Physical therapy for rotator cuff tears

Rotator cuff tears symptoms

Rotator cuff tears occur either suddenly or gradually. Sudden tears, such as those that result from a fall, cause intense, acute pain. Patients will usually feel a snapping sensation and immediate upper arm weakness.

Gradual tears, on the other hand, are usually due to overuse. Patients will initially feel mild pain when they lift or rotate their arm. At first, over-the-counter pain relievers will be sufficient to relieve the pain. However, over time, the pain may become more noticeable, even while the patient is at rest, and can interfere with routine activities.

The most common symptoms of rotator cuff tears include:

• Pain at rest or at night
• Pain when lifting, lowering, or rotating the arm
• Weakness in the arm
• Crackling sensation in the arm with certain movements

Physical therapy for rotator cuff tears

Although physical therapy alone can’t fully heal the condition, it’s often the recommended treatment for rotator cuff tears. That’s because the goal of rotator cuff tear treatment isn’t necessarily to heal the torn tendon, but rather to achieve pain relief, improve strength, and restore shoulder joint mechanics.

Rotator cuff physical therapy targets the small muscles around the shoulder that tend to be neglected in normal exercise and thus grow weak and vulnerable to breakage. For the vast majority of patients with rotator cuff tears, these exercises will help to relieve pain and strengthen the shoulder, obviating the need for surgical intervention.