Orthopedics
You’re working with a throwing athlete who’s recently had rotator cuff surgery and a total of 12 PT sessions. Your referral pad suggests gradual strengthening and stretching over 3 months. By then the athlete wants to be on a basic strength routine to get back to their pre-season training program. List the ROM exercises, modified strength exercises and routine you’d use for this athlete. Site examples from the literature of at least 2 programs for athletes following a published training format.
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Introduction:
As a medical professor, my approach to designing college assignments and answers for medical college students involves a focus on practical applications of medical knowledge. This includes not only imparting theoretical knowledge but also developing critical thinking skills and decision-making abilities in students. In this answer, I will provide a suitable response to the given orthopedics case.
Answer:
For a throwing athlete who has undergone rotator cuff surgery, gradual strengthening and stretching exercises are recommended over a period of three months. After this time, the athlete can begin basic strength routines in preparation for the pre-season training program.
Range of motion (ROM) exercises that can be used include shoulder shrugs, pendulum swings, shoulder flexion and abduction, internal and external rotation exercises. These exercises will help to increase the range of motion of the shoulder while also avoiding excessive stress on the rotator cuff.
Modified strength exercises that can be used include scaption exercises, push-ups with proper form, standing cable rows, and lateral pulldowns. These exercises help to strengthen the shoulder muscles without putting undue stress on the shoulder joint or the rotator cuff.
A basic routine that could be used for this athlete may include the following:
– Warm-up (5-10 minutes of low-intensity cardio or dynamic stretching)
– Range of motion exercises (5-10 minutes)
– Modified strength exercises (15-20 minutes)
– Cool down and stretching (5-10 minutes)
With consistent training and proper rehabilitation, athletes can make a full recovery after rotator cuff surgery. Two programs that have been published and shown to be effective include the Thrower’s Ten exercise program and the Strengthening and Stretching for the Shoulder (SASS) program. These programs have been well-documented in the literature and can serve as a useful guide for rehabilitation and return to sport for throwing athletes after rotator cuff surgery.