It’s summer which means volleyball season! I’ve had a lot of friends doing volleyball and other over head sports and talking about shoulder pain! I’ve noticed that most know of the “rotator cuff” but are unaware of what it actually consists of. I’m here to drop a little knowledge so you can know your body better, and therefore take better care of it! The rotator cuff is actually a set of 4 muscles that work together to move your arm and shoulder while keeping it in its proper place. The muscles that make up the “cuff” are: 1. supraspinatus- this muscle abducts or raises the arm and stabilizes the humerus. 2. infraspinatus- this muscle externally rotates the arm (think open the door) and stabilizes the humerus. 3. teres minor- this muscle similarly externally rotates the arm and stabilizes the humerus. 4. subscapularis- this muscle internally rotates the arm and stabilizes the humerus. All of these muscles originate on the scapula, aka shoulder blade, and insert on the humerus. They are referred to as one group, the “rotator cuff”, because of their similar attachments and action of stabilizing the humerus, but each muscle also has it’s own action. This makes them all separate but come to work together in order to allow your arm to move as freely as it does! Hopefully this helps you better understand your body and know what’s going on with it! #themoreyouknow