Your friend, the rotator cuff

[ninevirtues]

Geeky gym rat heaven!

So, your rotator cuff does several things for you, and your shoulder doesn't work right if it's not working. It's common for gym rats to ignore it, though, and work hard at developing lat and pec muscles but ignore the rotator cuff until it tears. Whooooooops!

What is the rotator cuff made of?

Supraspinatus muscle: Raises your arm from its position dangling by your side
Infraspinatus muscle: Externally rotates your arm
Teres minor muscle: Externally rotates your arm
Subscapularis muscle: Internally rotates your arm, along with the latissimus dorsi and pectoralis major

What exactly is the rotator cuff doing? Well, gravity pulls on your arm every day. The rotator cuff muscles are among the muscles that pull back, so your arm stays in its socket. Tension in the rotator cuff muscles helps to compress the head of your humerus against its mate, the glenoid fossa (that's the other part of your shoulder.)

Accordingly, a functioning, strong rotator cuff helps prevent:

- Impingement syndrome
- Dislocation of the shoulder
- Subacromial bursitis