Can A Rotator Cuff Tear Heal Naturally Without Surgery

Do you suspect that you might have a rotator cuff tear? Or maybe you know that you've got a rotator cuff tear, because you've seen a doctor and had an MRI, and they found that you have a rotator cuff tear?
Are you having trouble picking up your arm all the way, and lying on that side whenever you go to sleep? Well if this is you, then the next question that you probably have is can a rotator cuff tear heal naturally without surgery?
Real quick, my name is Dr. David Middaugh. I'm a specialist physical therapist over at El Paso Manual Physical Therapy. I've been helping people with rotator cuff tear problems for years, mainly helping people avoid them.
Of course, we do see people here and there that have had a rotator cuff surgery because it's necessary in some cases.
But what we've found is that in about 9 out of 10 cases it is completely possible to avoid having a surgery and allow your rotator cuff tear to heal naturally and get back that full motion with your arm, the strength to pick up things again, lying on that shoulder without having to worry that you're going to be waking up at night all the time.
This week has been packed with new patients, and three of the patients that we got this week have asked us some version of the same question. That is something like “Can a rotator cuff tear heal naturally without surgery?” And with each and every one of them, we emphatically said, “Yes, it can.”
#elpasomanualphysicaltherapy #drdavidmiddaugh
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[@JodyTrynabreak80butitstough]

I first hurt/tore my rotator cuff 9 years ago and it took about 18 months in the gym to work through pain and ability to elevate. After re injury due to bench press I was ready to give up thinking that at 65 ( in a few months) it’d take even longer to use shoulder and be able to golf or shoot or lift weights again . I found your posts on KZbin and I must say THANK YOU!!!! In two days of minimally using 4 of 5 shoulder exercises for preventing tear surgery I am able to lift arm over head unassisted. ( I don’t have a pulley setup ) I was only doing very few reps of each exercise and that in itself has me this far . I will be utilizing them as prescribed ( at least every two hours ) so I can try to prevent another tear in future . Thank you for posting so we have VERY good advice to try . 03/20/2024 update: Finally had MRI done and damage in shoulder is full length Supraspinatis tear full tear off bone , infrasoinatis tear , scapula and bicep tear . In any event I will be having surgery ( not looking forward to blown summer lol 😂) Weird thing is now my right shoulder feels exactly how my injured shoulder felt ….. in any case I have been using my injured shoulder as normal and Surgeon gave me choice of keep using or try repair.

[@freebird57350]

Great that you are having good luck so far. I have a similar issue, same age as you, been hurting me for at least 10 years, getting worse, MRI shows a tear and other issues. Cortisone has not worked.Just wondering which exercises are you doing and if they still seems to be working for you? Anything else that works for you let me know!!! Thanks!

[@MadameX_]

Yes! Most definitely. I did it with lots of different types of manual therapy/massage, rest, non-inflammatory diet, PRP injections, infrared sauna and once the pain stopped and tendon healed, Egoscue exercises with a trained professional.

[@darrell1374]

I was told that small tendon tears may be able to heal on their own but complete or almost complete tears will not heal on their own. Among other things it’s because we have a poor blood supply in that area.

[@thiaarnott88]

Great information👍

[@epmanualphysicaltherapy]

Thank you Thia!

[@Jrjaro]

Depending on the severity it can heal on its own but it can take a long time (in my case more than 12 months, I had a rotator cuff partial tear that involved 40% of the thickness of the tendon and a severe biceps tendinosis). It will require a lot of physical therapy, stretching, light weight lifting, resting, massages, etc.

[@Pastorlinda54]

6 mo of PT saved me from surgery. I can't thank these guys enough!

[@Pastorlinda54]

The truth is, my injured shoulder after pt is better than my uninjured shoulder. Figure that.

[@RonWen]

I had a pretty serious rotator cuff injury at the gym on a lateral raise machine and my left shoulder just collapsed. It was so bad, I couldn't even turn the steering wheel when driving. Decided not to do surgery, let it rest and heal and slowly went back to the gym and build the muscles back. 25 years later, it's mostly healed but probably at 80% to 85% compared to right shoulder and probably more susceptible to injuries. Wasn't able to sleep on my side/left shoulder for well over 20 years due to discomfort but can finally do so now. So yeah, I think you can rehab most shoulder injuries and friends who have had shoulder surgery, it's a mixed bag. Definitely need a very skilled surgeon, it's a complex joint but rest and rehab is an alternative option. Especially if you're younger.

