As the fall foliage begins to change colors, the crisp mornings lead to cooler days. Coffee shops emit the everlasting aroma of pumpkin spice, while bakeries whip up cobblers and pies. Through these sensory clues, we can admit that fall is upon us. This means that Thanksgiving is just around the proverbial corner. While this year’s celebrations may be different, the spirit of Thanksgiving remains the same. From recreating old family recipes, to maintaining social distancing while delivering meals to others, Thanksgiving remains centered around family, friends, and food. This year, why not incorporate healthy olive oil into traditional Thanksgiving favorites? The experts at Texas Hill Country Olive Co., a leading Texas olive oil company, share their tips for elevating the ole’ turkey.
Elevated Turkey, Courtesy Of Texas Olive Oil
The cornerstone of every traditional Thanksgiving feast, the roasted turkey can be prepared in a myriad of ways. Swapping heart healthy olive oil in favor of higher fat dressings, marinades, and flavor injectors makes the bird a little more healthier, flavorful, and elevated. The experts at Texas Hill Country Olive Co. suggest rubbing the turkey with Texas olive oil to give skin a crunchy finish. For a classic taste, olive oil can be mixed with simple herbs and spices. To kick things up a notch, aspiring home chefs can incorporate non-traditional herbs into olive oil, like cardamom, cumin, and even curry powder. To take the guesswork out of creating a delicious turkey rub, Texas Hill Country Olive Co. offers infused Texas olive oils. These expertly crafted blends will lend heat via jalapeno peppers, or a sweet finish with blood orange infused oil.
In addition to treating the skin prior to baking, Texas olive oil can be used as a flavor injector for thighs and breasts. Making these pieces extra juicy and tender, flavor injectors are often utilized immediately prior to roasting. Instead of utilizing unhealthy injection counterparts, like butter, olive oil can accomplish the same results with a healthier content. Similar to basting rubs, flavor injections can be flavored to preference. The experts at Texas Hill Country Olive Co. boast the versatility of flavor injectors. From cajun inspired to traditional southern BBQ, there are vast flavor profiles to explore, all complimented by the profile of olive oil.
Veggies Steal The Show
It’s no secret that vegetables are considered “sides”, and are often overlooked in the breadth of the entire meal. To make veggies shine, and earn a well-deserved moment in the spotlight, consider drizzling them with olive oil immediately before serving. Boiled and steamed veggies will gain a heightened buttery finish, while roasted and sauteed veggies will benefit from a little crisp flavor infusion. To maximize flavor and texture, the experts at Texas Hill Country Olive Co. recommend drizzling immediately prior to serving brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and other dinner staples.
Mashed potatoes can also be made lighter and more flavorful with Texas olive oil. For an elevated take on the dinner classic, swap butter for olive oil when mashing. Finish mashed potatoes with a little bit of garlic, or chives, or any preferred garnish. Traditional baked potatoes get a crispy skin if they’re brushed with a little bit of olive oil prior to baking. According to culinary experts at Texas Hill Country Olive Co., the smooth texture and rich mouthfeel of olive oil renders it the perfect additive to potatoes.
Baking Up Winning Recipes With Texas Olive Oil
While cornbread is a popular addition to meals throughout the year, cornbread can be fancied up with the addition of olive oil, and a few finishing touches. For a spicy southwestern take on classic cornbread, Texas Hill Country Olive Co.’s bakers recommend swapping butter for jalapeno infused olive oil, and adding sliced jalapenos into the batter after mixing. For a Mediterranean feel, incorporate olive oil with fresh olives and capers.
Texas olive oil doesn’t have to be reserved only for savory baking recipes. Chocolate olive oil cake combines the rich and decadent texture of chocolate with the smooth mouthfeel of olive oil. This creates a perfectly balanced, yet interesting, cake recipe. Lemon also compliments olive oil beautifully, so feel free to substitute butter for olive oil in any zesty lemon recipe for a bold new take on dessert. For adventurous bakers, consider a base vanilla olive oil cake, and go wild with additions. From nuts to dried fruits, the possibilities are deliciously endless.
