If you think that you’ve torn your rotator cuff, it is certainly important to seek medical attention. Here is a way to know if you need medical help. You should go to the doctor is the pain continues for 2-3 days, if you can’t work because of the pain, if you can’t reach up or to the side with the arm that is injured after 2-3 days, or if you can’t move either the shoulder or arm at all.
When you go to the doctor, you’ll be asked for a complete medical history and you’ll have both shoulders looked at for comparison. They will also take a look at your neck, elbows and wrists to make sure that there aren’t injuries there that are contributing to the problem.
You’ll be asked to make certain movements to see how limited your range of movement is and the clinician will also initiate some movements to see how you feel and what you can do. It’s possible that they will do certain tests to identify which tendon is causing the problem and to make a confirmation that it’s the rotator cuff that’s torn and not simply an inflammation or other issue.
