Unless the injury is severe, PT is a typical starting point. Your physical therapist will ask questions about your life and the things you do. He’ll do some tests to learn more about your pain. The therapist will ask you to raise your arm, move it to the side, or push against something to see what your limits are.

PT helps in lots of ways. One study shows that people who got PT for a rotator cuff tear did just as well as those who had surgery.