Final Thoughts
Olive oil is an incredibly versatile ingredient and lends flavor, aroma, and richness to any finished product. Most Thanksgiving recipes rely on such schematics, making the meal a rich, filling, and classic culinary experience. Many traditional Thanksgiving recipes call for the use of butter, shortening, or other relatively high-fat ingredients. To make the holiday healthier, and incorporate new tastes, consider switching to Texas olive oil. For the professionals at Texas Hill Country Olive Co., olive oil is the secret weapon to a successful Thanksgiving feast.
Life can get busy, can’t it? Perhaps you’ve recently become a parent for the first time (congratulations!) and taking care of your little one has become your full-time routine. Or perhaps settling into a new job has left you putting in longer than usual hours at the office and thrown off your regular schedule. Or maybe things have just gotten, well, busy!
No matter why you’ve fallen out of your standard routine, it can be hard to get back into it—but not impossible! Here are our 4 favorite tips for getting back into a healthy routine.
Tip #1: Normalize your sleep routine.
For most people, if your sleep is off, everything is off. Studies show that lack of sleep can lead to lesser attention span, worse alertness, less concentration, and poor reasoning and problem solving. Long term sleep deprivation can even lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and more. That’s why the first step into getting back into a healthy routine is to normalize your sleep routine.
When it comes to sleeping, we know you probably already know the basics. About 8 hours of sleep per night should be sufficient for most adults. But did you know that regular sleep is just as important as the quantity of sleep? While it may be fun to stay up late on the weekends and sleep till the middle of the day, if it isn’t a sleep routine you can hold all week long, then it’s better not to do it. Try to keep more regular sleeping hours, like 11 PM to 7 AM, all week long.
Having trouble falling asleep? There are plenty of medications on the market to aid sleep, but a lot come with nasty side effects like sleepwalking and extreme trouble waking up. Instead, look to natural supplements, like melatonin combined with some of the very best CBD tincture. The CBD can help you fall asleep, while melatonin can keep you asleep.
Tip #2: Opt for nutritious meals.
Your diet can have a huge effect on the way that you feel. While meals full of sodium and carbohydrates are surely delicious, they can lead to feelings of sluggishness and may not provide you with the nutrients you need to stay healthy. Instead of choosing a burger and fries, opt for nutrient dense meals like whole grains, lean proteins, and fresh fruits and veggies.
One of the easiest ways to maintain a nutritious diet is by meal planning. Set a regular time each week to think about the various meals you’d like to have in the upcoming week. When you do cook, make enough to last 2-3 meals, rather than just one. That way, you’ll have healthy food on hand for when you just want to grab something and go. Not only will this keep you eating healthy, but it will probably also cut down on your dining out budget each week!
Tip #3: Stay hydrated.
Do you drink 8 glasses of water each day? If not, it’s time you do. Water helps your body expel waist, maintain a steady temperature, lubricate and cushion your joints, protects your sensitive tissues, and more. If you exercise regularly or live in a particularly hot or dry climate, you should drink even more.
Tip #4: Keep your body moving.
So many of us work in professions that lead to a sedentary lifestyle. Though our bodies were designed to walk, run, and move, a lot of us sit at a desk for 8 hours a day. That can lead to mobility issues and a higher risk of developing diseases. Regular exercise can not only lower your risk of disease, but it can lower levels of stress and anxiety, help regulate your mood, and even help normalize your sleep routine.
While going to the gym is certainly an option for exercise, it’s not the only one. There are so many ways to keep your body moving. That may be an exercise video from the comfort of your home, a long walk at the end of each day, a bike ride, swimming laps in the pool, or so much more.
Finding the right health routine doesn’t have to be soul crushing or difficult; in fact, it can be fun! Simply find what works for your and stick to it!
Supplements give us enough reasons and adequate benefits for buying them. However, you should not trust the claims of all manufacturers. If you are unfamiliar with these products, choosing one can be a daunting task. There are different products and brands available today. For example, if you want to buy kratom for sale, you can find numerous brands selling the same products with varying levels of quality. The abundance of choice can easily mislead you.
Make an informed buying decision
The vital thing is to make an informed buying decision. Quoting information from scientific studies, most manufacturers promote supplements and make them sound better than they really are. Kratom capsules are one of the most well-known herbal supplements available nowadays. If you want to buy this stimulant supplement, you need to choose the right brand carefully. Comparing different products carefully and sensibly, you can make an informed decision.
Understand that fact that supplement industry is not government regulated
The supplement industry is not government regulated. Using these lenient product regulation policies, many manufacturers often get away with making dubious and questionable claims about the quantity and quality of the ingredients.
However, there are some strict regulations on the details to be displayed on the label. Supplement manufacturers are not permitted to make any claims about products curing or preventing illnesses. On the product label, they can only show the structure/function claims. Trusted companies follow these guidelines to serve customers responsibly. So, you need to check the label carefully before making a purchase decision.
How to choose the best supplements?
If you want to buy the best supplement, you must check the package carefully. Let us consider the case of kratom supplements. Derived from the leaves of an evergreen tropical tree; kratom contains alkaloid compounds such as 7-hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine. These products are widely used to reduce pain, increase energy, and improve mood.
This supplement is usually delivered in the form of a capsule. With low kratom dosage (between 1 and 5 grams), you can expect stimulant-like effects. It increases physical energy and alertness. Higher kratom doses (between 5 and 15 grams) offer opiate-like effects.
There are many different manufacturers of kratom supplements available today. When you decide to buy kratom for sale, you need to check the label to discover the ingredients and other relevant details. Top-quality products contain only natural ingredients. You don’t need to worry about any dangerous side effects as well. The credibility and reputation of the manufacturer must also be analyzed before making the final purchase decision.
You need to follow the same method of approach when it comes to buying other supplements. The bottom line is that an informed buying decision always safeguards your interests.
Western medicine is a powerful system of knowledge and practice that is unparalleled for curing diseases once they take hold. What is lacking is a holistic approach.
Western medicine usually treats diseases and their symptoms without looking at the underlying causes of disease. Treating the whole person, on the other hand, requires looking at lifestyle, mental health, underlying conditions, and other factors to help people live healthy lives now and in the future.
Say you have high blood pressure. A standard approach would be to prescribe medication that thins your blood. That’s a great way to treat the immediate problem but a holistic approach would go deeper to find the root causes of the issue:
Is it the result of a poor diet? Let’s find an eating plan to deal with the problem long-term.
Is stress a big factor? Maybe you need to change careers or start meditating.
Have you been too sedentary? Let’s develop an exercise regime to help you get active.
Holistic is big-picture health – investigating how and why illnesses arise and treating the real causes to alleviate problems now and prevent them in the future.
Holistic healthcare is preventative
A holistic approach to health understands how all aspects of physical and mental health are interconnected and affect one another. It can stop one health problem from snowballing into something bigger.
If you have a limp and ignore it – or simply numb it with painkillers – don’t be surprised if pain arises in other parts of your body as it overcompensates for the untreated problem.
A more serious example might be someone who has a fibromyalgia flare-up due to family stress. The flare-up leaves them bed-ridden and they have to miss work. Being stuck at home and in pain makes them feel guilty and useless and that develops into a depressive episode. Due to the depression, they overeat and gain weight, putting extra pressure on joints and extending the flare-up.
It’s not as simple as treating the disease alone. What about the stress that caused the flare-up? The lack of support when bed-ridden? The need for tools to manage a depressive episode?
That’s why a holistic approach to health is so important! Here are 5 ways to take care of your health holistically:
1. Find holistic healthcare professionals
Whether your doctor practices holistic healthcare themselves or simply supports your health journey, it’s important to have a professional who gets it.
