Kobe Bryant, arguably one of the greatest professional basketball players to ever play in the NBA, had to quit early this season due to a rotator cuff injury. In fact, he tore his rotator cuff and will require surgery to recover. He is expected to be out the rest of the season.
Kobe is a beast, but even a beast like Kobe is being stopped by a rotator cuff injury!
Can you imagine how much an injury like this is costing a professional athlete like Kobe Bryant? Financially it is costing plenty I am sure, but what about mentally? I would bet what little money I have that the time off the court is probably even more costly from a mental perspective for Kobe.
I know that when I get injured and can’t play my favorite sport, Tennis, I get the blues. So, I try to stay healthy and prevent injuries at all costs. Taking a little bit of time to prevent injury can prolong the life of your sport and buy you more time on the court (or field) in the long run.
So, if you have shoulder pain or actively play a sport using your shoulders, then you should start thinking about how you can protect your rotator cuffs.
You see, injury to your rotator cuffs is the most common source of shoulder pain according to Dr. Robert Tashjian, Orthopedic Surgeon. Simply knowing that most shoulder pain stems from your rotator cuff should make it clear how important it is to strengthen your rotator cuffs by performing rotator cuff exercises. Weak rotator cuffs mean weak shoulders, injuries, and ultimately chronic shoulder pain and/or surgery.
Yuck.
Count me out.
So, without further ado, here is Dr. Robert Tashjian himself going into detail explaining shoulder pain, rotator cuffs, and the healing process. He also goes over 3 rotator cuff exercises for healing shoulder pain.
3 Rotator Cuff Exercises to Heal Chronic Shoulder Pain
Dr. Robert Tashjian explains what most chronic shoulder pain stems from: common rotator cuff injuries and how to heal it: rotator cuff exercises. He goes into detail on the healing process and how physical therapy fits in. Is your shoulder hurting every time you perform a simple task requiring you to lift your arms over your head? Do you avoid sleeping on your side because of should or arm pain? Do you have chronic pain on the outside of your arm/shoulder? Learn where that pain is coming from and how you can heal it with physical therapy and rotator cuff exercises.
Dr. Tashjian’s video is followed with a second video that teaches a complete rotator cuff exercise regimen. Watch the video by FitnessBlender to see how to properly execute the most important rotator cuff exercises for injury prevention.
A Complete Regimen of Rotator Cuff Exercises Strengthen & Prevent Injury
Most shoulder pain stems from rotator cuff injury. You can prevent injury by regularly performing rotator cuff exercises. This video goes over essential rotator cuff exercises that will strengthen your shoulders and help prevent future injury. It is crucial that you do perform these exercises with extreme caution and care; paying close attention to the proper form and executing the exercises properly.
Tip: It is helpful to work out with a partner who can watch your form and provide feedback so that you can make any necessary adjustments. Mirrors also help you to see your own form.
Kobe Would Recommend Taking Care of Your Rotator Cuffs
Not too bad right? You could realistically perform these exercises in your bedroom in under 15 minutes, so what’s your excuse? Even if you aren’t actively playing a sport, these exercises can strengthen your shoulders and help you perform daily activities that will become difficult as you age. Tasks like putting heavy objects on shelves above your head takes shoulder strength and quickly becomes impossible for elderly people who have weak rotator cuffs.
Kobe has had his fair share of injuries, and most of the time he has continued playing through them. But rotator cuffs are serious business and lead to serious injury. Here don’t take my word for it, take Kobe’s…
I’ve played with IVs before, during and after games. I’ve played with a broken hand, a sprained ankle, a torn shoulder, a fractured tooth, a severed lip, and a knee the size of a softball. I don’t miss 15 games because of a toe injury that everybody knows wasn’t that serious in the first place.
-Kobe Bryant
Early in 2015, Kobe tore his rotator cuff and is out for the rest of the season and expected to be out for a total of 9 months! So, look to Kobe for inspiration. Start taking care of your shoulders today and avoid injury tomorrow so that you can continue enjoying your sport, even if your sport is simply living life. 🙂
Do you know more rotator cuff exercises or have any tips for people with shoulder pain? Let us know in the comments below!
Taking care of your rotator cuff before you injure it is the best thing for you. Prevention is what you should strive for because even though you can come back from a shoulder injury, they can take you out of the game for a while. Thanks for the advice!
Agreed. Prevention is the best route to take with injuries, so doing everything possible to prevent injury should always be what you strive to do. Of course, thanks for sharing your thoughts 🙂