How do I treat a swollen and very painfull rotator cuff?!

How do I treat a swollen and very painfull rotator cuff?

I just started playing volleyball again and on the 3rd day of playing and constant activity my rotator cuff suddendly became painfull and swollen. I was able to notice the pain the most while serving overhand or spiking. I gave my shoulder a rest and iced it until the pain subsided, stretched the muscles as best I could before I played again but in only about a few minutes of game play my rotator cuff starts to hurt all over again! I still played all night though but cut my games a little short because the pain became overwhelming and I could barely move my arm. The next day my cuff seems even more swolIen than ever and I get this aggrivating feeling down my arm like a nerve or vein is being compressed or pinched which made it very uncomfortable for me to sleep or do anything. I've given my arm about a weeks rest and I can still feel a slight stiffness in my cuff just like it was right before I played for the first time after injuring it. I want to play so bad but I'm afraid...

3 weeks ago
FYI...I've been playing volleyball for years and have never had a sigle injury until now.

It seems as if you were tearing your cuff little by little until you finally noticed it. The Acromion a bone right over the Rotator cuff usually develops a spur under it that acts like a knife over and over your cuff, there is also a layer of fat that acts as a lubricant called Bursa this can also get inflamed and cause pain. Usually a 20 minute surgical procedure will fix this and even fix any tears already in your shoulder. The pinching you feel is called Impingement Syndrome, and it is the acromion rubbing on your cuff. Icing helps with the inflammation and usually Aleve or Tylenol help as well.

I always recommend interviewing at least 2 doctors about their approach to fixing this. A good surgeon will fix anything Arthroscopically meaning through small holes and a camera in your shoulder. This shortens your recovery time.