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Whether it's rotator cuff pain limiting your pressing strength, frozen shoulder restricting your range of motion, or a partial tear keeping you out of the gym — our fellowship-trained Doctors of PT diagnose the root cause and build a plan to get you back to full function.
Common Diagnoses
Shoulder pain has different causes — tendon issues, capsular restrictions, or structural tears. Click each section below to learn about the three most common diagnoses we treat.
Rotator cuff tendinopathy (also called rotator cuff tendinitis or shoulder impingement) is a degenerative condition of the rotator cuff tendons — typically the supraspinatus. It develops when the tendon is repeatedly loaded beyond its capacity to adapt, causing pain and weakness with overhead activities.
Rotator cuff tendinopathy is a load-management problem. The tendon is being asked to do more than it's currently capable of handling. Contributing factors include:
Tendons heal with controlled load, not rest. We use progressive strengthening (external rotation, scapular stabilization) to build tendon capacity while modifying your training to stay below the pain threshold. Most lifters can continue training with modifications during rehab.
Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) is a progressive stiffening of the shoulder joint capsule, causing severe loss of range of motion and pain. It typically progresses through three stages: freezing (pain-dominant), frozen (stiffness-dominant), and thawing (gradual recovery). The entire process can last 12-24 months if left untreated.
The exact cause of adhesive capsulitis is unknown, but it's associated with inflammation and fibrosis of the shoulder capsule. Risk factors include:
We use aggressive manual therapy (joint mobilizations, capsular stretching) to restore range of motion, combined with home stretching programs. Early intervention significantly reduces recovery time — most patients see major improvement within 3-6 months with PT.
A rotator cuff tear is a partial or complete rupture of one or more of the rotator cuff tendons (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis). Tears can be traumatic (sudden injury) or degenerative (gradual wear over time). Many partial tears and even some full-thickness tears can be managed conservatively with physical therapy.
Rotator cuff tears can be traumatic or degenerative. Common causes include:
Not all rotator cuff tears require surgery. Many partial tears and small full-thickness tears respond well to progressive strengthening and movement retraining. We build strength in the remaining intact tissue to compensate for the tear. Surgery is only needed for large tears or cases that fail conservative care.