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The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that help to both stabilise the shoulder by pulling the upper arm bone / humerus into the shoulder socket and also to initiate rotational movement of the arm. When you rotate your arm, lifting it to the front or side you use the rotator cuff muscles which is why these movements can be painful when you have damaged the cuff. Shoulder tendonitis is probably the most common and also the easiest to treat. Tendonitis is simply inflammation of one or more of the tendons that make up the rotator cuff. This could be down to overuse or through using the shoulder muscles for a sporting activity without warming up and stretching first. Tendonitis will manifest itself as soreness in the shoulder. Treatment will involve rest, taking care to avoid any painful movement and treatment of the inflammation with ice packs and anti-inflammatory drugs. To avoid future injuries it is best to strengthen the muscles with shoulder specific exercises once the inflammation has gone down. If symptoms persist for more than a few days it is worth getting it checked out. Not resting when you have tendonitis can lead to further complications such as a shoulder impingement.
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