15 Tips to Heal a Rotator Cuff Tear

2. Rehabilitation is key

Rehabilitation is one of the most crucial parts of the recovery process. This holds true for both surgical and nonsurgical treatments for rotator cuff tears. Whenever your shoulder suffers a tear, you’ll most likely also have atrophy of any surrounding muscles. This could lead to loss of motion in your shoulder.

The best way to restore function and rebuild strength in the damaged muscles is through physical therapy. Even if surgery repairs all the damage to the tendon itself, it’s important to remember that any damaged surrounding muscles will remain weak if you don’t restore them to their former glory through rehabilitation.

Depending on the extent of your injury, your rehabilitation process could take as long as six months. That said, some people can recover much faster than that, especially if their injury was relatively minor. If you don’t know any physical therapists, you could ask for recommendations from your surgeon.