Exercises for a rotator cuff tear to help you recover quickly

A rotator cuff tear is a partial or complete tear of one or more of the four rotator cuff tendons. Rotator cuff injuries typically affect adults. People in their thirties and early forties rarely have a full-thickness tear without a significant traumatic event, such as a fall. Adults in their fifties and beyond can develop full-thickness rotator cuff tears without a major injury. A partial-thickness tear usually responds to the rehabilitation and nonoperative treatment but occasionally needs surgery. Often doing some exercises for a rotator cuff tear can relieve your pain and allow you to get back to what you love to do.

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A full-thickness tear rarely improves without surgery to repair the tendon. With newer technologies, this surgery can almost always be performed arthroscopically.

In this video, physical therapist Yves Gege and I show a few exercises for a rotator cuff tear you can do to try to recover, if you have a rotator cuff tear.

[DrDavidGeier]

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[Doug-tpjp]

1:00 Band - 90 degrees step away
2:00 Finger walk up wall
3:30 Arms straight out @ 45 degrees, then up

[paposwing]

I don't mean to bash the physical therapists. But I was going for rotator cuff therapy years ago. I had to go twice a week. Every time I had to pay $20 co-pay. So $40 dollars a week. And every time, they had me doing the same exercises over and over. Why just not show you what to do the first two visits and then tell you to do the same at home? I stopped going after the first month because I wasn't getting paid much and that extra $160 a month was too much. With that said, kudos for these guys for posting this valuable video for free.

[catkeys]

Exercises like this definitely work. These are very similar to ones prescribed to me by my doctor. My rotator cuff injury is much better now, but it did take a while. I'm now able to do standing dumbbell fly exercise with 20lb dumbbells- right after the injury I couldn't even raise my left arm with NO weight.

[MundaneBrain]

Just wanted to say, both of these individuals actually know what they're talking about, since they correctly recognise the rotator cuff/scapular muscles as being fundamental to power and stability generation from the shoulder joint, even though they are smaller and less than muscles like the deltoid. Excellent to watch this and I will be using these exercises for my own RC injury.

[TheEarthLaughs]

all three exercises are really useful
Thank you

[zzaher]

3 sets of 15 on all of them this is recovery not a workout you can actually irritate the heck out of your tear, if you rush or dont focus on doing them slowly and properly. Take your time and give yourself proper brakes

[jamesbach]

Thank you. I have a rotator tear that hurts all day and worse at night

[louiscampbell]

Thanks a lot fellows I felt instant relief it's been at least 2 years but I just got over tkr surgery so I wasn't able to really work on my shoulders but instant relief it works thank you

[jakescalli]

That actually really helps thank you Paul Rudd

[deborahpalmer]

Thank you for this helpful video! I really like how the Physiotherapist describes the exercise movements and posture. Im a visual learner and he paints a perfect picture of each exercise.

[kaytsippy]

Gonna try these! My injury has been keeping me up at night and waking me up in the morning. For a whole year! On trying them out i can tell these are the areas that need strengthening. Nice one.

[kimchee]

After a few months from a rotator cuff injury, I thought everything was fine until I try to hang on a monkey bar. That was an incredible intense amount of pain, went to physical rehab the next of day. Turns out the massage therapy was even more painful and seems like the session lasted forever. All good now.

[waldemarleitgeber]

Good exercises but it's good to follow them after warm up doing pendulum motion and stretching

[kierrabee]

These are some really great simple tasks to do. With, or without equipment. Great video 👍🏾

[SWTORDREKKIN]

First of all, the doctor seems like a genuinely good person. That said, it is insane to me, how he wouldn't know these exercises. What is even more insane, is that the doctor looks to be in great shape himself, which I can't see him obtaining the build he has without some of these movements. My only conclusion is that he is pretending to not know for us audience (but that doesn't bode well for confidence in him on our part)... or, who knows. Anyhow, GREAT video from both of you.

[VetteGuy]

I had the pain when reaching up to a cabinet shelf. What helped me alot was going to a sports pool where we live. I would wear a snorkel mask so I could keep my head straight. I would do about 50-60 laps extending my arms together then pulling them down in an arc to propel forward. My pain eventually went away and my wife noticed my beefed up shoulder muscles which surprised me.

[rondamccartin]

These are so easy to do.I havnt yet seen a specialist as my GP said I will need to at some time have an operation but im going to try these first and hopefully avoid the operation all together or at least for some time.
Wish me luck!

[lsa]

Thank you, for these. How often should they be done? Everyday? Or skip days? Thanks!

[fitnesslandlord]

I really a rotative cuff tear for about 4yrs now and it boarders me a lot