Shoulder tendonitis results from wear and tear of the tendons. What are the symptoms ? Its causes? How long? What are the treatments ?
Painful, shoulder tendinitis often lasts several months. What causes it? What medications should you take to have less pain? There re-education at the physiotherapist is it really effective? What exercises to do at home? Answers with our experts.
What is shoulder tendonitis?
“Shoulder tendinopathy is a tendon pathology” explains Dr Christelle Darrieutort-Laffite, rheumatologist at Nantes University Hospital. It affects what we call “rotator cuff” which brings together 4 tendons (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis and long biceps). “They participate in rotational movements andshoulder elevation. These tendons wear out over time and one excess use. We generally see these shoulder tendinopathies in people who do repetitive arm elevation movements at work” she specifies. This is particularly the case for electricians and painters. This tendinitis is also common in sportsmen.
How long does shoulder tendonitis last?
“The duration of shoulder tendinopathy is very variable. As with all tendon pathologies it is rather long in general. It is necessary to count several months for a return to normal” indicates Dr Christelle Darrieutort-Laffite.
What are the symptoms of shoulder tendonitis?
A tendinopathy is indicated by a sharp pain in the shoulder. “Pain tends to appear during the day, during exercise, particularly by raising your arm. They can also occur at night when the person is lying on the affected shoulder. specifies Dr Christelle Darrieutort-Laffite. Shoulder tendinopathy can also manifest as a difficulty performing certain movements.
“The diagnosis of shoulder tendinopathy is essentially clinical” says Dr Darrieutort-Laffite. A x-ray can be carried out to see if there are contributing factors. A ultrasound or MRI are performed to see the tendon structures.
“The most important treatment is rehabilitation by a physiotherapist. This will allow people with shoulder tendinopathy to learn to use their upper limbs differently and thus relieve the rotator cuff.” informs the rheumatologist. To relieve pain during the acute phase of tendinitis, analgesics and anti-inflammatories by general route are prescribed. “If that’s not enough, the rheumatologist performs a corticosteroid infiltration on the surface of the tendons, by clinical identification or by ultrasound” indicates Dr Christelle Darrieutort-Laffite. If rehabilitation and drug treatment are not enough, a surgical intervention may be considered. “Surgical solutions depend on the severity of the tendon injuries” specifies the rheumatologist.
What exercises to relieve shoulder tendinitis?
The treatment of shoulder tendinitis must be active and based on numerous exercises to prolong the effectiveness of rehabilitation at the physiotherapist. “You have to strengthen your muscles and be patient, muscle training lasts between 8 and 12 weeks with a minimum of 3 exercise sessions per week” indicates Jérôme Auger, masseur-physiotherapist and osteopath. To progress, we add series and repetitions, we reduce the rest time, we increase the load, the speed etc. Here are some examples of exercises :
► In a standing position, elbow to the body and equipped with an elastic band or a back bottle, turn your hand outward to bring the bottle to the side. This works the rotator cuff muscles. The exercise can be done in a side-lying position, by slowing down the movement or speeding it up, etc.
► In a sitting or standing position, with a bottle of water, hold the bottle in front of you and bring it closer to you by pulling your elbow behind as if you were handing it to someone (elbow straight to bent) or with an elastic band.
► Lying on your left side (for the right arm) extend the elbow behind, brushing the right side of the body and extend the arm in front.
► Lying on your back holding the water bottle in front of you towards the ceiling and let it descend behind you little by little without touching the ground then return the bottle to the starting position.
“We can’t just stay on the shoulder. You need to strengthen other muscles by performing exercises. core, squats, lunges, and cardio and balance work. Because “a shoulder begins at the foot” underlines Jérôme Auger. It’s a additional but essential work. We must draw inspiration from the functions of the upper limbs and the shoulder: pulling, pushing, carrying, throwing and catching. For example :
► Pump position parallel to the floor, against the wall or on your knees (for beginners)
► Throw a ball against the wall and catch it : “the elbow is responsible for managing proximity and distance and the shoulder is responsible for orienting the hand in space” specifies our expert.
► Exercises juggles
► Dribbling with a tennis ball on both feet or just one leg : “this exercise works different joints, which is beneficial for the shoulder“.
Thanks to Dr Christelle Darrieutort-Laffite, rheumatologist and Jerome Augermasseur-physiotherapist and osteopath.