Rotator cuff tear helps to confirm that the pain arises from the shoulder primarily rather than referred from the neck, heart, or gut. If pain is relieved, the test is considered positive for rotator-cuff impingement, of which tendinitis and bursitis are major causes. However, partial rotator-cuff tears may also demonstrate good pain relief, so a positive response cannot rule out a partial rotator-cuff tear. However, with demonstration of good, pain-free function, treatment will not change, so the test is useful in helping to avoid overtesting or unnecessary surgery. Long-term overuse/abuse of the shoulder joint is generally thought to limit range of motion and
Rotator cuff a rotator cuff tear can include rest, ice, physical therapy, and/or surgery. A published review of 14 trials involving 829 patients found that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate whether surgery is any better than non-surgical options. A review of manual therapy and exercise treatments found inconclusive evidence as to whether these treatments were any better than placebo, however ""High quality evidence from one trial suggested that manual therapy and exercise improved function only slightly more than placebo at 22 weeks, was little or no different to placebo in terms of other patient-important outcomes (e.g. overall pain), and was associated