Rotator Cuff Muscles

Rotator Cuff Muscles

Rotator Cuff Muscles and Bursitis.

What muscles are the rotator cuff muscles?
And why are so important?
What happens when the rotator cuff muscles are out of balance?
What is Shoulder Bursitis?

Rotator Cuff Muscles

Firstly,  we look in too which 4 muscles are the rotator cuff muscles.

Subscapularis
OriginSubscapular fossa of scapula.
InsertionLesser tubercle of humerus.
ActionArm internal rotation; Stabilizes humeral head in the glenoid cavity.
Infraspinatus
OriginInfraspinous fossa of the scapula.
InsertionGreater tubercle of the humerus.
ActionArm external rotation; Stabilize the humeral head in the glenoid cavity.
Teres Minor
OriginThe inferior lateral border of the scapula.
InsertionGreater Tubercle of Humerus.
ActionArm external rotation, arm adduction; Stabilizes humeral head in the glenoid cavity.
Supraspinatus 
OriginSupraspinous fossa of scapula.
InsertionGreater tubercle of the humerus.
ActionArm abduction; Stabilization of the humeral head in the glenoid cavity.

Now, that we are more aware of the rotator cuff muscles’ anatomy, we can look into their functionalities.

So, the rotator cuff muscles’ functionality is to hold the humerus bond in place in the glenoid cavity.

Furthermore, if it was not for those groups of muscles when our arm goes into abduction, the humorous head would pop out of the shoulder joint.

Indeed, for abduction, we refer to the arm movement, where the arm goes away from the body laterally.

As listed above, all those muscles originate from different areas of the scapula.

As per result, muscle as Infraspinatus and Subscapolaris are responsible for balancing the scapula along the sagittal plane.

For instance, if the Infraspinatus is overtaking in force the Subscapularis, the scapula would result in a winged position.

Consequently, this would affect other muscles that insert onto the scapula, for example, Rhomboids, Lat Dorsi etc…

Regarding the injuries, as I already mentioned in the blog post “functional test”, the rotator cuff muscles can easily be injured.

Bursa Inflammation
This is due to the acromion clavicular joint anatomy.

Indeed the space between the humeral head and the acromion is quite narrow and hosts what we call Bursa.

If this post is talking to you, and you are in need of a massage, book your next session by clicking here.

So, a Bursa is a soft bag, that seats between the bonds, allowing tendons to run through the joint without being exposed to pinch between bonds, and keep the bonds separated, avoiding frictions.

As per result, by putting the Bursa under repetitive stress, it tends to swallow and get inflamed.

Consequently, the tendons that run below the bursa can get squeezed, creating shoulder bursitis, or shoulder impingement.

 


Giovanni La Rocca

Giovanni moved to Melbourne, Australia, from Italy in 2008 and became a citizen in 2017. He started studying massage therapy in 2016, then completed a Bachelor of Health Science in Clinical Myotherapy in August 2024. During those years, he also specialised in Thai Massage and Manual Lymphatic Drainage for presentations like Lipedema and Lymphoedema. Nowadays, he runs his clinic in Fitzroy North, Melbourne, where he integrates movement therapy into his practice to enhance overall well-being. He also values meditation, having completed several Vipassana courses. Committed to continuous learning, he aims to share his expertise in integrated therapies to help others achieve balance and resilience.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *