Supraspinatus tendonitis …show more content…
There are three phases of physical therapy to treat supraspinatus tendonitis: acute phase, recovery phase, and maintenance phase. The purposes of the acute phase are to relieve pain and inflammation, prevent the disuse and shrinking of muscles, reestablish nonpainful range of movement, and return the arthrokinematics of the shoulder complex. This includes a period of rest, so that symptoms do not worsen. The patient must strengthen his or her muscles so that there will not be long term difficulties down the line. Afterwards, the person must increase range-of-motion to the arm in order to help relieve pressure on the joint. Range-of-motion exercises are a part of the recovery phase and these exercises include doing pendulum type swings with your arm and self-stretches that concentrate on the joint capsule. The purpose of this phase is to improve strength, power, endurance, and sports-specific neuromuscular control. Lastly, once the patient feels less pain in the shoulder, he or she can resume activities as soon as possible, but with caution. This is a part of the maintenance phase. Physical therapists will teach the patient how to resume usual daily tasks, occupational tasks, and extra