Curezone Physiotherapy, Mississauga collaborates with a team of providers providing treatments in various musculoskeletal conditions including supraspinatus tendonitis. 

What is supraspinatus tendinitis?

Supraspinatus is one of the 4 rotator cuff muscles that blend with ligaments and the shoulder labrum at their attachment, so when the muscles contract, they tighten the static restraints and hence provide dynamic stability to the shoulder joint. The coordinated response of these muscles along with the ligaments provide support depending on the position and motion of the humerus (arm bone). Different muscles provide support in different directions based on their anatomy.

Supraspinatus runs from the upper part of the shoulder blade and attaches to the upper part of the humerus head. It stabilises the shoulder by keeping the head of the humerus within the fossa. It also brings about abduction of the shoulder.

Supraspinatus tendonitis is a condition where in the tendon (part of the muscle that attaches to the bone) gets inflamed. This occurs where the muscle attaches to the bone and hence, pain is often felt at the tip of the shoulder joint. It causes a painful arc & difficulty reaching overhead. The supraspinatus tendon when inflamed rubs against the bony structures above and below and that causes it to be impinged between the narrow space.

It is also known as secondary impingement or painful arc syndrome.

What causes Supraspinatus tendinitis?

Rotator cuff tendinitis does not occur all at once. Usually, it happens over a long period with repeated irritation to an area. It happens more often in people with loose joints, people with abnormal bony anatomy in the shoulder and people who do heavy or repetitive lifting above shoulder level.

Lifting overhead or just moving the arm above the head may cause pinching of one of the tendons of the rotator cuff between the upper part of the arm bone and the acromion (which is part of the shoulder blade). This pinching is called impingement. Other causes include calcium in the tendons or a sudden injury to the shoulder.

What are the symptoms related to Supraspinatus Tendonitis?

The impairments caused due to supraspinatus tendonitis are as follows:

• Posture and muscle imbalance – thoracic kyphosis or slouched posture, forward head, forward-tilted scapula all lead to decreased suprahumeral space which in turn leads to impingement
• Decreased range of motion of Thoracic spine due to incomplete thoracic extension which also reduces range of humerus elevation
• Rotator cuff overuse
• Muscle weakness
• Tightness in joint capsule

These faulty mechanics lead to:

• Pain while sleeping and rolling onto the shoulder
• Pain when reaching overhead, pushing or pulling
• Difficulty lifting loads
• Inability to perform repetitive shoulder activities
• Difficulty with dressing

How can Physiotherapy help in Tendonitis?

Our experienced physiotherapist at Curezone Physiotherapy Mississauga will assess you to find out the actual cause of your symptoms and will help you and try to get the best results as possible. With manual Therapy treatment and the other treatment options, the pain will typically go away, and you’ll have more mobility and range of motion.

Physiotherapy Management of the same can be done as follows:

1. Control inflammation and promote healing – modalities like TENS, laser, ultrasound etc. can be quite helpful.
2. Maintaining mobility of soft tissues – range of motion exercises, muscle setting exercises and protected stabilization exercises are initiated.
3. Developing strong, mobile tissues – manual therapy, isometric contractions at multiple angles of shoulder joint range and friction massage as per the patient’s tolerance.
4. Mobilization with movement is a useful technique to reinforce full movement when there is restriction and painful arc or impingement. Various glides are performed which help to mobilize the joint.
5. Strengthening of shoulder girdle muscles – strengthen the tight muscles, activate and train shoulder joint stabilizers and the rotator cuff muscles so that the intrinsic muscles work to stabilize the joint, so that the larger muscles can produce movement and range without cause pain.
6. Muscular stability and endurance – starting with isometric, open-chain, closed-chain and finally progressing to plyometric training (if power is the desired outcome).

Desired functional activities are stimulated under controlled conditions and later, under progressively challenging conditions. The patient is involved in assessing performance in terms of safety, symptom provocation, postural control, and easy of execution.

If you or someone you know who is suffering from Supraspinatus tendonitis or Impingement syndrome also called as painful arc syndrome, Call Curezone Physiotherapy Mississauga today!! We have a Physiotherapy Clinic near Heartland town center and is situated in the central Mississauga to serve you all.