Dr. Perez went on the explain that he played Men’s Senior League Baseball and felt that the Rotater would be beneficial to many of the players.

“…Part of a Comprehensive Shoulder Stretching Program”

“As a 20+ year player in The Mens Senior Baseball League and someone with a background in Sports Medicine I can attest to the benefit of using the Rotater in a comprehensive shoulder stretching program.

I use the Rotater after a general warmup which include calistenics and running 1/2 hour before game time. I then follow the recommended stretches outlined in the instructions and finish with general throwing and long toss.

The Rotater has increased my Range of Motion at the shoulder and reduced strain. Our pitchers have tried it and they like the specific stretch it provides at the shoulder girdle. Thanks for sharing the Rotater with our over 40 baseball players”

H. Robert Perez, Ph.D
Human Performance Lab
Adelphi University

(photo courtesy of H. Robert Perez)

(photo courtesy of H. Robert Perez)

(photo courtesy of H. Robert Perez)

(photo courtesy of H. Robert Perez)

One of the most common injuries of the shoulder involves the rotator cuff. But exactly what is the rotator cuff and what does it do?

Kennedy Brothers Physical Therapy out of Boston posted a very good article about the rotator cuff written in easy-to-understand terms. Their article includes:

• a description of the shoulder joint (anatomy) and why the shoulder can be easily injured
• an explanation of shoulder impingement
• how rotator cuff tendonitis can occur
• ways to prevent shoulder injuries

Another very good blog post from Commonwealth Sports Medicine, entitled – Shoulder Impingement – states that shoulder impingement syndorme “affects at least half of all overhead athletes at some point in their career.”

I especially like their analogy of comparing the precariousness of the shoulder joint to “taking a golf tee and balancing a basketball on top of it- an unstable situation.”

Check out their suggestions for dealing with this injury – rest, ice, strengthening and stretching the rotator cuff and more.

Excellent Shoulder Anatomy Video

This is the best video I’ve seen describing the function and anatomy of the shoulder joint. If you want to know more about how your shoulder functions, then watch the video.

We (the Rotater Guys) head to St. Louis

In 2006,Scott Kay introduced a very crude prototype of the shoulder rehab and stretching device that he had invented to athletic trainers at the National Athletic Trainer Association’s annual conference that was being held in Atlanta.

Because of the response that the Rotater received in Atlanta, Scott proceeded with the development of his shoulder rehab and stretching device – which is now in mass production.

The NATA conference will be at the America’s Center Convention Center in St. Louis. If you’re in the area, then stop by booth #2242. We’d love to meet you and answer your questions.

Bowhunters need Strong Shoulders

(photo courtesy of sorenson photo)

I live in the deep south, Alabama to be exact. Down here, people take their hunting seriously, so if it’s not hunting season, then it’s a good time to get ready for hunting season.

The Hunt Doctors (they are “real” medical doctors) have written “Strengthening Your Shoulders For Bowhunting” in which they explain a little shoulder anatomy in everyday hunter terms and outline a number of exercises to help you develop your shoulder strength. By the way, some of the bows that serious hunters use can require extreme shoulder strength to pull back and then hold for an extended period of time while you wait for the perfect shot. If you think it’s easy, then go to your local hunting store and give it a try.

Should you “work” through a Shoulder Injury?

(photo courtesy of LollyKnit)

A question posed on Stronglifts.com asks about persistent pain in the shoulder and whether to continue lifting weights. “What should I do?” Mehdi’s explanation describes:

• the muscle involved, specifically the infraspinatus ( good illustrations )
• some of the causes of infraspinatus injuries
• some of the symptoms of this rotator cuff injury
• some of the ways to deal with this shoulder problem

Mehdi concludes by giving this advice:

“Stay away from painkillers. Pain is your body telling you something is wrong. Find out what. Educate yourself. Ask your doctor’s advice. But make sure you treat the causes, not the symptoms.

Take it slowly with weight lifting in the meanwhile. Lower the weight, spend time improving technique & slowly build back up. Don’t worry about strength loss, getting rid of injuries is more important in the long run.”

Tips for Preventing Shoulder Injuries in Young Pitchers

(photo courtesy of wjklos)

Brooke deLench, author and noted expert on youth related sports issues has written “Preventing Pitching Injuries” in which she educates parents on some of the things that they can do. She says that there are a number of things that parents and coaches can do to prevent shoulder injuries which include:

• ensure proper conditioning
• teach correct throwing mechanics
• always warmup and stretch
• place limits on pitches
• don’t allow your child to play through the pain

This is a great article that will educate a parent on how to help their future Cy Young award winner to avoid arm and shoulder injuries. If you are a parent, and your child pitches, then you need to read this article.

Frozen Shoulder – What’s the 411?

(photo courtesy of Joe Shlabotnik)

Lauran Neergaard an AP medical writer has written an article entitled “Early Care Helps Frozen Shoulder” in which she illustrates some of the mysteries surrounding frozen shoulder.

• Why doesn’t adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) affect the same shoulder twice?
• Why does frozen shoulder occur most often in women?
• Why does frozen shoulder sometimes migrate to the other shoulder?

