Rotator cuff strains & shoulder impingement

According to statistics, health studies, any research u look at, Institute of health, my NASM books, rotator cuff injuries are happening way too often now. There's 40-65% reported shoulder impingement pain. General shoulder pain is experienced with 21% of the population. You could be working in construction or working some physical job and suddenly strain your rotator cuff muscles. If you're at a gym lifting too heavy like during bench pressing or shoulder pressing, etc, your rotator cuff has to stabilize your arm, your whole joint with all that weight. When u do fast movements, when u over stretch your elbow or shoulder too far during joint movements in those exercises u will strain the cuff! Doing overhead presses behind the neck & lat-pull-downs behind the neck over stretches the shoulders too far & puts strain on your delts, traps and rotator cuffs. 

If u strained your cuff, basic symptoms include: extreme pain throughout the shoulder & possibly down the arm, & can't raise arm up or move it at all.  There are 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree sprains or strains for any injury u get. 

Supraspinatis or shoulder impingement is when the supraspinatis muscle tendon is compressed under the acromion bone and the bursa sac isn't cushioning it. Bursa sacs are in most of our synovial joints that include ligaments & synovial fluid. These sacs are filled with fluid also, this is how it protects the tendon from rubbing over or under a bony projection. But when u feel extreme pain or rubbing, then there's some friction going on or wear & tear. These symptoms also include not being able to raise arm up overhead, very little movement. Causes of this include overuse, reaching overhead too much and/or too many overhead shoulder presses. 

Here are pictures of the cuff and a supraspinatis impingement syndrome, the supraspinatis is the top muscle under the acromion: 

               

                Shoulder impingement picture from my NASM-Corrective Exercise training book

Go get checked out if u think you're having symptoms, rest and ice if u can. Try these stretches also, two of these are from me. 

U got to sit in a chair, hold your arm up at 90 degrees as in my picture, while a partner grips your wrist with their same hand (right to right), & they stabilize your elbow with their left hand, so this would be for the right arm.. U do the same for their left arm, (left hand to left wrist), then your partner or whoever is helping, use their opposite hand to the victim's elbow..  U got to push that wrist backwards past the victim's waist bringing the elbow forward. 

This pic below u can use a wall, it's almost the same, u reach your hand behind your back, use your opposite hand to hold it in place, again, bring elbow forward. U can twist your torso a bit to pull elbow forward more or lean back.  Both of these will stretch the cuff or supraspinatis if they are tight, pulling on your shoulder. U will feel a good stretch. Hold each stretch for 30 sec at least..