[@feast2faminebeast21]

I had the same thing 15 years of pain. Biggest help for me was doing active and passive hangs. Start very slow as it will hurt a lot at first . Also Because of your injury your range of motion has probably fused a lot of the fascia in your shoulder and restricting or making some movement painful. you will need to have some of that fused fascia released. It’s going to hurt like hell but it will immediately enable that range of motion and you will feel much better immediately after. Best of luck

[@donnap5996]

Thank you

[@feast2faminebeast21]

I can attest my rotator cuff healed naturally without surgery but it took YEARS!!!!! I think it healed maybe 70% within about 2-3 years without any exercises or therapy. I wasn’t 90 healed until over 8 years later when my chiropractor did some fascial release that HURT like hell. But when it was done I felt like I had a new shoulder. That fascial release is SUPER important HOWEVER… I will say the final thing that took me to 100% is when I started doing active and passive hangs from a bar. Haven’t had pain ever since. I still do hangs every now and then.

[@mohanpootheriedakkat6622]

Did an MRI....I had a 70% tear and was very painful.....no medicines and no physiotherapy....just left it like that ...now my shoulders are quite normal....looks like it has heaked by itself

[@Shubham-7]

Is it true ? I have mild partial tear in suprasinatus tendon in MRI and it is very painful when i lift my arm till shoulder height.. what should I do ?

[@shivagoswami4823]

I had 1 week ago and can't able to move front and sideways due to pain ,but physiotherapist suggest me the shoulder band and the belt which is generally use for hand now it's start moving front side but not in side ways

[@Shubham-7]

@@shivagoswami4823 i would like to give you an update that tis condition of mine was 2 months ago and now i have automatically recovered from my rotator cuff tear in supraspinatus tendon close to insertion..... It healed automatically just by using a sling for 40 days and doing mild mobility exercises

[@shivagoswami4823]

@@Shubham-7 oh really thanks bro, it will help me alot ..but my hand not moving side ways and it's rays in front side on shoulder level...so the same problem had you facing ?

[@didierbaudot]

I think the best thing is going to a Physiotherapist for light exercises and he or she will help you​@@Shubham-7

[@mikehannemann8931]

I tore my dominant arm labrum 46 years ago being tackled playing football & had issues with arm going "dead" doing things like throwing, drawing a bow string, bowling, etc. Dr at that time said needed to "tighten the scapula(?) as the tendon was stretched. Was advised to refrain from overhead movements. 7 years ago tore the posterior portion of the labrum throwing a wad of paper. About 6 months ago podiatrist treated a badly infected ingrown nail and had me on 3 rounds of Cipro. Began getting horrible shoulder pain, worse at night. Could not sleep. Went back to ortho and new MRI says small partial tears of all 4 cuff muscles and arthritic spurs on acromium joint. Cortisone shot helped the pain enough that no problem sleeping, but is there anyway to regain function of this shoulder?? Have had no surgeries.

[@garyfifer2345]

hi dr. I had an mri they said it is a incomplete full thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon anterioor aspect 2 months ago , i have regained almost full movement trying to avoid surgery. will this help me ?

[@adamg393]

It's one of the worst pain I've ever had, mine is still healing after about 8 months

[@michellebowling1979]

I don’t feel like you all go with the ‘it gets worse before it’s better.’ Is that the case? I have been getting pt. No one has ordered an mri. Say they don’t think it’s torn. But I really believe it is. I have shaking in my shoulder with fine motor movements, near my face.

[@n0c0de]

Could you please advise your thoughts on a full thickness tear of of the supraspinatus tendon? You mentioned you will get into that aspect later. Please advise if it has been covered elsewhere

[@eugenecarson9502]

If you have a full thickness tear does science show it can heal on its own? Or only partial tears because I have full tear and I'm doing physical therapy. Doctor told me to get surgery

[@johnnycroat]

I have 2 Rotator cuff tears and a long bicep tear. My GP wants me to meet with Orthopedic surgeon urgently . After viewing my xray and ultrasound. I did all the tests and can do them. eg drop test. I can lower my arm controlled. just hurts mostly raising my arm on the side. sometimes pain at night. i am avoiding upper body weight training for now. Doing chest exercises tends to cause me pain later in the evening.

[@inquistive]

I have a full thickness tear of 17mm but not full width, Can that also heal as opposed to a partial thickness tear?

[@JasonLewisjasonlewis]

I thought the current info on tendons is that they do't repair in the sense that the edges of a tear can reconnect. The strands of tendon tissue which runs along its length which are still connected can strengthen and thicken, but is it possible for disconnected strands to reconnect?

[@caroldawson3193]

Ì'm still in physio 9mths on been told it may never be 100% again but it'll be close to it with no surgery & lots òf exercises n pain I'm able to do most things winter will be the worst time with & mild arthritis started in the shoulder & very low pain threshold too.