You should still get regular checkups and go to the doctor when you’re ill but find a doctor who knows your health care doesn’t begin and end with fixing today’s problem.
Try finding an GP who is happy to explore complementary medicine or has also trained in osteopathy or nutritional science. It might be easier to assemble a supergroup – your doctor plus a physiotherapist, nutritionist, psychologist, and whoever else you need. Even a spiritual guide can be part of your holistic healthcare.
Whatever approach you choose, the important thing is to make sure you’re taking care your whole self.
Ask your doctor questions to see where they stand, such as:
Are they happy to combine physiotherapy or osteopathy with other treatments?
Do they understand the link between mental and physical health and how important it is for healthcare?
If you find that your doctor is dismissive of these ideas, keep looking.
2. Happy mind, healthy body
While no one can cure a disease with willpower, your state of mind does affect your overall health. Creating a positive attitude and a happy mind can lead to less illness, more resilience, and quicker recoveries.
Think about what makes you happy and peaceful, and try and bring more of that into your life. Whether it’s going into nature, painting, or long dinners with friends – find what nourishes your mind and pursue it!
Some healthy habits for your mind (and body) are:
Deep breathing sessions
Taking time to be creative: draw, colour in, journal, play an instrument
Researchers who studies breast cancer survivors found a clear link between meditation and positive recovery outcomes. It wasn’t just that those who meditated were in a better mood, they actually showed better healing outcomes at a cellular level!
But you don’t need to wait for a disease to strike – start meditating today and enjoy the health benefits. Even 15-20 minutes a day is enough to see big results.
4. Skincare: health from the outside in
If you want to be healthy in the long-run, you need to change your daily habits. As well as eating better or meditating, it’s important to consider your skincare routine.
Your skincare routine may seem very innocuous. After all, it’s just a few products 2-3 times a day – and it’s not like you’re ingesting them. But actually, your skin is a highly absorbent organ and what you put on your skin affects your overall health in major ways.
If you’re covering your skin with harmful chemicals every day for years, that has a negative effect on your long-term health.
Investigate the products on your shelf. Are they packed with things like sodium laurel sulphate (SLS), parabens, alcohol, formaldehyde, propylene glycol, or artificial fragrances? If so, it’s time to rethink your skincare.
Replace those harmful skincare products with all-natural, organic ones. Keep an eye out for preservative-free, organic products with healthful ingredients such as:
This one is pretty basic but too many people neglect it or only pay attention to one half of the equation. Exercise and diet are both essential!
You need to keep your body active for muscle development, heart health, blood pressure, brain health, and many other reasons. But how you’re fuelling your body is just as important, especially for maintaining a healthy weight.
You’ve probably seen a lot of conflicting information out there about the best diet to eat. Much of the advice is well-meaning and usually partly true – excluding ‘miracle’ diets, weight loss pills, and other scams that prey on your anxieties. But the fact is, your ideal diet must be tailored to meet your needs, your health goals, and even your genetic profile.
So, don’t just get the gym membership – find a good nutritionist as well. By fuelling your body the right way, you’ll get the most out of your workouts and make sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
With a new year around the corner, it is the season to make new goals for the year ahead and reflect on the year just passed. However, there’s still time left on the clock and it’s important to finish the year strong. Whether you’re in smooth sailing mode as a result of achieving your goals or still need to make a big push.
But before you head to the liquor store to pick up champagne for your year-end celebrations, refocus on your goals so that you can finish the year on a strong note. We encourage you to incorporate the three tips below.
Keep pushing, even if you don’t think you’ll achieve your goals
Too many people throw in the towel before the clock strikes zero. By doing so, they don’t get any closer to reaching their goals. Whether it be a monetary goal of making $10,000 in one month, a fitness goal of losing 10 pounds in a month, or investing in your dream car at the car dealership by the end of the year, perseverance is key.
You might not reach your biggest goals this year, but you shouldn’t stop just because of that fact alone.
