Shoulder pain while working out… Rotator cuff syndrome in many young male patients[MZ세대 건강 챙기기]

If you don’t use it because your shoulder hurts, it hardens.
Adequate stretching required on a regular basis

[아시아경제 김영원 기자] Some people get sick because of the exercise they started to become healthy. Rotator cuff syndrome is one of them. The rotator cuff is a muscle composed of four tendons that surrounds the shoulder blade, and plays the most important role when lifting or rotating the shoulder. If a strong impact occurs repeatedly in this area, inflammation or damage occurs, and if it continues, it appears as a rotator cuff tear in which the tendon is cut.

According to statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients with rotator cuff syndrome increased from 704,838 in 2017 to 885,524 in 2021. By age, the number of patients was highest in those in their 50s, but in the age group in their 20s and 30s, there were twice as many male patients than females, and from the 50s on, there were more female patients.

As such, rotator cuff syndrome is a disease that occurs more frequently as people age, but in young people, it is especially common in men who frequently exercise vigorously. Kim Shin-il, medical director of The Bon Hospital, said, “There are many cases of young people suffering from hard labor or improper exercise. , dips, bench press, etc. put a lot of strain on the shoulder, so even if there is pain, if you continue without rest, (shoulder) will be damaged.”

Injury to the rotator cuff can cause pain all over the shoulder, causing pain even when putting on or taking off clothes. When you lie down to sleep, depending on your posture, it may hurt, and in severe cases, it may be difficult to raise your arm. However, the expert opinion is that it is difficult to call it rotator cuff syndrome just by the ‘sound’ from the shoulder. If the shoulder sounds without pain, most likely it is the thickened tendon passing through the surface of the bone.

Rotator cuff syndrome can usually be treated without surgery. In case of simple inflammation, stretching and manual therapy are performed, and drug therapy is combined. Inflammatory injections are given to relieve inflammation, and cartilage injections are used to gently lubricate. However, if the tendon is torn, it cannot be regenerated on its own.

In order to prevent rotator cuff injury, it is recommended to move the shoulder moderately so that the shoulder does not become stiff. Medical Director Kim Shin-il said, “If your shoulder hurts and you don’t use it, it doesn’t get better, but rather hardens.” “If you stretch your arm in various directions without raising it above shoulder height, inflammation is reduced and the range of motion of the joint is improved, so the tendon is restored. You can do it,” he advised.

Reporter Kim Young-won [email protected]