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Most rotator cuff tears don't require surgery, and many people find relief with non-surgical treatments. Patients who are told they need rotator cuff surgery should understand the reason for the surgery.
The good news is the rotator cuff tears do not necessarily need to heal in order for the symptoms to resolve. Many people have rotator cuff tears, but no symptoms of shoulder pain. Therefore, the goal of treatment of a rotator cuff tear is to relieve the symptoms, not necessarily heal the tear.
Massive rotator cuff injuries may require shoulder replacement surgery. To improve the artificial joint's stability, an innovative procedure (reverse shoulder arthroplasty) installs the ball part of the artificial joint onto the shoulder blade and the socket part onto the arm bone.
The majority of rotator cuff tears can be treated nonsurgically using one or more of these treatments: Anti-inflammatory medications. Steroid (cortisone) injections. Physical therapy. The goals of treatment are to relieve pain and restore strength to the involved shoulder.
Nonsurgical treatment options could include: Self-care: When the tear is minor, you can relieve discomfort by taking a break from activities (lifting, sports), applying ice regularly and taking a nonprescription anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium.
While rotator cuff tears can't heal on their own, nonsurgical treatments can help boost your shoulder's function and lower pain.
Rotator cuff tears don’t heal on their own without surgery, but many people can improve functionally and decrease pain with nonsurgical treatment by strengthening their shoulder muscles. Just because you have a tear doesn’t necessarily mean you need surgery, as many people have rotator cuff tears and don’t even know it.