[@azjack827]

I’m in the Phoenix AZ area do you know of any PT that does what you do. Thank you so much 😊

[@epmanualphysicaltherapy]

Hey Jack! 👋 We'd be happy to assist you with this. In the US, you can find a physical therapist trained similar to Dr. David at this website: aaompt.org/Main/Public_Resources/Find-A-Fellow/Main/Member_Resources/Find-A-Fellow.aspx?hkey=108c9a56-f793-45e4-b3ed-cefe5d871a94 Dr. David is a fellow of the American Academy of Manual Physical Therapists. His specialty is orthopedic manual physical therapy, which is the ideal specialty for helping someone avoid surgery, injections, and medications. In case you are interested you can book a Virtaul Consultation so that you may discuss your situation with Dr David. You can do that here: Virtual visit link www.epmanualphysicaltherapy.com/virtual-visit/ Thank you for reaching out! Take care🙌

[@Ninjafb09]

I fixed my left rotator cuff through physical therapy but I’m having issues healing my right rotator cuff… I’m in North Texas, about 40 mins from Dallas, can you recommend something or someone/specialist - Thank you!

[@epmanualphysicaltherapy]

Sorry to hear about your right shoulder Frank :-( mPower PT in northeast Dallas would be my first recommendation. www.mpower-pt.com/ I've got some colleagues that are trained similar to me in Plano -> David Zeigler and Sarah Stultz. I don't know them personally, but they might be closer to you.

[@VanTran-yo5vj]

Thanks for all the information you give but I have a question please my supraspinatus tendon is significant for a full thickness tear can it heals naturally with out of surgery? Right now I’m waiting to see the surgeon I don’t know how long does it take? I’m so worried and stressful by the mean time I went to see the physical therapy and do the exercises every day it’s been two months already can you please tell me what should I do I really need your help can I phone the number you give and discuss more details please 🙏🏼

[@jeffbennett8093]

How about a complete tear?

[@rahulatrey2909]

Sir I have survive the rotator calf injury .. tear ..please help

[@edm8037]

I torn my rotator cuff and ive been having some pain at night so i decided to do physio-theraphy at home but my pain got worse at night when i sleep. If i don't do physio-theraphy , would my injury heal?

[@epmanualphysicaltherapy]

Hey Ed M! Great question! It's hard to say whether or not your shoulder would heal. If you got worse doing your own treatment, its either because it's misdiagnosed and your doing the wrong treatment, or you're correctly diagnosed and you're doing the right treatment but need to figure out how to make it work for you. Here's a playlist of all our rotator cuff videos: "Rotator Cuff Tear Help" kzbin.info/aero/PLJVIPiFvv1mbQ_-1YFfEePnrcxfwwf9_k

[@andreaheckler56]

Any ideas on where I can find the specialist help you speak of in Honolulu, Hawaii? Or do you guys work with out of state clients?

[@epmanualphysicaltherapy]

Hi Andrea, We do offer Virtual Consultations. By opting for a Virtual Consultation, you'll have the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with our doctors, where they can delve into the details of your condition and provide you with tailored guidance and coaching. This personalized approach ensures that you receive the individualized support and direction you need to make informed decisions about your health. To learn more about our Virtual Consultations including cost please click here: www.epmanualphysicaltherapy.com/virtual-visit/ We would love to have you visit us here in El Paso, TX if that is possible for you. If you are interested in visiting us locally feel free to email us at [e-mail] and we can have our scheduling coordinator help you set up an appointment. We look forward to hearing from you! We wish you all the best in your road to recovery. 🧡

[@jenniferh8601]

So I have a complete rotor cuff full thickness tear and of the bicep and supraspinatus and bone spurs and tendonosis and arthritis is it possible to heal without surgery? My surgeon at Andrew’s Sports Medicine says it won’t heal until I have surgery 😢but this pain has been horrible for sure my ROM is bad also .. should I be in a sling??

[@wheeliewadethiesen2946]

I’m just going through the comments. I see that it looks like nobody answered you. That’s exactly what I have and they say or the surgeon said it will not heal without surgery, of course I know the surgeons going say that that’s how he makes his living. I haven’t done it yet. Still looking for options. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@wheeliewadethiesen2946]

How about that I looked at your KZbin page, William Schnoebelen we had him many times up in Lowell Indiana 👍

[@stevenciambelli633]

Question : Is it possible to avoid surgery with Rotator Cuff full tears ..

[@christiansolar.francisco9968]

Hello! Doctor I wasn't diagnosed yet, I had this vehicular accident days ago and then my main problem is that I can't raise my arm yet and my shoulder is still aching whenever I try to raise it up.

[@colinsmith1288]

I had this problem after a motorbike accident. Mine healed. I think it depends on the severity of the tear. Mine was diagnosed at A and E.

[@MokitRoom]

Hi! How are your rotator cuff now?

