21/10/2025
Do you have shoulder pain? You may have a problem with your rotator cuff.
The rotator cuff muscles provide both stability and a wide range of motion for your shoulder joint. It’s a group of four muscles and their tendons that act like a dynamic, all-in-one support system for your arm.
Here’s a breakdown of what the four rotator cuff muscles do:
The crew of four
Supraspinatus: This muscle helps you lift your arm away from your body, especially during the first 15 degrees of movement.
Infraspinatus & Teres Minor: These two muscles work together to rotate your arm outward.
Subscapularis: This muscle does the opposite, helping you rotate your arm inward toward your body.
The joint’s unsung heroes
Because the shoulder is a highly mobile ball-and-socket joint, it’s inherently unstable. That’s where the rotator cuff steps in.
Stability: These muscles keep the head of your upper arm bone (humerus) firmly centered in your shoulder blade’s socket (glenoid cavity) as you move.
Mobility: By working together, they control the precise movements of lifting and rotating your arm, preventing the joint from dislocating.
Our Chiropractor Catherine Owers has 23 years experience of treating rotator cuff injuries and other causes of shoulder pain - she utilises rehabilitation exercises to strengthen and stabilise the shoulder joint and can even refer for MRI scans or specialist surgical consultation if she thinks this is warranted. If you need help get in touch!
