12-25-2025, 06:42 AM
I'm a fairly active person in my fifties, and an MRI confirmed I have a partial-thickness rotator cuff tear in my dominant shoulder, likely from overuse. My orthopedic surgeon has laid out the rotator cuff tear treatment options, starting with several months of focused physical therapy and possibly a corticosteroid injection, but he mentioned surgery could be necessary if that doesn't work. For others who have faced this decision, what was your experience with non-surgical rehab? How effective was PT in restoring strength and reducing pain for a partial tear, and what specific exercises made the biggest difference? At what point did you decide surgery was the right path, and what was the recovery timeline and outcome like for those who went that route?