Ayurvedic Treatment for Rotator Cuff Pain

Abstract

Rotator cuff injury usually results from trauma which might lead to acute or complete tear. Trauma causes degeneration of tendons with insufficient healing which further results in degenerative tears. Moreover, this condition triggers due to our daily lifestyle and nature of our job but this can be managed naturally by practising some daily exercises and adding herbal supplements in our daily schedule.

What are Rotator Cuff Muscle ?

A rotator cuff is a group of tendons and muscles located in the shoulder. This group of muscles and tendons surround the shoulder joint, keeping the head of upper arm bone firmly within the shallow socket of the shoulder. The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles that help movement and stabilizes the shoulder joint which includes supraspinatous muscle, infraspinatous muscle, teres minor muscle and subcapularis muscle.

Causes of Pain in Rotator Cuff Muscle

The most common cause of pain in rotator cuff muscle is Tendinitis – that is inflammation of tendons in the shoulder. The following factors may increase the risk of having rotator cuff pain.

• Age – The risk for having rotator cuff tear increases with the age. It is most common among the people above 40 years of age.
• Construction Jobs – There are certain jobs like that of carpenters or painters, which require repetitive arm motions, often overhead, that can damage rotator cuff gradually with time.
• Sports – People who are more likely to involved in sports like baseball, archery and tennis in which repetitive arm motion is required results in tearing of rotator cuff.
• Family History – There may be a genetic component involved in rotator cuff injuries as they appear to occur more common in certain families.

What are the Symptoms of Rotator Cuff Pain? 

Symptoms appear due to inflammation which is further accompanied by the strain. This inflammation causes swelling leading to clinical picture of pain and decreased range of motion.

1. Pain- Pain may occur while resting and sleeping, particularly lying on the affected shoulder. Person may also experience pain while lifting or lowering arm with specific movements. While these movements, pain comes gradually and becomes worse on movement. There may also be tearing sensation followed by severe pain. Crepitus or crackling sensation occurs with pain while moving the affected arm.
2. Decreased Mobility Of Arm- There may be decreased range of motion due to pain and muscular spasm. As the pain worsens, there is gradual weakness and motion of affected shoulder gets decreased. This ultimately restricts the physical activities in affected person.

When to See a Doctor?

If you are not able to move your arm and experiencing severe pain, it needs medical attention. One should approach to the doctor under following conditions-

• If the pain persists in spite of taking care with rest, ice, and intake of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs.
• The pain prevents the person doing his slightest of daily routine activities.
• The pain prevents from doing any type of physical activities.

When a person approaches a doctor, the doctor, at first, takes his medical history regarding the pain (history of any previous injury). Next, he does proper physical examination of the affected joint. He looks for any deformity, muscle wasting and changes appearing in damaged shoulder compared to the normal one. For proper diagnosing, X-RAY and MRI of the affected shoulder joint is done.

Natural Treatment for Rotator Cuff Pain

As it is said, there is a solution to every problem; hence there is solution for rotator cuff pain also. First of all, the person with affected arm should try using the” RICE” method immediately after any injury to reduce pain and swelling.

• R- Rest (give rest to the affected joint).
• I – Ice (apply ice on the affected joint).
• C- Compression (compress the joint with the help of some bandaging).
• E- Elevation (elevate the affected arm to give proper blood supply).

In mild to moderate cases of rotator cuff injury, these solutions can help you tackle pain and other symptoms.

1. Apply an Ice Pack– Applying ice pack for about 10 to 30 minutes is very effective to reduce inflammation and pain. Use a damp towel to apply ice pack because direct ice touch to the skin can cause cold burn.
2. Rest to The Shoulder– Resting your affected shoulder and protecting it from extra stress can help to heal. Always use pillow beneath your painful shoulder while sleeping. Don’t carry any bag or heavy object over the affected shoulder.
3. Doing Physical Therapy Exercises- Daily exercises can help strengthen rotator cuff muscle to ease weakness, stiffness and pain. Here are a couple of exercises that will help to reduce pain and enhance movement of the affected joint.