[@garyfifer2345]

0.8X 0.7cm

[@michaelamiras9727]

I have long bicep tendonosis with acute tendonitis, with small rotator cuff tear, Can I avoid surgery?

[@epmanualphysicaltherapy]

Yes you defiantly can Michael!! What you need to is a get thorough examination by a Manual Physical Therapist. Her isa link to help you find out in your area and a link to see Dr. David via Telehealth. Aydın, Dernek, B., Sentürk Ege, T., Karan, A., & Aksoy, C. (2019). The Effectiveness of Dry Needling and Exercise Therapy in Patients with Dizziness Caused By Cervical Myofascial Pain Syndrome; Prospective Randomized Clinical Study. Pain Medicine (Malden, Mass.), 20(1), 153-160. doi.org/10.1093/pm/pny072 Chu, Chin, W. L., & Bhaumik, A. (2019). Cervicogenic dizziness. Oxford Medical Case Reports, 2019(11), 476-478. Cherchi, DiLiberto, F. E., Yacovino, D. A., & Das, S. (2021). The Enduring Controversy of Cervicogenic Vertigo, and Its Place among Positional Vertigo Syndromes. Audiology Research (Pavia, Italy), 11(4), 491-507. doi.org/10.3390/audiolres11040045 Cuenca-Martínez, Bartrina-Rodríguez, I., Suso-Martí, L., La Touche, R., & Ferrer-Peña, R. (2018). Association between somatosensory, motor and psychological variables by levels of disability in patients with cervicogenic dizziness. Somatosensory & Motor Research, 35(3-4), 247-252. Escaloni, J, et al., The use of dry needling as a diagnostic tool and clinical treatment for cervicogenic dizziness: a narrative review & case serres, Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies (2018),doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2018.02.015 Jacobson GP, Newman CW. The Development of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1990;116(4):424-427. doi:10.1001/archotol.1990.01870040046011 Knapstad, Nordahl, S. H. G., & Goplen, F. K. (2019). Clinical characteristics in patients with cervicogenic dizziness: A systematic review. Health Science Reports, 2(9), e134-n/a. doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.134

[@michaelamiras9727]

Hi, Can u please send me a link to make an appointment with Dr. David.. Thanks

[@michaelamiras9727]

Im from Sacramento California

[@epmanualphysicaltherapy]

Hey Michael, absolutely! Here is the link: Virtual visit link www.epmanualphysicaltherapy.com/virtual-visit/

[@bharatkashyap5361]

Hi dr can completely tear heal with precautions or it does require surgery?

[@epmanualphysicaltherapy]

Hi Bharat, that's a good question. It really depends on the severity of the injury but in many cases, it can heal. We have a Rotator Cuff Tear Recovery Program that will be debuting mid-month and could help aid in your recovery. In the meantime, we have a rotator cuff playlist that you can access here: "Rotator Cuff Tear Help" kzbin.info/aero/PLJVIPiFvv1mbQ_-1YFfEePnrcxfwwf9_k We hope you feel some relief soon. We'd love to hear how you are doing as you progress.🙌 Please take care!

[@bharatkashyap5361]

Hi @@epmanualphysicaltherapy thanks for replying and helping out. Is there any way we can get appointment with you as i am in canada or can i share reports of injury

[@epmanualphysicaltherapy]

Hey Bharat! The Rotator Cuff Tear Recovery Program has officially launched check it out here: The Rotator Cuff Tear Recovery Program is a comprehensive program designed to get your shoulder pain under control to allow the rotator cuff tendons to heal. Then it guides you to correct the underlying root muscle imbalances so that you can fix the source of the problem (rather than just treat the symptoms) and get long-term relief from shoulder pain. This program works even if you've had rotator cuff surgery in the past but continue to have rotator cuff problems. To learn more please click this link: www.epmanualphysicaltherapy.com/rotator-cuff-tear-recovery-program/

[@Dailyprayr]

Complete tears do not heal without surgery.

[@zain84859]

I cant tell if I injured my rotator cuff. So basically a month and a half ago I injured my upper arm around my shoulder and I got a large bruise which was like green with purple and red lines on it and my arm felt weak. But now after a month and a half the bruise had gone and pain had gone but my left arm still doesn't feel the same as before or as strong as before. So can tou tell me if it has healed or not and tell me how to fix it pls

[@taaaha_]

Any updates

[@dankirk6096]

No. Tendons are not self healing.

[@epmanualphysicaltherapy]

Hey Dan! It is absolutely possible to heal a torn tendon. Many torn tendons have only been partially torn. These tendons are very capable of healing. Even some large tears have been able to heal if the proper shoulder alignment is restored so that the tendons are not constantly being stretched and stressed. Hope this helps!