Rotator cuff pain
An ache on the outside of the shoulder or upper arm that catches when you lift your arm out to the side or reach overhead, and often makes lying on that side uncomfortable. It usually comes from the tendons of the rotator cuff being asked to do more than they were ready for. Most people improve with gradual strengthening, and injections or surgery are rarely needed.
Also called shoulder impingement, rotator cuff tendinopathy, painful arc, shoulder pain lifting the arm.
Does this sound like you?
- Pain on the outside of the shoulder or upper arm, rather than on top of it
- A painful part of the movement when you lift the arm out to the side
- Reaching up to a shelf, or behind your back, sets it off
- Lying on that side at night is uncomfortable
This is not a diagnosis. Several things cause pain in the same place, which is why the list below matters.
Check these first: when it is not rotator cuff pain
If any of these apply, get checked before you start the exercises. The ones marked in red can't wait.
- Shoulder pain comes with chest pain or breathlessness. Call 999
- You cannot lift the arm at all, especially after a fall or a sudden jolt
- The shoulder looks out of shape, or it popped out
- The joint is hot, red or swollen, or you feel unwell with a fever
- Pins and needles or weakness running down the arm into the hand
The exercises, in the order you would build them up
How long it takes
Tendons change slowly. Twelve weeks of regular strengthening is typical before the shoulder feels reliably better, and night pain is often the first thing to ease.
What the NHS says
The NHS's own pages on this, to check what you have read here against.
Waiting for an appointment?
Kinehub turns this into a daily plan, adjusts it as you improve or struggle, and keeps the record you hand over when you are finally seen.
Keep reading
More for the shoulders
- Guide · 3 minSleeping when it hurtsPositions that take the load off a sore back, neck, shoulder or hip, and the night-time pain that needs checking.
- Guide · 3 minSetting up your deskScreen, chair, keyboard and laptop set-up from the HSE's guidance, and why moving often matters more than one perfect posture.
- Guide · 6 minUnderstanding painWhy hurt does not always mean harm, and why that matters when you are deciding whether to move today.
A daily plan for rotator cuff pain
Kinehub turns these exercises into a short daily session with a demo for each one, and tracks your pain before and after so you can see whether it is working. Free to start.
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