When you have a rotator cuff injury it can seem like you can't do anything anymore. The simplest tasks can cause intense pain, and you may not even be able to lift that arm at all.

It's true that whenever we're going through some sort of ordeal or serious injury that it seems we'll never make it to the other side, and recovering from shoulder injuries is no exception. It doesn't look like it's ever going to get better and we start entertaining thoughts of how to live with it long term.

Without a doubt, shoulder injuries can be a challenge to recover from, especially when they involve rotator cuff treatment, as most of them do. This is because shoulders are one of the most complex parts of the body, providing a greater range of motion than any other joint.

The amazing piece of workmanship known as the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and tendons that keep the ball of your upper arm bone firmly in place within the shoulder socket. When working properly it allows full rotation of the shoulder thus providing the arm with freedom of movement in every direction.

But along with incredible possibilities for movement comes the chance for undue stresses which makes injuries to the rotator cuff a somewhat common occurrence. There are many causes such as the impact from a fall, lifting incorrectly, and even doing the same arm movement over and over. Maybe you hyper-extended trying to reach something or did so at an awkward angle.

Throwing type activities like football or baseball, and any number of other athletic pursuits can cause the injury, as can especially heavy demands made of the shoulders in certain trades like building or loading. Aging is also an increased risk for this type injury, and sometimes a simple movement can bring it on.

When the rotator cuff is working right we tend to take for granted the wide range of motion it allows us, but that is exactly why the loss of that capability is felt so intensely. Mostly we feel the pain associated when trying to do much of anything. Reaching up or holding something is likely impossible, and it hurts to do even simple things like putting on a coat.

Favoring the injured arm and shoulder is common and avoiding things like sleeping on the affected side, or certain types of movement are symptomatic. Pain that never lets up may be indicative of a more serious injury such as a torn rotator cuff, and should be properly evaluated.

If you're suffering now, you likely want to know how fast it can be fixed. The answer depends on the type of injury which ranges from inflammation of the muscle without any permanent damage, to a complete or partial tear of the muscle that might require surgery. Most often, treatment involves self-care measures and exercise therapy.

Initial self-care allows the injury to stabilize by resting the joint, and treating it with cold and heat, using pain and anti-inflammatory medications as needed. This is followed by gently exercising the affected muscles after a couple days to keep the muscles limber. Once the injury heals, and some range of motion has returned, the correct exercises will recondition and strengthen the muscles.

You want to be sure to utilize a method of conditioning, training, and strengthening that is reliable and medically proven. Foremost is to deal with the injury as soon as possible after it happens. Just pampering it for many days on end with no improvement is not the answer. Knowing when to see a doctor is critical as is understanding the proper way to care for yourself. If a rotator cuff injury is not acute, recovery is most often possible with proper exercise therapy.