• Standing Row: For this exercise, you need a elastic stretch band. Tie the ends of the elastic band together so that you have a three-foot long loop. Hook the loop onto a stable point and stand holding it. Your elbow should be at sides and in bend position. Now keeping the arm near your side, pull back the elbow, squeezing the shoulder blades together as you do so. Return slowly to the start position and repeat. Do this exercise 3 days a week.
• Cross Arm Stretch: This is a stretching exercise. Hold your upper arm and pull the arm gently across the chest as far as it will go. Hold that position for 30 seconds and relax. Now repeat the exercise with your other arm. Repeat this cycle 4 times a day for 5 to 6 days a week.

4. Drink Pineapple Juice- Pineapple contains Bromelain enzyme, which eases swelling and pain in injured tendons and promotes healing. One can also take Bromelain supplements to heal injured rotator cuff muscle and tendons.
5. Intake of Turmeric – Turmeric contains a component called “Curcumin” which possess anti-inflammatory properties and helps in reduction of pain and discomfort experienced due to rotator cuff injuries.
6. Acupuncture- Acupuncture is an ancient practice based on Chinese theory. It helps to relieve shoulder pain caused by inflammation of rotator cuff tendons.

Ayurvedic Treatment for Rotator Cuff Pain

In Ayurveda, there are natural methods for the treatment of joint injuries, especially Rotator cuff injuries. Modern treatment methods might require surgeries to be carrying out, which shall prevent the person from actively pursuing the activities; hence the complete healing is not assured. This is the reason why people switch on to Ayurvedic mode of treatment, because Ayurveda has an inherent advantage in bone and joint medicines. Many classical Ayurvedic body treatments can also be applied to the affected shoulder to reduce pain and swelling. There are certain massages as follows-

• Vijayamala hasta- straight pressure massage on neck.
• Viparita vijayamala hasta- pressure massage on neck.
• Shaila hasta- it is massaging front of shoulder.
• Dheera hasta- doing circular massage on shoulder
• Chakra hasta- doing rotator massage on the shoulder.

Besides these massages, Ayurveda offers many natural herbs for reducing pain and inflammation. Planet Ayurveda suggests following herbal remedies to manage the problem of rotator cuff pain. These herbal supplements are highly effective, safe, free from any preservatives, and prepared under supervision of MD-Ayurvedic Doctors of our team.

1. Curcumin Capsules

Curcumin is an effective supplement for muscle and joint pains, swelling and inflammation. Planet Ayurveda Curcumin capsules contains 100% standardized herbal extract of turmeric containing 95% curcuminoids.

Dosage- 1-2 capsules twice or thrice daily after meal.

2. Joint Aid Plus

Joint aid plus is a unique combination of anti-inflammatory herbs and is nature’s answer to moderate to severe swelling and pain in joints. It is very effective in controlling degeneration of joints like that of rotator cuff.

Dosage- 1-2 capsules twice or thrice daily after meals.

3. Aamvatantak Churna

It is a blend of unique herbs for arthritis, best alternative remedy for joints pain. It is very beneficial particularly when joints are stiff in morning with severe pain.

Dosage- ½ to 1 teaspoonful twice daily after meals.

4. Kaishore Guggul

Kaishore guggul is effective herbal remedy for painful joint conditions. It gives relief in painful rotator cuff condition.

Dosage- 1-2 tablets twice or thrice daily after meals.

5. Orthovita Oil

Orthovita oil is a classical Ayurvedic oil to restore joint mobility, imparts strength to the joint, improves lubrication, and reduces stiffness, inflammation and swelling.

How to Use– Take 5-10 ml of oil in your palm. Rub it gently over the painful stiff joint. Don’t expose to cool air or air conditioner. Wrap with a warm cloth for 1-2 hrs.