The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and tendons that hold the ball of the shoulder in its socket and let you lift and rotate the arm. A tear can come from an injury or from gradual wear, and common signs include:

• Shoulder pain: A deep ache in the shoulder that is often worse when reaching overhead, reaching behind your back or lifting.
  • Pain frequently flares at night, especially when lying on the affected shoulder.
• Weakness lifting and lowering the arm: Reduced strength when raising or lowering items, or difficulty holding the arm up.
• Decreased range of motion: Stiffness or difficulty extending or flexing the arm, or reaching to comb your hair or fasten a seatbelt.
• Swelling and a crackling sensation: Puffiness around the shoulder, or a crackling or catching feeling when you move the arm.
• A sudden or gradual onset: A tear can follow a fall or heavy lift, with a sudden pop and immediate weakness, or develop slowly with age and repeated use.
  • Many tears keep enlarging over time, which is one reason a painful, weak shoulder is worth evaluating sooner than later.

The right treatment depends on whether the tear is partial or complete, how large it is, how long you have had symptoms, and how active you are. Dr. Yaffe’s options include:

• Non-surgical care: Rest and activity changes, ice, physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder, anti-inflammatory medication, and biologic injection therapy using platelet-rich plasma (PRP), a non-cortisone injection. These measures can be effective for some partial tears and for patients who are not ready for surgery.
• Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: A minimally invasive repair performed through small portal sites using knotless, non-metallic anchor technology to reattach the torn tendon to the bone.
• Minimally-Invasive Surgery(opens in a new tab): Dr. Yaffe uses techniques developed for the upper extremity, including the Shoulder REGENETEN bioinductive implant for rotator cuff pathology, with the goal of reducing recovery time and getting you back to the activities you enjoy.
• Joint Replacement Surgery(opens in a new tab): When the rotator cuff has lost function from age or injury and cannot be repaired, shoulder replacement, including reverse total shoulder replacement, may be an option to restore function and relieve pain.

Surgery is considered when pain and weakness continue despite non-surgical treatment, or when a tear is large or the result of a significant injury. There is no single right plan for every tear, and Dr. Yaffe will walk through your options with you. This page is for education and does not replace an examination, so an in-person evaluation with imaging is the way to confirm your diagnosis and the best plan for you.

About your surgeon. Dr. Mark A. Yaffe is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery in orthopaedic surgery, with a subspecialty certification in hand surgery, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He earned his M.D. at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, completed his orthopaedic residency at Northwestern, and trained in hand and upper extremity surgery at The Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center. He was named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor in 2026 and a Chicago Magazine Top Doctor in 2025. Read Dr. Yaffe's full bio.(opens in a new tab)