Shoulder Strain: Overview to Rotator Cuff Injuries and Recovery

11/29/2025

The shoulder, as most people refer to it, is really made up of a number of joints that work in tandem with tendons and muscles to enable a variety of arm motions, from throwing the ideal pitch to scratching your back.

But there is a cost to mobility. Increased instability or impingement of the soft tissue or bony structures in your shoulder might cause pain. You can have constant pain or just when you move your shoulder. The sensation of pain might be temporary or persistent, necessitating a medical diagnosis and course of therapy.

Our expert orthopedic specialists at Eternal Hospital hold distinct expertise in managing shoulder strains. To make sure you fully heal and go back to work, sports, or other activities as soon as possible, they provide a range of medical treatments and collaborate with physical and occupational therapists for the best recovery of patients. Our doctors may suggest surgery if you have a serious shoulder strain that does not improve with medications.

Read Also: Muscle Injury Treatment for Muscle Strains

What is Shoulder Strain?

The coactivity of the ligaments, muscles, and tendons determines shoulder strength and range of motion. While tendons anchor muscle to bone, ligaments are the cords of tissue that unite the bones in the shoulder joint. Whereas a shoulder strain happens when some of the fibers in the shoulder muscles or tendons overstretch or rupture. 

The most commonly occurring muscle strain is rotator cuff injury. These injuries may result in either acute or persistent pain and restrict your range of motion and arm's strength for lifting. The group of tendons and muscles that encircle the shoulder joint is called the rotator cuff. These muscles tightly hold the ball of the upper arm bone inside the shoulder's shallow socket. A dull shoulder pain that becomes worse at night might be a sign of a rotator cuff injury.

As people age, they are more likely to develop rotator cuff injuries. Painters and carpenters, for example, may experience these injuries sooner and more frequently since their occupations require them to carry out overhead motions often.

What are the Types of Shoulder Strain?

Following are the types of shoulder strain depending upon the degree of impact: 

Type of Shoulder Strain	Description
Grade I (Mild Strain)	A mild pull is where the muscle or tendon is stretched a bit beyond its normal range. The shoulder may feel sore, but strength remains mostly intact.
Grade II (Moderate Strain)	Here, part of the muscle or tendon fibers actually tear. Pain increases, the area may swell, and lifting or rotating the arm becomes difficult.
Grade III (Severe Strain)	This involves a complete tear of the muscle or tendon. Shoulder movement becomes very limited, and medical treatment or surgery may be needed.

Following are the types of shoulder strain depending upon the tissues involved:

Type of Shoulder Strain	Description
Rotator Cuff Strain	A strain affecting one or more of the rotator cuff muscles. It often follows repeated overhead activity and causes pain with lifting or reaching.
Deltoid Strain	Injury to the deltoid muscle, usually from sudden lifting or strenuous arm movements. Pain is felt on the outer part of the shoulder.
Biceps Tendon Strain	The tendon at the front of the shoulder gets overstretched or torn. It hurts most when bending the elbow or turning the forearm upward.

What are the Symptoms of Rotator Cuff Tear?

Following are the main symptoms associated with the rotator cuff tear:

• Raising, lowering, or twisting your arm could cause pain, muscle weakness and difficulty of motion.
• When you move your arm in specific ways, you may hear or feel popping, clicking, or crackling sounds.
• Shoulder pain that gets worse when you rest your arm or at night.
• Weak shoulders and difficulty lifting objects.

You can experience a knife-like stab wound or a dull pain deep in your shoulder. Immediate, severe shoulder discomfort and arm weakness are caused by sudden tears from trauma or accidents. You may have slight pain from degenerative tears that can be alleviated by over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers. Painkillers in severe cases don't help since the pain only worsens with time.

What are the Causes of Rotator Cuff Injuries?

Following are the causes of rotator cuff injuries:

• Accidents such as fall causing broken collarbone or dislocated shoulders
• Wearing down of tendons with age, causing degenerative tear
• Bone spurs causing bone impingement
• Decreased blood flow
• Overuse

What are the Treatment Options for Rotator Cuff Injuries?

If left untreated, a rotator cuff injury may worsen. It may be very challenging to even move your arm if it is completely torn. If you don't get treatment, you can have persistent shoulder discomfort and have trouble using your damaged arm.
There are surgical as well as nonsurgical options for the treatment of shoulder strain:

Non-surgical

With nonsurgical therapies, over 80% of patients with partial tears recover. It may take up to a year for the improvement of the condition to heal a rotator cuff injury. Following are nonsurgical treatment options for shoulder strain:

• An arm sling and rest
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Physical therapy
• Steroid injections

Surgical

If nonsurgical therapies don't work for a total or partial tear, your doctor could suggest surgery. If your shoulder gets damaged due to your work or sports, you could also need surgery. A doctor may suggest you undergo shoulder replacement surgery or shoulder arthroplasty.

What to Expect from Shoulder Strain Recovery? 

With nonsurgical therapy, the majority of patients see improvements. Your body requires time to repair; thus, rotator cuff injury recovery takes time. The majority of patients who undergo surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff regain function.
The same tendon may be torn twice, particularly if the initial tear was larger than one inch. Surgery could be necessary if a re-tear results in excruciating pain or loss of mobility.

Conclusion

Maintaining the flexibility of your muscles and tendons is crucial to preventing a symptomatic rotator cuff injury. You can learn at-home stretching and strengthening exercises from your physical therapist for rotator cuff rehabilitation. A rotator cuff injury will probably put you on pause if you have a physically demanding profession or are an athlete, but it is not going to be the end of your career. Discuss the best course of action, whether nonsurgical or surgical, with your orthopedic specialist. For a while, your shoulder might hurt and be weak, but it will ultimately get better.

Suffering from a sore shoulder that won’t go away? Eternal Hospital offers minimally invasive treatments for painful rotator cuff injuries. 

Consult our orthopedic specialists at Eternal Hospital for expert ortho care. Book your consultation now!

FAQs

Q1: Is stretching a sore shoulder beneficial?
A: Stretching gently throughout the day will help you restore your flexibility if you begin to experience shoulder ache.

Q2: How long will a shoulder strain last?
A: Mild shoulder discomfort may need four to six weeks for complete recovery. 

Q3: Should a strained shoulder be massaged?
A: It might be challenging to move your arm due to a dislocated shoulder or torn rotator cuff, but just sitting still for extended periods of time can also be uncomfortable. Your range of motion can be effectively increased with a shoulder massage, regardless of the cause of pain or stiffness.