Shoulder Impingement is a very common shoulder joint disorder, medically known as Impingement Syndrome. It owes its name to the clicking, popping feeling in the shoulder affected, whenever an over head movement is attempted. This is caused by and inflammation within the shoulder joint set up, specifically in two different parts of the rotator cuff, the Bursa and the cuff Tendons.

Firstly, the rotator cuff is a comprehensive name for the 4 muscles and tendons that make it up. The 4 muscles, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor and Subscapularis, insert in different parts of the shoulder blade and converge into the arm bone, the humerus, around the humeral head ball, embracing it and keeping it into the Glenoid socket, thus preventing dislocation at every movement. This is because the shoulder joint allows for the greatest range of motion of any joints, therefore it needs to be very shallow and open to allow for this to happen. This is the background for the onset of different conditions, including Shoulder Impingement.

Impingement proper does happen because of the following: whenever the arm is moved, the rotator cuff tendons slide effortlessly over a fluid filled sack called Bursa, latin term for bag. This is to prevent the tendons from rubbing against the bare shoulder bones, causing inflammation. Unfortunately, sometimes the tendons and the bursa get inflamed for a variety of reasons, including age but most commonly over usage. The inflammations of these two different parts are called Bursitis and Tendonitis. When this happens, a narrowing of the space within the shoulder joint occurs, making movements painful and clicking or popping, thus the Impingement Syndrome.

So Bursitis and Tendonitis are what causes Shoulder Impingement, and the three terms are just different aspects of the same problem. Typically, people involved in repetitive movements are mostly affected by shoulder impingement. These can be machine operators, tennis players, baseball players, or anyone involved with repetitive and/or forceful arm motions.

The normal protocol for a Shoulder Impingement treatment is the prescription of anti inflammatory drugs, both steroidal or not. Light over the counter drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen are also commonly used. Natural remedies are restricted to ice packs, as the cold soothe and reduce inflammation. In more severe cases cortisone injections may be prescribed, and in extreme cases even surgery, called arthroscopy, may be performed.

While drugs are very commonly prescribed and have their time and place, they are not the best long term solution for shoulder impingement or any other disorder. In fact, they carry side effects, are expensive, and lead to dependency. This is even more so in the case of any shoulder condition, as the rotator cuff, due to its complexity, takes normally months or even years to heal, during which time the sufferer has to put up with pain and drugs.

However, there is a better, natural, drug free, and effective method to reduce inflammation and cut down recovery times. It is based on specific rotator cuff exercises performed with stretches, rotation motions and very light resistance. These are not the usual gym shoulder exercises like military presses that target the deltoid. Instead, they are movements that target the 4 rotator cuff muscles and tendons sitting underneath it. Properly executed on a daily basis, they can cut down on recovery times from months and months to few weeks only, permanently.