Let’s say you want to lose 10 pounds in any given month. Week three rolls along and you still have seven pounds to reach your weight-loss goal. If you stop your workout and eating plans and revert back to your old habits, then you’ll get farther away from accomplishing your goal, you will stop your good habits, and you will likely gain back the lost weight. The better solution is to continue to put in the work and lose one to two more pounds, getting you closer to your goal because you didn’t quit.
Life is all about progress. While we only want to see the end result, focusing on our progress will not only get us closer to the end result but it will help build good habits. It will also help us continue to improve and make our lives better.
Forgive yourself
It’s OK if you didn’t reach your goals. What’s not OK is blaming yourself for the mistakes you made and for not achieving your goals. You have to forgive yourself if you’re going to move forward and become the person you want to be.
Forgiving yourself can help you reboot your mind, thought process, and path. You have to take care of your mental health and one of the ways you can do that is by letting go of the past and moving forward with a clear conscience.
Plus, letting go of the past can lead to you restructuring your plan so you continue to improve in your desired area before a new year begins.
Reflect and get to work
While New Year’s resolutions only work for around 9 percent of people, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reflect. It is true that reflection alone won’t help you start that marketing business for animal companies, but it can help you focus on what you’ve been doing right and wrong and also what you’re grateful for. You will be able to assess your life so you can make positive improvements that will pay off down the line.
Reflection helps you analyze your life, which can help you create new goals and plans. It i important to do this as the year closes so that you can finish strong, and be in a good mindset to start the new year. You don’t have to be like others and wait until the calendar to turn to a new year to start—you can get started immediately.
Once New Year’s Eve is here, you can celebrate the fact that you just ended the year on a strong note. Even if you didn’t achieve your goals, you got closer to reaching them and improved your outlook thanks to your strong finish.
The benefits of naturopathy are myriad, with unique therapies drawn from a delicate combination of science, nutrition, exercise, botanical medicines, homeopathy, supplementation and lifestyle coaching. The combination of holistic treatments is designed to strike a healthy balance of psychological and physiological wellbeing.
Initially, a naturopath will follow a similar course to your GP. They take detailed patient history and a series of tests to confirm your diagnosis. However, the difference from a normal GP is a naturopath will treat issues or imbalances within the body with a uniquely holistic approach.
Naturopath’s use their knowledge of the body alongside scientific research to nurture the body back to full health and vitality.
Here are some key benefits of naturopathy:
Naturopathy can treat problems at their root
Rather than simply masking the problem, naturopathy can be used to treat various infectious health concerns at their core. A naturopath will look at the root causes for such diseases and will directly treat these issues, as well as the symptoms. Often, a naturopath will treat patients who have tried traditional medicine and found the treatment to be ineffective. Several trials have shown that naturopathic treatments are extremely effective in treating conditions in the body.
Naturopathy effectively treats disorders
Naturopathy can also effectively treat disorders such as depression, anxiety, hypertension and diabetes. An in-depth consultation with the patient will allow the naturopath to identify drivers of dysfunction in patients of all ages and put together a sustainable treatment plan that the patient can integrate into their lifestyle. These holistic treatment plans are designed to suit the lifestyle of the patient and bring the mind and body back to balance.
Bespoke treatment plans
At your consultation, a naturopath will take a thorough assessment of your medical history and conduct tests to analyze what problems you could be facing if the body. Each patient has an opportunity to talk through their challenges and have a tailored treatment plan to addresses their specific circumstance. Rather than simply giving general feedback and advice, a naturopath will take your lifestyle and nutrition into consideration and create a bespoke treatment plan to suit your unique set of requirements. This means you will have a completely personalised treatment plan that is designed to address your challenges in the most effective way possible.
Heart disease is a huge killer around the world, but especially in the United States. A culture of excess has resulted in many easily avoidable life-threatening health issues among citizens, but it’s easier than you think to design your own personal heart-healthy eating habits.
