tore my rotator cuff pretty badly several years ago. a little at first, but then free style swimming stroke when i didn't think it was too bad and felt this terrible pain, couldn't lift my arm up at all, impingement of the tendon, so inflamed couldn't lay on it without great pain (had to prop it up off the bed with a folded hand towel). the physiatrist showed me this one simple exercise, said it would never heal on its own (after months of it not healing on its own). took several months, but she was right, by doing the exercise every day, it seems to be good as new now......fast forward to this past fall, other side, rotator cuff, same impingement, after the upper in general had been such a mess, rotator cuff not quite as bad, and lower tendons this time, but again, did the same exercise, and after a few months, it is much better. think unless its a full blown rupturue, the rotator cuff exercises just might do the trick, maybe not for everyone, but maybe for others. i did have to be really careful with the exercise, started out with no weight at all, just raising my arm up, about 5 degrees up from my body, starting with only 1 or 2 repetitions, but i kept with it every day, and within a few months could raise it up 90 degrees with a 3 lb weight. have always been taught by PTs and physiatrists to do one more repetition past the first twinge of pain, and no more. the old adage no pain, no gain, they don't believe that. now that i've seen results by listening to them, i'm of the same mind. as i said, may not work for everyone, but thought it worth mentioning.
