Essay On Supraspinatus

The supraspinatus is one of the four muscles that make up the rotator cuff in the shoulder. The body of the tendon lies along the supraspinous fossa of the scapula and attaches laterally to the humeral head. Its purpose is to withstand the inferior gravitational exertions set over the shoulder joint due to the downward pull of the weight of the upper limb. Not only that, but the supraspinatus also helps the shoulder joint stay in place. The supraspinatus muscle is primarily used for abduction. It is a weak muscle in most people and may even tear due to strenuous activity. This tear is known as supraspinatus tendonitis: the inflammation of the supraspinatus/rotator cuff tendon and/or the tendon’s surrounding soft tissues.
Supraspinatus tendonitis …show more content…
There are three phases of physical therapy to treat supraspinatus tendonitis: acute phase, recovery phase, and maintenance phase. The purposes of the acute phase are to relieve pain and inflammation, prevent the disuse and shrinking of muscles, reestablish nonpainful range of movement, and return the arthrokinematics of the shoulder complex. This includes a period of rest, so that symptoms do not worsen. The patient must strengthen his or her muscles so that there will not be long term difficulties down the line. Afterwards, the person must increase range-of-motion to the arm in order to help relieve pressure on the joint. Range-of-motion exercises are a part of the recovery phase and these exercises include doing pendulum type swings with your arm and self-stretches that concentrate on the joint capsule. The purpose of this phase is to improve strength, power, endurance, and sports-specific neuromuscular control. Lastly, once the patient feels less pain in the shoulder, he or she can resume activities as soon as possible, but with caution. This is a part of the maintenance phase. Physical therapists will teach the patient how to resume usual daily tasks, occupational tasks, and extra