Healthy does not equal boring, limited, or gross. The trick is to educate yourself on as many healthy food options as possible to keep your diet interesting. Try out different diets like this low fat diet, to see what makes you feel good. Here are a few foods that are both heart healthy and delicious.
Blueberries
It’s really somewhat difficult to go wrong eating berries of any sort, but blueberries are especially heart healthy. Berries and even wine (in moderation) are good for your heart due to their provision of antioxidant anthocyanins.
Blueberries have some of the highest concentrations of anthocyanins, placing them in the spotlight for heart-healthy snacks. Some studies have proven that blueberries can lower your LDL cholesterol and reduce inflammation in the body.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is good for the reduction of cholesterol, but it is also rich in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber has been studied and found to naturally bind to cholesterol, keeping it out of the blood stream.
It is recommended by the Food and Drug Administration that you eat at least 3 grams of soluble fiber each day to reap the maximum benefits for your heart. Average participants in studies nearly always saw results in lowering their LDL (or bad) cholesterol levels.
Apples
Apples are especially rich in antioxidant flavonoids which are known protectors of the heart. The skin of an apple is the most healthy part, as it is high in quercetin and anthocyanins.
The old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” is full of truth. Don’t skip out on apples in your diet, and they’re healthy as dried chips too.
Nuts
Nuts in all shapes and sizes are healthy. Most offer a significant source of fiber, protein, unsaturated fats (the “good” fats), an array of minerals, and antioxidants. Nuts are an excellent snack food for those quick eating opportunities throughout the day.
Kale
It’s pretty common knowledge that leafy greens are good for your healthy, but Kale, in particular, is super healthy. Kale packs high doses of magnesium and potassium. Magnesium and potassium are both great for regulating blood pressure and heart health.
Avoid these stains in your diet:
There are some dietary choices you should avoid if you’re aiming for a heart healthy lifestyle.
Trans fats: deep-fried foods, fast foods, snack foods
Doctors opine that what is good for your heart is also good for sex. Libido friendly foods are heart friendly too! Besides, be it through foods or supplements, the best way to try and improve your libido is by natural means. Chemical medication can throw the hormonal balance out of gear.
Libido woes can be dealt with the right way through good food choices and supplements like Triverex, clinically proven natural pills, says Men’s Health Digest, an objective source of unbiased information on a host of male enhancement pills. But before you try such pills, here are some food choices to consider. (more…)
When was the last time you thought about food? If you’re honest, it’s probably been a matter of minutes. Not only do we love food, much of our day revolves around it. What little family time we have involves working in meals as we rush from one activity to another. It’s hard to imagine even having a social life or celebrating a special occasion without food being the starting point. It’s also rare that we turn on the television, check social media or open a magazine and not be confronted with new health alerts about another of our favorite foods. Wouldn’t it be nice to hear the opposite once in a while?
Fortunately, there is some very encouraging news about food these days, and it has to do with how certain foods can help fight back pain. Whether related to overly sedentary lifestyles or, just the opposite, from work or leisure-related types of movement and overexertion, back pain is increasingly more prevalent. It is fifth on the list of all doctor visits in the U.S., and most adults, roughly 80%, will suffer from some level of back pain during their lifetime.
Inflammation is being recognized as a significant cause of back pain. According to the Laser Spine Institute’s chief medical director, Michael Perry, MD, “Left unchecked, inflammation will run rampant through your body, causing all kinds of problems, including low-back pain.” This is where the good news comes in: rather than turning to drugs, which rarely come without negative side effects of one sort or another, there are many foods that fall under the “anti-inflammatory” designation and can help with reducing and managing back pain. Instead of always being worried about foods that we are told to avoid, you can now start a new list that includes delicious foods that will actually help prevent pain in your back, as well as other places throughout your body.
