Recovery plan

Rotator Cuff Tear

Learn about rotator cuff tears — why they happen, what they feel like, and how they're typically treated, from self-care to surgery.

Read the full injury guide Shoulder recovery

A usable progression

Move forward when the current stage is tolerable.

This is a general education framework, not a personal prescription. The injury, treatment, symptoms, and demands of your activity can all change the pace.

Settle

Goal: Protect the area and reduce the most provocative load.
Do: Use comfortable daily movement where appropriate and follow any protection or restrictions from your clinician.
Avoid: Avoid repeatedly testing sharp pain, forcing range, or returning to demanding activity because symptoms briefly improve.
Progress when: Daily tasks are becoming easier and symptoms are not escalating after ordinary activity.

Restore

Goal: Rebuild comfortable movement and basic function.
Do: Work through the exercises and mobility guidance linked below, starting with a tolerable range and dose.
Avoid: Avoid adding several new exercises, heavier loads, or longer sessions at the same time.
Progress when: Movement is more comfortable, swelling or irritability is settling, and basic use is improving.

Strengthen

Goal: Build capacity for the loads your work, training, or sport requires.
Do: Progress resistance, repetitions, range, or time gradually—one meaningful change at a time.
Avoid: Avoid using pain-free rest alone as proof that the tissue is ready for full demand.
Progress when: The area tolerates progressively harder sessions without a marked next-day flare.

Return

Goal: Reintroduce the specific activity with control and confidence.
Do: Start with a reduced version of the task, then build duration, load, speed, and complexity separately.
Avoid: Avoid jumping from rehabilitation exercises straight to full training, competition, or heavy work.
Progress when: You can repeat the demands of your activity with stable symptoms, useful strength, and no loss of function.

Take-Home Guide

Printable

Download & print

Return to Sport: Readiness Checklist

A printable readiness checklist for returning to sport after injury — pain response, strength, function and confidence — with the stages to progress through safely.

Read guide →

Rehabilitation Guides

Rehabilitation · IA-SHO-REH-002

General Shoulder Rehabilitation Principles

Core principles behind shoulder rehabilitation that apply across most shoulder injuries, including phased progression, exercise selection, and when to seek help.

Read guide →Rehabilitation · IA-WBO-REH-001

Return to Sport: Readiness Guide

How do you know when you're ready to return to sport after an injury? A plain-language readiness guide covering strength, pain response, confidence and phased return.

Read guide →Rehabilitation · IA-SHO-REH-006

Rotator Cuff Repair Rehabilitation Guide

A phase-by-phase rotator cuff repair rehabilitation guide — sling protection, passive range, strengthening and return to sport. Includes precautions and red flags.

Read guide →Rehabilitation · IA-SHO-REH-004

Rotator Cuff Tear Rehab Guide

A clear, phase-by-phase rehabilitation guide for rotator cuff tears, covering early protection through return to full activity, with exercises and progression criteria.

Read guide →

Exercises

Exercises · IA-SHO-EXE-005

Pendulum Exercise (Codman Exercise) for the Shoulder

Learn how to do the pendulum (Codman) exercise safely for shoulder stiffness, pain, or early rehab. Step-by-step instructions, mistakes to avoid, and who should skip it.

Read guide →Exercises · IA-SHO-EXE-001

Empty Can Raise

The empty can raise strengthens the supraspinatus but is clinically debated. Learn safe technique, who should avoid it, and the full can alternative.

Read guide →Exercises · IA-SHO-EXE-002

External Rotation with Resistance Band

Step-by-step guide to the external rotation with band exercise for strengthening the rotator cuff. Includes mistakes to avoid and who should skip it.

Read guide →Exercises · IA-SHO-EXE-003

Internal Rotation with Resistance Band

Learn the internal rotation with band exercise for shoulder strength and rotator cuff rehab, including step-by-step form, common mistakes, and who should avoid it.

Read guide →Exercises · IA-SHO-EXE-004

Isometric Shoulder Holds

Learn how to do isometric shoulder holds — a gentle, pain-friendly way to build early strength after a shoulder injury. Steps, mistakes, and progressions.

Read guide →

Recovery Timelines

Recovery timelines · IA-SHO-REC-003

Rotator Cuff Tear Recovery Timeline

A realistic, evidence-based recovery timeline for rotator cuff tears, covering non-surgical and surgical recovery, key milestones, and what affects healing speed.

Read guide →

Prevention

Prevention · IA-SHO-PRE-002

Preventing Rotator Cuff Injuries

Learn the daily habits, warm-ups, and strengthening moves that help prevent rotator cuff tears, tendinitis, and impingement — explained simply.

Read guide →

Recovery guidance needs context.

These resources provide general education, not a diagnosis or personalised treatment plan. A recent major injury, deformity, substantial weakness, worsening neurological symptoms or inability to use the affected area should be assessed.