Rotator cuff and shoulder pain
Also called: shoulder pain
Pain around the shoulder, often when lifting the arm, most commonly from the rotator cuff tendons.
Where the evidence stands
- 1 clinical practice guideline — start there.
- 6 recent reviews (systematic reviews and meta-analyses) and 6 recent randomized trials shown below.
- Most recent publication here: Oct 1, 2026.
Outcome measures clinicians use to track progress: Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS).
Clinical practice guideline
- Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy Diagnosis, Nonsurgical Medical Care, and Rehabilitation ↗
Evidence-based and consensus recommendations for the assessment, nonsurgical management, and return-to-sport care of adults with rotator cuff tendinopathy.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Studies of studies — each pools the results of many trials.
- Efficacy of Physical Modalities for Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain After Stroke: A Systematic Review
- Intra-articular corticosteroid Injection combined with physical therapy versus physical therapy alone for adhesive capsulitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
- Effectiveness of micro-exercises for managing neck/shoulder pain in sedentary workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Exercise interventions for rotator cuff-related shoulder pain in middle-aged and older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Application of musculoskeletal ultrasound in postoperative rehabilitation assessment and monitoring after rotator cuff repair: A systematic review
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of exercise therapy for the rehabilitation of rotator cuff-related shoulder pain: a subgroup analysis of racquet sport athletes
Recent randomized trials
Newest first. Single trials are building blocks; weigh them against the reviews.
- Short-Term Clinical Comparison of Scapular Stabilization With and Without Added Kinetic-Chain Exercises on Pain, Scapular Kinematics, and Upper-Extremity Function in Overhead Athletes With Subacromial Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Effectiveness of an AI-based home exercise app for rehabilitation of rotator cuff-related shoulder pain: A randomized controlled trial
- Effect of Motor-Control Exercises on Scapulohumeral and Scapulothoracic Muscle Activations in Athletes With Secondary Subacromial Impingement Syndrome
- Short-term effects of foot reflexology on pain, anxiety, and physiological responses in women with shoulder and neck pain: A randomized controlled trial
- Digital Therapeutics for Postoperative Rehabilitation after Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Single-Center, Assessor-Blinded, Randomized Pilot Study
- Combining Pulsed Radiofrequency With Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Manage Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain and Somatosensory Nerve Transmissions
Studies without a summary yet get one the first time a Limbic member opens them, or within a few days.