ball and socket joint is therefore capable of an incredible range of motion. The muscles of the rotator cuff serve a function much as the name implies, they are a “cuff” around the shoulder joint that keeps the ball in contact with the socket as the shoulder moves. This requires complex coordination of each of the muscles involved in the cuff firing at different times and to varying degrees. Below, you will see pictured the muscles of the rotator cuff.
As the shoulder moves through its ranges, and particularly if there are postural imbalances or specific muscle weaknesses in the cuff, certain tendons can become irritated and inflamed. When that occurs over a long period it can be said that the person has “rotator cuff tendinitis”. This condition afflicts many people and causes pain and restricted motion, particularly when the arm is elevated in front or at the side. It is not only athletes who are afflicted with this condition but weekend warriors and everybody else. Rotator cuff tendinitis can prevent a person from doing many of the normal activities of life and recreation.
Fortunately, at Chiropractic Health and Wellness in Edina, Minnesota, we have a treatment protocol that effectively treats rotator cuff tendinitis. In addition to improving posture and therefore the angles at which the shoulder functions, and performing adjustments to the shoulder, lower neck, and upper back, we are pioneering the use of shockwave therapy for the treatment of this condition. By using a device known as “Softwave” we reduce inflammation, increase mobility, and, most importantly, stimulate stem cells. Shockwave therapy activates stem cells, which are the body’s little worker bees in the area of the injury. In addition, Softwave therapy causes cells in the damaged tissue to send out messengers (they are known as exosomes) which then attract stem cells from other parts of the body to the injured tissue being treated. One way of looking at it is that Softwave therapy is a way of awakening the natural healing response in injured tissue.
It may be that there are minor tears in the rotator cuff, or even that there is associated damage to the cartilage in the shoulder. Because of stem cell activation and recruitment, shockwave therapy can cause some regeneration of both the tendon and cartilage. This is a goal that has been sought in the world of regenerative medicine for years. There are other more invasive and expensive methodologies, but Softwave accomplishes these goals for less money and often in a shorter period. Another nice thing about Softwave therapy is that it does not require you to have anything injected into injured and painful body parts.
Shockwave therapy was originally designed in Germany in the 1980s and was used for nonsurgical treatment of kidney stones. It was not long before the additional health benefits of shockwave therapy began to reveal themselves. The growth of new blood vessels and increased circulation (angiogenesis), modulation of the inflammatory response, reduction of pain, and increased mobility and tissue regeneration are all natural consequences of treatment with Softwave TRT. If you, or someone you know, is being hampered by rotator cuff tendinitis, the doctors at Chiropractic Health and Wellness in Edina, Minnesota, are here to help.
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