14 Possible Causes of Rotator Cuff Tear

3. Pulled

Another way that you could get a torn rotator cuff is if you accidentally pull your shoulder. Pulled muscles can happen at any time if your limbs are under too much load. Excessive loads could do more than your pull your muscles, as it might also end up tearing your rotator cuff. You’ll know that you have more than a pulled muscle if the pain feels deep and also if you notice the snapping sensation that we described earlier.

Pulled muscles generally cause pain, but the best way to differentiate a rotator cuff tear is looking for that snapping sensation and seeing if your arm is weak afterward. If you fail the drop arm test after pulling your muscle, you might also have a torn rotator cuff. If your doctor diagnoses a pulled muscle exclusively then you should encourage them to also check for a torn rotator cuff. This is even truer if you notice any of the symptoms associated with a tear.