That Pain Down Your Arm May Be Coming From Your Rotator Cuff

You've heard the term "rotator cuff" before - baseball players have suffered from "torn rotator cuffs" for as long as there's been baseball! But what exactly is it and why can a rotator cuff injury potentially end sports careers or just make our lives miserable?

Of all the joints in our bodies, the shoulder joint is the most flexible making it and the surrounding muscles and structures the most susceptible to injury. The rotator cuff crosses this very vulnerable joint supporting the back of it and is comprised of four relatively small muscles (subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and teres minor) that help to move our arms through a complete range of motion.

The SUBSCAPULARIS muscle inserts into the front of the scapula or shoulder blade and attaches to the head of the humerus. It fits snugly between the back side of the ribcage and the shoulder blade. This muscle is responsible for medial rotation or twisting the arm towards the front of the body so that your open palm goes from face forward to facing your back side when your arms are down to your side and adduction or pulling your extended arm down toward your side. This muscle also helps to reinforce the shoulder joint.

The second muscle, the SUPRASPINATUS originates from a small cavity on top of the shoulder blade called the supraspinous fossa. It attaches to the highest point of the head of the humerus. While the deltoid is the primary abductor of the the arm, the supraspinatus can also lift the arm by itself even if the deltoid was paralyzed. The supraspinatus is mainly responsible for lifting the arm above the head (that is above 90 degrees) in the lateral plane or side of the body. This muscle is also the most prone to injury of all the rotator cuff muscles as reported by two NYC orthopedic surgeons I briefly interviewed, each in practice for over 25 years.

The third muscle, the INFRASPINATUS inserts into the back side of the shoulder blade in a cavity named the infraspinous fossa. It's tendon attaches to the head of the humerus right below the insertion of the supraspinatus tendon. The infraspinatus is responsible for lateral rotation of the arm, allowing you to open up your shoulders and the palms of your hands to face the front of your body when the arm is down to the side.

The TERES MINOR rounds out the four muscles of the rotator cuff and it attaches to the outside or lateral border of the shoulder blade, inserting its tendon onto the head of the humerus. SImilar to the infraspinatus, the teres minor also laterally rotates the arm.

Trigger points or tight hypersensitive points/areas in any one of these muscles can cause nagging, achy pain in the arm, hand and/or shoulder sometimes restricting mobility to the point of losing the ability to put the arms over the head. In most trigger point cases a patient or client will come into my office complaining of arm and/or hand pain not realizing the source and origin of the pain is actually coming from muscles in their torso. As a trained acupuncturist and massage therapist, I assess each patient, firmly palpating the upper back and shoulder muscles for trigger points that will re-create the pain pattern the patient is complaining about and determine what the best treatment plan for that patient will be. In milder cases massage alone can work wonderfully for relieving pain but in more severe cases acupuncture must be used for fastest results.
Mild exercise, physical therapy, cortisone shots and light stretching or modified yoga are other options for providing relief and rehabilitation along with a diet and supplements that support the body's healing process.

Many of my patients have fully recovered from pain patterns related to dysfunctional rotator cuff muscles after a few consecutive treatments. Complete tears of any of these muscles, however, are usually repaired with surgery where the disconnected muscle is reattached.

Causes of rotator cuff injury include:
*Bad Posture
*Falling on your hands while your arms are extended
*Heavy Lifting
*Overuse after not using the muscle group
Repetitive Injury
*Degeneration with age

Please refer to the rotator cuff pics in my photo album on Facebook "Rotator Cuff" for all four pain patterns.
"Like" my FB page at
www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/Soho-Massage-Acupuncture/138338326193678?v=app_2373072738#!/pages/New-York-NY/Soho-Massage-Acupuncture/138338326193678

For a free consult or to book an appointment please text me at 718-440-4481 or email me at zensoulspa@gmail.com. Book online at www.zensoulspa.com


Regine Rousseau LMT, LAc practices massage and acupuncture in Soho, NY

Is it safe to get a massage during the first trimester??

I've worked at many reputable spas and with many competent and highly trained massage professionals throughout my 10-year career plus training in massage therapy. Yet year after year I've witnessed the same apprehension from therapists to massage pregnant women in their first trimester. For many spas, it is in fact their policy to hold off on providing any bodywork services to pregnant women during those first twelve weeks of gestation feeding into the myth that massage is dangerous or should be contra-indicated during the early phase of gestation while really these establishments instill this policy for liability purposes only.*

While many NYS licensed therapists I've worked with are highly knowledgeable in the anatomy and physiology of the human body, not much attention to the proper positioning and draping (draping is the fine art of keeping a clients private areas private with a sheet and/or towel during a massage) of the pregnant body is given in the average New York City massage school curriculum helping to foster the apprehensive attitudes commonly seen in massage therapists regarding pre-natal massage.

