Can Shoulder Pain Brace Heal Rotator Cuff
While a brace might help in recovery from a rotator cuff injury, it must not be solely depended on. The American Physical Therapy Association did a 2020 study that revealed wearing a shoulder brace reduced pain in patients with mild rotator cuff injuries by as high as 35%.
Data from the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Rehabilitation provided that for patients with moderate to serious tears or post-surgery patients, a shoulder brace that provides medium support will be able to reduce recurrence rates by over 70% in recovering 70% of shoulder function post-surgery. However, a serves only as an auxiliary tool, while complete recovery still requires physical therapy and strength training to avoid muscle atrophy and functional decline.
What is Rotator Cuff?
The rotator cuff consists of four groups of small muscles and related tendons: the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. These four groups of muscles and their tendons create the fundamental stability mechanism of the shoulder joint and enable the shoulder to rotate, abduct, and flex in a flexible and stable way.
The general characteristics of a rotator cuff injury are pain, weakness, and limited range of motion; This is especially true when one attempts to raise or rotate the arm. According to statistics released by the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Association in 2020, over 2 million cases of rotator cuff injuries are being treated every year in the United States alone. This is an injury very prevalent among professional athletes, yet it is also at large in the general population. According to the National Institutes of Health, in 2019, close to 20% of people above 40 years will have different degrees of rotator cuff injury throughout their lifetime.
Causes of Pain
In general, the causes of rotator cuff injuries mainly include: mechanical injury, structural factors, and age-related degenerative changes. Once these causes are known, certain preventions and treatments can be provided.
Repetitive High-Intensity Activities
The common cause for rotator cuff injuries includes doing repetitive high-intensity activities with the shoulder. Sporting events which require repeated shoulder abduction, rotation, and lifting include tennis, badminton, baseball, and swimming. A data survey from the International Sports Medicine Association in 2020 reflects that the incidence of rotator cuff injuries among tennis players is as high as 30% and as high as 40% among swimmers. This kind of athlete has a significantly increased risk of rotator cuff tears, especially in cases of poor warm-up or stretching.
Acute Trauma
The acute trauma of falling down and supporting oneself with the hand, and a blow on the shoulder during sporting activities can also cause rotator cuff injuries. Data from the International Shoulder and Elbow Injury Research Center presented in 2019 showed that nearly half of the rotator cuff tears were a result of acute traumas among rugby players. These types of injuries are thus commonly seen in high-intensity sports such as weightlifting, wrestling, and rugby, usually associated with severe pain in the shoulder and limitation of motion.
Aging and Degenerative Changes
The degenerative changes in the rotator cuff with increasing age are equally common modes of injury. The decrease in blood supply to tendons results in progressive degeneration and thinning, which predisposes the rotator cuffs to tears. Statistics from the American Orthopedic Association in 2018 show that 50% of people over the age of 50 have rotator cuff tears, of whom 25% have obvious symptoms. This kind of degenerative tear usually is spontaneous without severe pain at the beginning, while it can cause chronic pain and dysfunction after the aggravating of the tear.
Acromion Morphological Abnormalities
Abnormal morphologies of the acromion, such as excessive curvature and anterior angulation, can be responsible for increased friction and compressive forces on the tendons of the rotator cuff during motion of the shoulder and can, therefore, lead to easy tears of the latter. According to a study published in the International Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, almost 20% of the cases related to rotator cuff injuries are due to abnormalities in the acromion. Due to abnormal acromion morphology, rotator cuff tendons are usually compressed in lifting and rotation, which elevates the risk of injury.
Do Braces Help?
Shoulder braces play an auxiliary role in the rehabilitation of rotator cuff injuries, with specific effectiveness depending on the severity of the injury and method of use. The main function of is to stabilize the shoulder joint, limit the range of motion, reduce the load on the rotator cuff, and prevent further injury.
Effectiveness for Mild Injuries
In regard to minor rotator cuff strains or tendonitis, the pain will be relieved with the use of a brace. A 2020 randomized controlled study by the American Physical Therapy Association reported an average 35% reduction in pain scores and a 20% reduction in the incidence of activity restriction in 200 patients with mild injuries of the rotator cuff who used a light support brace. The brace limits movement in the shoulder, especially at night, which reduces pain resulting from unconscious movements.
Auxiliary Effect for the Moderate to Serious Injuries
In cases of serious rotator cuff tears or even postoperative recoveries, one would be needing stronger support from braces. According to a study published by the Journal of Orthopaedics and Sports Physical Therapy in 2021, the recurrence rate of post-operative patients with medium-supported functional braces was considerably lower, and over 80% of the test subjects reported that the brace helped in shoulder stability control and pain relief during the recovery period.
However, the role of is mainly auxiliary, which cannot replace surgery or physical therapy. Long-term dependence on braces may result in disuse muscle atrophy of the shoulder, weakening the strength of rotator cuff muscles. The use of braces, therefore, should be combined with a professional rehabilitation plan to guarantee the recovery of rotator cuff muscle function and strength.
