At The Physio Hub in Collingwood, ON, we specialize in helping clients recover from a wide range of sports injuries, including rotator cuff tears. Whether you’re an athlete or simply dealing with everyday shoulder pain, it’s important to recognize the signs of a rotator cuff injury and take the appropriate steps to heal and recover.
In this blog, we’ll explore the common signs of a rotator cuff tear, what happens if left untreated, and how long recovery can take.
What is a Rotator Cuff Tear?
The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and tendons that stabilize the shoulder and allow for a wide range of motion. A tear can occur from an acute injury, repetitive stress, or age-related wear and tear. A rotator cuff tear can be either partial or complete, depending on the extent of damage.
What Are Two Warning Signs of a Rotator Cuff Tear?
Recognizing the early warning signs of a rotator cuff tear is crucial for timely treatment. Here are two key indicators:
- Shoulder Pain: One of the most common signs of a rotator cuff tear is persistent pain in the shoulder, especially during certain movements. You may feel discomfort when lifting your arm, reaching behind you, or lying on the affected side. The pain may intensify at night, particularly when trying to sleep on the injured shoulder.
- Weakness in the Shoulder: Another warning sign is a noticeable weakness in the affected arm. You may find it difficult to lift objects, raise your arm above your head, or perform activities that require strength and mobility. This weakness often worsens over time without treatment.
If you’re experiencing these symptoms, it’s important to seek professional advice to prevent further damage.
How Long Does It Take for a Torn Rotator Cuff to Heal Without Surgery?
Not all rotator cuff tears require surgery. In most cases, conservative treatments such as physiotherapy, rest, and strengthening exercises can promote healing. The recovery timeline, however, depends on the severity of the tear.
- Partial Tears: With a partial tear, healing can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months (or even longer) depending on the extent of the injury and the effectiveness of the treatment plan. Physiotherapy plays a key role in strengthening the surrounding muscles and improving range of motion.
- Complete Tears: If you have a complete tear, the recovery process may be longer. In some cases, surgery may be necessary, but it is possible to manage the condition with non-surgical approaches. Healing may take 3-12 months, and physiotherapy is essential to regain function.
What Happens if a Torn Rotator Cuff Goes Untreated?
Ignoring a torn rotator cuff can lead to a range of complications:
- Worsening of the symptoms: Not knowing about what is causing your issues can create symptoms to be ongoing and get worse. Being aware of things that you should modify and avoid, as well as doing things to promote healing are important.
- Loss of Shoulder Function: Over time, an untreated tear may result in significant loss of shoulder function. You may find it increasingly difficult to perform daily activities that require shoulder movement, such as lifting, reaching, or even dressing yourself.
- Chronic Pain: Without treatment, the pain associated with a rotator cuff tear can become chronic, affecting your quality of life and sleep. In some cases, the shoulder may develop arthritis or other degenerative conditions, making the situation more difficult to manage.
How Can Physiotherapy Help?
At The Physio Hub, we use a personalized approach to treat rotator cuff tears. Through targeted exercises and manual therapy, we work to reduce pain, improve shoulder strength, and restore range of motion. Our goal is to help you avoid surgery when possible and guide you through a structured rehabilitation plan to promote healing.
What are the main mistakes people make in Physio?
We will often see people in clinic that have already attended physio but found it not to be helpful. These are the mistakes that we often see people make.
- Not enough exercise: Research shows a good response to exercise for Rotator Cuff Injuries. Unfortunately, because it hurts, it can be challenging to exercise, and too much time is spent resting, or using modalities such as TENs or Ultrasound which have been shown to have little benefit. At The Physio Hub we spend time to make sure your exercise routine is working and manageable for you. This is how we get good outcomes.
- Exercises are too easy: Those who have a good exercise routine see benefit in it initially, but then they plateau quickly. Often we see that exercises are not challenging enough, and they are not progressed in a way to continue to develop strength and promote healing.
- Not enough time given: The recommendation for Rotator Cuff injuries is to complete an exercise program for 12-16 weeks. Often patients have stopped after 4-6 weeks because they don’t think it is helping enough.
- Not being active enough: If the shoulder injury stops them from their usual activities they become very sedentary and static. Fitter and healthier people heal quicker, and so walking, running, cycling, or any other type of activity is great at increasing blood flow, getting repair materials moving around the body, and releasing endorphins that are essential to pain control and healing!
If you suspect a rotator cuff tear, don’t wait for the pain to get worse. Contact The Physio Hub today to schedule an assessment and start your path to recovery. Whether it’s through a conservative approach or post-surgery rehab, we are here to support your journey toward a pain-free life!