The truth is massage during each and every stage of a normal and healthy pregnancy by a certified pre-natal massage therapist can do wonders for you and your unborn baby! Studies have shown pregnancy massage can help:

~relieve depression, anxiety, and nervousness caused by hormonal changes

~increase blood and lymph circulation, which helps to reduce swelling and improves the oxygen supply to the baby

~relieve muscle discomfort such as cramping, tightening, stiffness, and knots

~reduce pain and encourage relaxation, which can facilitate labor

~improve muscle and skin tone

~provide emotional support through nurturing touch

~relieve insomnia

~relieve stress on weight-bearing joints such as lower back, pelvis, and ankles

~deeply soothe and relax

~alleviate neck, shoulder, and back pain caused by muscle imbalance

Many women in these studies showed lower rates of premature birth, fewer obstetrical problems, a reduction of stress hormones and their babies had a lower rate of postnatal complications. Benefits were seen after just 20 minutes of massage twice a week for five weeks according to the University of Miami, School of Medicine.

However there are reasons women SHOULD avoid massage during pregnancy until they obtain their physician's approval, and they are:

~Any high-risk pregnancy
~Early labor
~Heavy discharge (bloody or watery)
~Gestational diabetes
~Unusual pain
~Pre-eclampsia or eclampsia
~High blood pressure
~Morning sickness
~Infectious disease
~Fever
~Diarrhea
~Threatened miscarriage
~Placental dysfunction
~Thrombophlebitis
~Skin irritation and/or discharge
~Vomiting

As an expectant mother myself during my massage training at The Swedish Institute in New York in 2000, I was fortunate to gain the knowledge, confidence and "intuitive touch" to work with pregnant women throughout their ENTIRE pregnancy** because of my own personal experience of receiving pre-natal massage under the watchful eyes of my teachers.

I pursued further training in the area of pre-natal and post-natal massage obtaining certification in the specialization after five days of learning all things pertinent to working with and massaging the pregnant body. That included learning proper positioning of the pregnant body, what areas of the pregnant body to avoid (i.e. pelvic/abdominal area in the 1st trimester), how to prevent stretch marks and the common discomforts, conditions and diseases associated with pregnancy. I was in fact donned the "pre-natal queen" at an upscale women-only day spa I worked at because of the high number of personal requests I got from their pregnant clients.

If you are newly pregnant and considering getting a professional massage, be sure to seek out a certified pre-natal massage therapist in your area who has experience working with women in their first trimester. Your doctor or mid-wife, your local online parenting community or yahoo group and The American Association of Massage Therapy website can all be great sources of information on qualified therapists in your area. If regular professional massages are outside of your time and budget, consider attending a one-time partner massage workshop, booking a private partner massage session or view an online video.

You can visit my website at www.zensoulspa.com for more information on pre-natal massage, partner massage and e-videos(coming soon). "Like" me on Facebook - "Soho Massage & Acupuncture" for promotions and specials.
Until then have a happy and healthy pregnancy!

Regine Rousseau is a NYS licensed massage therapist and acupuncturist, certified in pre-natal and post-natal massage and Reiki. She specializes in pain relief, regularly treating back, neck, shoulder pain and sciatica. Her office is in Soho, NY.



*Almost 90 percent of miscarriages occur within the first eight weeks in which most can't be avoided. Half are due to the embryo being abnormal and not viable or able to sustain life.
**provided they are healthy and/or have clearance from their doctors.

Back in SOHO providing massage and LOVING IT!!

As a new therapist in 2002, I made a mark for myself in Soho at the most wonderful spa for women in Manhattan - Soho Sanctuary. I made lasting connections with fellow therapists and the spa staff - all of whom I hold a dear spot in my heart for (my former manager and a few former co-workers are currently my clients). I also had the pleasure of working on the most wonderful all-women clientele in NYC and built quite a following as a result. It is there I tapped into my massage potential. Massage after massage clients raved about their experience with me, many times reporting the session to be the best massage they had ever received!! And as if that weren't gratifying enough, as much as I gave to them, they gave right back to me. The rush of doing what I love and adore on clients who allow me to prod, knead and rub their pain and stress away fills me with such joy and satisfaction words can not truly express my gratitude.

In 2006 I graduated from acupuncture school and began my own private practice in Brooklyn Heights, NY. I had to build up a new clientele from scratch but word of mouth fed my practice and after just a few months I was thriving with an appointment book filled with (again) the most wonderful clients a girl can ask for.

Fast forward to 2010 and I'm BACK in SOHO!!! Ready to provide wonderfully therapeutic massage for 'the 'ole neighborhood'. I fell in love with Soho in 2002 and it is here I deeply fell in love with massage and helping to relieve people of their pain. Now with acupuncture under my belt as well, pain relief has never been closer for my clients and I look forward to re-connecting to the wonderful community of Soho!

My new Soho massage and acupuncture practice is conveniently located in the heart of the neighborhood at 594 Broadway between Prince and Houston. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

BODY - MIND - ZEN SOUL in Soho!!


For a free consult visit my website at
www.zensoulspa.com and like me on Facebook under "SOHO MASSAGE & ACUPUNCTURE".