Please note the title of Lauran’s article – Early Care Helps Frozen Shoulder. If you’re having shoulder issues and you fit the demographics outlined in the article and you don’t remember injuring your shoulder, then don’t waste any time - see your physician immediately.

Basic Shoulder Rehabilitation

Mednets has produced a basic, but thorough Patient Information Guide to Shoulder Rehabilitation with real pictures of shoulder rehab exercises (not drawings) and clear, understandable instructions that describe how the various exercises are to be performed.

It’s not flashy. It’s not high-tech. All of the exercises can be performed at home with items that you already have or can easily acquire.

What is a Rotator Cuff Injury?

Ask almost anyone this question and you’re likely to get a wide variety of vague answers. So what is a rotator cuff injury? Here is a very short (about 45 seconds) and very basic video animation that does a very good job of illustrating and explaining the injury. I must warn you that you will have to sit through a short commercial (about 30 seconds) at the beginning.

Shoulder Rehab for Baseball Pitchers

(photo courtesy of Glover Bryant Communications)

Kris Bensen, a starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, has written an article – Shoulder Rehab: A Shoulder Rehab Throwing Program For Baseball Pitchers. Kris describes a progressive throwing program designed to rehab a pitcher’s shoulder while rebuilding his arm strength.

Shoulder Strength and Stabilization

(photo courtesy of Cronfeld)

Mark Dilworth, a certified fitness trainer, former NCAA division I athlete and creator of My Fitness Hut Blog wrote an article entitled “Strengthen and Stabilize Your Shoulder Girdle”.

Mark explains three of the most common shoulder injuries (frozen shoulder, shoulder tendonitis and rotator cuff injury) and some of the steps that you can take during your training to avoid them.

The King of Lifts – The Bench Press

The bench press is the one lift that everyone knows. I don’t know why – it just is. I can remember when I was fourteen and someone asked me what my bench was. I think I could probably bench 100 lbs. then.

The small muscles of the rotator cuff will limit your max

I’m 46 now and have had shoulder reconstruction on one shoulder and I’ve torn my rotator cuff a couple of times on the other shoulder. As you approach middle-age, your joints, specifically the shoulders for upper body lifts, tend to be the limiting factors in determining how much you can bench. What can you do? (photo used courtesy of jason.lengstorf)

Unconventional rotator cuff exercises

I discovered “Back to Form” Fitness by Keith Scott today and have added this blog to my blogroll. You should check it out. Anyway, Keith has written an article for Men’s Fitness entitled “Press More Pounds” that everyone who works out with weights should read.

He describes how to use a small medicine ball to warm up and activate your rotater cuff muscles prior to hitting the bench. Give his program a try and then amaze your friends.

I expect to have my bench press max up to 135 lbs. any day now.

Urban rotator cuff exercises

On a lighter note, I found the following video showing “urban rotator cuff” exercises on Straight to the Bar. I’m not really sure of the advantages of doing this type of rotator cuff exercise when you can accomplish the same movement using a very light weight ( ten pounds – max ) or a milk jug filled with water. Take a look anyway – it’s an ingenious though somewhat dangerous movement in my humble opinion.

(photo by soldiersmediacenter)

The basic question of the study was:

Is there any advantage to surgically repairing an initial dislocated shoulder on a young, athletic person vs. allowing the injured shoulder to heal in a more conservative, non-surgical fashion?

The conclusion:

Yes, for the group who participated in the study, there were both short– and long-term advantages to having their dislocated shoulders surgically repaired instead of taking the more conservative approach. 

How easy is it to dislocate your shoulder?

As I was doing my initial research into dislocated shoulders, I began to wonder – How easy is it to dislocate your shoulder?  I suffered a separated shoulder (which is a different injury) during a fall while skiing.  What about others?

Bodybuilder dislocates shoulder while closing car trunk

Stew Smith wrote an article entitled “Taking Care of Your Shoulders” in which an avid weight-lifter and bodybuilder wrote in and described how he had dislocated his shoulder while closing the trunk of his car.  Hey, if a big guy like that can dislocate his shoulder that easy, what does that mean for me.  Not much.

Here is a video that demonstrates just how easy it is to dislocate your shoulder

Please don’t try this at home.  I can assure you that it is painful and it takes time to heal – with or without surgery!  And you may be more susceptible to future dislocations as well.

According to Wikipedia – “The shoulder joint is the most frequently dislocated major joint of the body. In a typical case of a dislocated shoulder, a strong force that pulls the shoulder outward (abduction) or extreme rotation of the joint pops the ball of the humerus out of the shoulder socket. Dislocation commonly occurs when there is a backward pull on the arm that either catches the muscles unprepared to resist or overwhelms the muscles.”

Small group of muscles hold your most versatile joint together

It doesn’t matter how big you are, the same small muscle group holds the ball of your humerus and glenoid (socket) together.  They are the group of small muscles that form the rotator cuff. Here are some excellent images.

Exercises that you can do to strengthen the rotator cuff complex

Now that we are in our 40’s and above, we are beginning to realize that we should learn:

• the steps we can take to extend our quality of life
• to eat properly as well as the effects that foods have on both our bodies and minds
• to exercise to keep our bodies lean and fit
• which supplements to embrace and which ones to avoid

Joint failure

I’ve had orthopedic surgery three times.

