Oct 2, 2017 - Rotator Cuff Anatomy and Function

🔁WHAT IS THE ROTATOR CUFF?
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Virtually everyone has heard of the 'rotator cuff of the Shoulder. But it's function and importance can be confusing for anyone that  Strains it when weightlifting  or other activities.
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Your main shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint) is a ball and socket joint with a lot of range of motion 🔄. Think of your GH joint like a golf ball on a golf tee 🏐. Pretty unstable, eh? Well the rotator cuff acts like mini bunjee cords around this 'golf-ball' to initiate, support and sense all movement around it. They're super versatile.
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The rotator cuff is composed of 4 main muscles arising from the shoulder blade and attaching around the humerus (arm bone)
1️⃣Supraspinatus - Acts to initiate abduction (raising the arm)
2️⃣Subscapularis - Acts to internally rotate shoulder
3️⃣Teres Minor and Infraspinatus - Act to externally rotate shoulder
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It's important to know that these aren't the only muscles to perform these actions. They function to have specific control their respective actions (aka slow down internal or external rotation).
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What's cool about these muscles is that they create a negative pressure environment for the GH joint, sucking the ball into the socket. So that if you have a dislocation, your body can literally help relocate the shoulder...if you can stop tensing up from all the pain 😢.
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All week I'll be going over rotator cuff exercises to help from rehab to weight-lifting