The tendons work together to stabilize the joint, rotate the shoulder, and lift the arm above the head. The rotator cuff comprises four tendons - the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis each of them attaches a muscle of the same name to the scapula (shoulder blade) and the humerus, or upper arm bone (see illustration). Fortunately, rotator cuff tendonitis and even tears can usually be treated without surgery. When severe, tendonitis can lead to the fraying or tearing of tendon tissue. Eventually, the pain may become more severe and extend over the entire shoulder.

Lying on the affected shoulder also hurts, and the pain may wake you at night, especially if you roll onto that shoulder. The earliest symptom is a dull ache around the outside tip of the shoulder that gets worse when you push, pull, reach overhead, or lift your arm up to the side. The most common cause of shoulder pain is rotator cuff tendonitis - inflammation of key tendons in the shoulder.

The risk is greatest for people with occupations or hobbies that require repetitive or overhead movements, such as carpenters, painting, tennis, or baseball. For younger people, sports injuries are the main source of trouble, but the rest of us have more to fear from the normal wear and tear that, over time, weakens shoulder tissues and leaves them vulnerable to injury. We use this mobility in so many activities that when the shoulder hurts, it can be disabling.

Swinging a tennis racket, digging in the garden, placing a book on a high shelf, and reaching back to insert your arm into a sleeve - these are some of the movements made possible by the shoulder's enormous range of motion. The best way to treat rotator cuff tendonitis, the most common cause of shoulder pain, is with simple home therapies.

Compression sleeves for shoulders