So, what are these inflammation-fighting foods? Despite what you may be thinking, most of the recommended foods are familiar and easily obtainable. In the fish and meat department we have:
chicken, lean
turkey, lean
salmon
mackerel
sardines
herring
tuna
trout
black cod
Nutritionists have been telling us to look for richly-colored fruits and vegetables in order to counteract the effects of free radicals, which can lead to cell damage. These same foods also play a role in reducing inflammation. This is not an all-inclusive list, but some of the more common ones are:
carrots
spinach
beets
broccoli
kale
sweet potatoes
cherries
berries – strawberries, black berries, raspberries, blue berries, etc
watermelon
grapes
pomegranates
Herbs, spices, teas and other foods also have a role in the fight against inflammation and the resulting pain loss of mobility. Turmeric has been getting a lot of press due to studies showing its success with people with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Ginger is believed to be just as effective relieving pain as anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen. Other spices, such as, cinnamon, garlic, basil, curcumin, onions, and oregano should also be included on your list. As should herbal teas and the more traditional green, oolong and white teas. When you add extra-virgin olive oil, beans, avocados, pecans, walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, and cocoa, you have such a range of appealing options that maintaining an anti-inflammatory diet should be easy. And delicious!
One of the largest and most complex joints in the body, the shoulder is a combination of bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and muscles, designed to be amazingly flexible to allow for our wide range of motion. We tend to take this remarkably strong and versatile joint for granted until it demands our attention by malfunctioning or becoming injured. When something does go wrong with the shoulder, we quickly realize just how much we depend on it.
Shoulder pain or decreased range of motion may mean there is an issue with the joint itself or with the surrounding muscles, ligaments and tendons. One of the more common problems is a tear in the rotator cuff, which is the group of four tendons and muscles that stabilize the shoulder joint. Our ability to rotate our arms and lift objects are completely dependent on the rotator cuff, and, when it is torn, any movement of that type becomes painful and difficult.
Obviously, a tear to the rotator cuff is serious, and it is important to consult with a healthcare professional as soon as possible. If caught before it gets worse, it is likely that surgery will not be required. Treatment will usually include some combination of physical therapy, over-the-counter pain medications to reduce pain and inflammation and cortisone injections. An important part of physical therapy for rotator cuff injuries is exercise designed to help restore the range of motion in the muscles and joint.
Exercises Following Shoulder Rotator Cuff Injury
Pendulum circles and isometric shoulder rotations are often recommended following a rotator cuff injury but never attempt these or any type of exercise following an injury without first consulting with your physical therapist or orthopedic specialist.
Pendulum Circles Pendulum circles are done with or without weights, which can be added and increased as the recovery process progresses. Something like a chair or table to help maintain balance is required for these exercises. With the uninjured arm holding the chair, bend forward 90 degrees at the waist and let the arm with the rotator cuff injury hang loosely. Swing this arm in small circles, like a pendulum, alternating direction after about 10 circles. Movement should be smooth and effortless and repetitions can be increased as strength returns.
Isometric Should Rotations
The term isometric comes from the Greek “iso,” meaning “same,” and “metric,” meaning length. Isometric exercises are done with the joint angle and muscle length not changing when the muscle contracts. This is accomplished by one muscle being worked against another or against a fixed object, like a wall.
Isometric Shoulder External Rotation In this exercise the patient stands with the injured shoulder about six inches from a wall, with the elbow bent at 90 degrees and the backside of the fist pressed against the wall as if trying to rotate the arm in an outward motion through the wall. Repetitions can be increased as recovery progresses.
Isometric Shoulder Internal Rotation The isometric shoulder internal rotation is done the same as the external rotation except that it is done facing into the corner of the wall and the inside of the fist is pressed against the wall and the arm is rotated inward instead of outward.
One of the largest and most complex joints in the body, the shoulder is a combination of bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and muscles, designed to be amazingly flexible to allow for our wide range of motion. We tend to take this remarkably strong and versatile joint for granted until it demands our attention by malfunctioning or becoming injured. When something does go wrong with the shoulder, we quickly realize just how much we depend on it.