Healing Process
Rehabilitation of rotator cuff injuries includes an acute phase, subacute phase, strengthening phase, and return-to-activity phase-all with different rehabilitation goals.
Acute Phase
The main goal of this acute phase is to regulate inflammation and pain; thus, it comprises about 10%-15% of the rehabilitation process. Most of these estimate the acute phase to last 1-2 weeks, with mainstays of treatment including rest, ice, anti-inflammatory drugs such as NSAIDs, and bracing for pain control.
Studies reported in the American Journal of Sports Medicine in 2020 indicated that icing within 48 hours of injury, for 15-20 minutes 3-4 times a day, serves to decrease inflammation.
Subacute Phase
During the subacute stage, the pain is reduced within 2-6 weeks. The rehabilitation work during this period would focus on regaining the ROM at the shoulder joint.
In one such study conducted by the International Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Research Association in 2019, 300 patients showed that with simple shoulder stretching and passive movement training in the subacute phase, 95% of them regained at least 70% of their shoulder ROM, thereby avoiding stiffness in the joint.
Strengthening Phase
This usually ranges between the 7th and 12th week of rehabilitation, with the intention of further improving the strength level of both the rotator cuff muscles and scapular stability.
In fact, as revealed in a study conducted for the Journal of Orthopedic Rehabilitation, 2021, resistance training using elastic bands and light dumbbells can be expected to enhance the strength of the rotator cuff muscles by a range of 20-30%.
Thus, it ensures almost perfect restoration of shoulder stability and control. This phase is best done under the guidance of a professional rehabilitation therapist to ensure proper posture and avoid causing a secondary injury.
Return-to-Activity Phase
In general, the return-to-activity phase is between the 12th and the 16th week after treatment, in which shoulder joint mobility and strength are almost recovered.
According to the statistics from the International Orthopedic Association in 2021, over 85% of patients with rotator cuff injuries can return to levels of daily activity within 12 to 16 weeks but must be very cautious regarding high-intensity sports.
The training for endurance and reaction in the recovery phase is particularly crucial in enhancing the endurance of the rotator cuff and avoiding recurrences.
Types of Braces
There are different types of shoulder braces for different levels of injury of the rotator cuff. The appropriate choice can enhance the recovery result.
Light Support Brace
Mild strains and chronic pain can be managed using light support braces. An article in the American Journal of Sports Medicine published in 2019 stated that out of the 100 patients who suffered from chronic pain of the rotator cuff, 80% found relief and performed their daily activities with ease after putting on light support braces.
Moderate Support Brace
Moderate support braces are ideal for graver injuries in the rotator cuff or for post-operative recovery. A randomized controlled experiment was conducted in 2020, with participation from 300 patients in the post-operative stages of the rotator cuff. It indicated that through wearing moderate support braces, recurrence could be avoided effectively, as more than 70% of such patients recovered upwards of 70% of their shoulder function within a period of 12 weeks post-surgery.
Maximum Support Brace
Maximum are employed in the severest tears or very early post-operative recoveries. These restrict almost all movements of the shoulder joint. In data from the International Orthopedic Research Center, it was noted that 80% of the patients with severe tears of the rotator cuff avoided secondary injury and pain control effectively through the use of maximum support braces.
When to Use?
Wearing the brace should be well-scheduled according to the degree of injury to a rotator cuff and the recovery phase. Data indicates that about 85% of the patients who suffered from mild rotator cuff injuries experienced significant pain relief by just wearing braces during their acute phase, while for severe ones, wearing braces during the recovery phase effectively reduced recurrence.
It helps control the movement of the shoulder and avoids pain exacerbation due to unconscious movement during the acute phase by wearing braces in the initial 2 weeks. The wore during daily activities maintains shoulder stability and eliminates chronic pain in patients with chronic injuries of the rotator cuff.
Protection during High-Risk Sports or Labor
The wearing of braces during high-level sports and labor would help prevent rotator cuff injuries. According to an article by the American Sports Medicine Association, it was established that the use of braces in high-risk sports, such as weightlifting and rock climbing, would reduce the risks in about 30%.
Exercise & Tips
The training of rotator cuff rehabilitation should be gradually carried out. According to data from the International Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Association in 2020, resistance training with elastic bands or dumbbells can effectively improve the strength of muscles in the rotator cuff.
Passive Stretch
Passive stretching can help recover shoulder range. At an early recovery stage, one is able to do light stretching 3-5 times every day and hold for each time 15 seconds.
Elastic Band External Rotation Training
Elastic band external rotation training helps restore the strength of rotator cuff muscles. According to studies by the International Association of Sports Physical Therapy, elastic band external rotation training is able to increase the strength of the external rotation muscles by about 20%.
Light Dumbbell Lateral Raise
During the strengthening phase, light dumbbell lateral raises can strengthen the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles. Every day, do 1 to 2 sets, repeated for 10 to 15 times, and your rotator cuff will gradually build up to avoid shoulder fatigue.
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Posted in
Brace, Pain, Recovery, Shoulder pain
