Where is the Rotator Cuff?

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that connect the upper arm to the scapula, or shoulder blade, and stabilize the shoulder joint.

Rotator Cuff Muscles

• The four muscles are the supraspinatus, the infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis muscles. They all originate on the scapula, or shoulder blade, and connect to the top of the humerus, the bone in the upper arm. Three of them attach to the back of the scapula, below the skin, and one, the subscapularis, attaches to the front of the scapula, between it and the ribs.

Rotator Cuff Injury

• Besides stabilizing the shoulder, these muscle abduct and rotate the upper arm. These are the movements used to pitch a baseball, as the pitcher lifts his arm out to the side, moves his hand back and then forcefully forward. In fact, baseball pitchers sometimes tear the rotator cuff because of the force they use as they go through the motion of pitching.

Rotator Cuff Exercises

• Your rotator cuff can be injured when exercising with weights. To strengthen the four muscles without tearing them, use two to five pound dumbbells. Lateral arm raises and lateral arm raises with rotation will exercise all four muscles. If you have any pain in the rotator cuff, don't do exercises until you have had the muscles checked out by your physician.