3 Little-Known Ways to Help Your Rotator Cuff Heal Faster

How to Heal a Torn Rotator Cuff Naturally: Anyone who’s torn their rotator cuff is eager to get back to normal, everyday activities—especially athletes. It’s hard to stay sidelined watching your teammates compete in volleyball matches, swimming meets, or baseball games. Consider three actions that may help you get back in the game.

Initial treatment for rotator cuff injuries involves pain control using anti-inflammatory medications and rest.

1. Take nutritional supplements

Some experts advocate taking nutritional supplements to help a rotator cuff tear heal. Supplements have different functions, and some may help your rotator cuff injury, including:

• St. John’s wort and arnica can help cure musculoskeletal trauma
• Bromelain—an enzyme found primarily in the stem of a pineapple—is a natural remedy to help reduce inflammation
• Vitamins C and E can help reduce pain

Be sure to speak with your doctor before taking a supplement, as some supplements interact with medications.

2. Stop smoking

If you have surgery for your rotator cuff tear, then you should stop smoking. Nicotine can slow down the healing process after surgery. Also, people who smoke have more complications—such as infection and poor healing of the injury—following rotator’s cuff surgery than people who don’t smoke.¹

3. Change your sleeping position

When it’s time to go to sleep, don’t lie on your injured shoulder. Instead, try resting on your uninjured side, or lie on your back and prop up your injured arm with some pillows.

These recommendations are in addition to more commonplace ones for rotator cuff injuries, like resting and applying ice to the injured shoulder. As you begin to regain shoulder strength and function, don’t become overconfident in your abilities and take on too much too soon. Trying to push through pain or hurrying through your rehabilitation program in an attempt to progress quickly could set your recovery back. It usually takes several months to recover from a rotator’s cuff tear, so stay patient and follow your doctor’s instructions.

There is no one right way to heal from a rotator’s cuff tear, but there are several worth considering to help get you back to the sports you enjoy.