• reconstructed shoulder – a snow boarder collided with me in Snowshoe West Virginia resulting in a complete and severe AC separation
• cartilage repaired in my knee – the result of a night of partying and dancing
• thumb re-attached – a table saw cannot tell the difference between “meat” and wood

Each of my surgeries was successful (thanks to outstanding surgeons) and I suffer no aches or pains (due to nerve damage in my thumb, it has no sense of feeling – however, it works just fine.)

None of my surgeries was the result of “worn out” joints.  But this is not the case with many of my friends.  I know of at least twenty to thirty people who have had:

• knees ‘scoped
• knees repaired
• knees replaced
• hips replaced
• rotator surgery

And almost all of these are due to the “wear and tear” of repetitive use type of injuries.  The kinds of injuries that occur because of the job or activities that you participate in.  They are due to the cumulative effect of the countless times that a person has repeated the same movement.

Educate yourself

There is help.  Even though surgery can repair many of our joint ailments, there are other ways that we can help ourselves.

1. Brad Baggett has written an article entitled, “Nutrition and Joint Health”, in which he provides information about the joint and some of the supplements that can have a positive effect on our bodies.
2. Supplement MSM for Joint Health makes a strong case for using MSM to help repair our joints.
3. Fish Oils for Joint Health
4. Neil Levin, a board certified nutritionist, has written a well documented article about the Nutrients that contribute to your joint health.

Here is an excerpt of their thoughts concerning the Rotater and how it may help improve your golf game:

Improved overall physical fitness is the most overlook method of game improvement by golfers. This is where The Rotater can help you improve your golf game by increasing flexibility and range of motion in the shoulder joint, an important lever in the golf swing when in comes to power and stability.

You can read the entire article here.

Recently, we have been contacted by several �print� media (magazines) and one television show about doing articles, segments and/or features on the Rotater, but 1StopForGolf.com is the first to publicly acknowledge the benefits that can be enjoyed by using this remarkable shoulder stretching and rehabilitation device.

We have created an �IN THE NEWS� page (you will see an �in the news� tab at the top of this page) to chronicle the publicity that the Rotater receives. Please visit this news page from time to time to see �who is saying what� about the Rotater.

After reading Dr. Larry Foster�s book, �Dr. Divot�s Guide to Golf Injuries�, I have come to understand the high degree of unnatural stresses and forces that the golf swing places on our bodies. These are the same stresses and forces that are put on every person who swings a club � pro and hacker alike. But typically, the hacker (like me) is sore for a couple of days while the professional can play multiple rounds of golf every day and keep right on going with little or no physical discomfort. How is this possible? Golf is just a game right?

Professional golf is a sport played by real athletes

From your fingers gripping the club to your ankles supporting your body weight, nearly every joint and muscle in between is actively involved during your golf swing. That being said, it seems to me that if a golfer wants to improve his game, then the natural place to start would be by getting your body into excellent golf playing condition. It is simple logic to understand that a finely-tuned automobile runs better and is more productive than a machine that is just allowed out of the garage on the weekends.

GOLF FITNESS: A magazine dedicated to helping you become golf fit

• What is golf fitness?
• What can a golfer do to optimize his/her physical conditioning?
• Are there any golf-specific concepts that he/she needs to be aware of?
• Are certain exercises �better� than others?
• Where can I find more information?

The answers to these and other questions can be found at Golf Fitness Magazine. I had the pleasure of meeting Steve Gomen (President & Publisher of Golf Fitness) and Kristi Gomen (Vice President and Editor of Golf Fitness) at the PGA Expo held in Las Vegas this past week.

We had never been to a golf function of any size before, much less a PGA sponsored buyers convention, so we didn�t know what to expect. I surely did not expect to meet the publishers of a outstanding golf fitness magazine nor did I expect them to be as friendly and patient with us as they were (we ask a lot of questions).

Steve and Kristi went out of their way to make us feel comfortable, answer our questions and introduce us to other great golf people. They publish a high quality, superbly designed and extremely informative golf magazine. If you truly desire to get to the top of your game, then you need Golf Fitness!

I spent two years with the LSU volleyball and tennis programs as well as a year with the University of Louisiana of Lafayette volleyball and softball programs. With all of these teams playing overhead sports, I spent a lot of time stretching their arms and shoulders. If I had had the Rotater, then my time could have been freed up to work on other important things.

The nicest thing about the Rotater is that the athlete has has total control of the stretch. Instead of me constantly asking if they were getting a good stretch, they can feel it and control it themselves.

I plan on sending the information about the Rotater on to professionals that I have worked with so that they can implement it in their programs.

On a personal note, I play a lot of volleyball and can now stretch my arm out before I get on the court. I used to stretch as much as possible, but it would still take the first game to feel really warm. Now I can get a great stretch before I even start a match!

Thanks guys for your help!

Tamara Copes, M.S, ATC, LAT

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What is the Rotater?

See the Rotater action video!

Order your Rotater today!

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