“Can a rotator cuff tear heal with physical therapy?”

Yes, a rotator cuff tear can often heal with physical therapy, especially if it’s a partial tear. Physical therapy focuses on improving the range of motion, strength, and flexibility of the shoulder, which can help alleviate pain and restore function.

It's definitely a good place to start. I tore my rotator cuff and one injection with physical therapy is what helped me. I would consider this as the first option and if you are not better discuss surgical options with an orthopedist.

While it depends on how serious the rotator cuff tear is. There are 4 muscles that create the rotator cuff and if one of them is torn you most likely won't need surgery and physical therapy will help, however if there are multiple rotator cuff muscles that have been torn you may need a surgical repair. With that said there are people that have multiple tears of their rotator cuff muscles and don't need surgery and have done well with physical therapy. It will also depend on whether the tear is a partial tear or a full tear, but again, if you're still functional with your arm and shoulder with your tear and you're able to do everything you'd like to do with minimal to no pain, then physical therapy can help strengthen the muscles around it and give you the strategies that you need to maintain that function without undergoing surgery.

Dear Patient, Thank you for reaching out with your concerns regarding rotator cuff tear treatment. Physical therapy often plays a role in managing such injuries, particularly in cases of minor to moderate tears. While it may not completely 'heal' the tear, physical therapy can improve your shoulder's strength, flexibility, and overall function. This often leads to reduced pain and improved range of motion. However, it's important to note that physical therapy might not address the root cause of a rotator cuff tear. Please be aware that in the current medical field, there are more advanced treatment options available for this condition. Tsai Chao M.D.

It will not "heal" a rotator cuff tear but if partial tear then PT can help you to strengthen the muscles around the tear, if full tear then or if more than 1 tear in rotator cuff then usually surgery then PT.