Rotator Cuff Rehab
Rebuild shoulder strength & restore pain-free movement
4-week
Programme length
£60
Assessment
Not needed
GP referral
Level 5 therapists
Written by
RE:UP ALTRINCHAM
Want a personalised assessment?
This guide is a starting point. For a diagnosis and a programme built specifically around your injury, book a 1:1 with our sports therapists.
Book an Assessment, £60Ask a question20 Huxley Street, Altrincham WA14 5EL
ALSO AT RE:UP
Combine your rehab with contrast therapy. Sauna and ice bath from £20.
View recovery sessionsOVERVIEW
A structured 4-week programme targeting rotator cuff tears, impingement and post-surgical recovery. Combines progressive loading, mobility work and soft tissue recovery protocols.
Written by our sports therapists at RE:UP · Reviewed May 2026
WHAT IS IT
What is Rotator Cuff?
The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and tendons — supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis — that stabilise the shoulder joint and control rotation. Rotator cuff injuries include tendinopathy (tendon irritation), impingement (tendons catching under the acromion), and partial or full-thickness tears. They are common in gym-goers, overhead athletes, and office workers, and often develop gradually rather than from a single event.
COMMON CAUSES
What causes Rotator Cuff problems?
- 01Overhead training — pressing, pull-ups, throwing
- 02Bench press or heavy pushing overload
- 03Sudden increase in training volume or load
- 04Shoulder impingement — rotator cuff tendons catching under the acromion
- 05Rotator cuff tear — partial or full thickness
- 06Poor scapular control allowing the shoulder to sit in a compromised position
- 07Weakness in the external rotators relative to internal rotators
- 08Previous shoulder injury creating instability
- 09Desk work combined with heavy gym loading
IMPORTANT
When to seek urgent help
Seek medical attention before starting this guide if you experience any of the following. Call your GP, NHS 111, or go to A&E.
- !Sudden severe pain after a specific mechanism — fall, tackle, heavy lift
- !Complete inability to raise the arm from the side
- !Obvious deformity or step at the shoulder joint
- !Pain that is getting significantly worse rather than staying stable
- !Numbness or pins and needles running down the arm
SUITABLE FOR
Is this guide right for you?
- Rotator cuff tear / strain
- Shoulder impingement
- Post-surgical shoulder recovery
- Overhead athletes
- Desk workers with shoulder pain
WHAT'S INCLUDED
What this guide covers
- 4-week progressive exercise programme (PDF)
- Week-by-week progression guide
- Mobility & warm-up routines
- Recovery protocol (ice bath & sauna guidance)
- Booking link for 1:1 assessment at RE:UP
TRAINING
Can you train during recovery?
Usually yes, with modifications. Training that avoids the specific painful range — often overhead or behind-the-back positions — is usually appropriate to continue. Heavy overhead pressing and behind-the-neck exercises are typically paused during the early phase of rehabilitation. Your sports therapist will give specific guidance based on what they find.
TIMELINE
Recovery timeframe
Rotator cuff tendinopathy and mild impingement often respond well in 6–12 weeks of structured rehabilitation. Partial tears may take 3–6 months. Full tears that have been assessed as needing surgical intervention require a longer timeline, but the rehabilitation principles before and after surgery are the same.
PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT
How RE:UP can help
A sports therapy assessment at RE:UP for rotator cuff problems covers shoulder joint mobility, rotator cuff strength testing, scapular control, and movement under load. The assessment identifies whether the issue is tendon-related, muscle weakness, impingement, or a combination — and builds a plan that progressively loads the shoulder back to full function. No GP referral is needed.
This guide is not a substitute for a hands-on assessment. If it is not settling the way you would expect, book in at our sports injury clinic in Altrincham for a proper diagnosis and a plan built around your injury.
Book an Assessment, £60FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Not necessarily to start rehabilitation. A sports therapist can assess and begin treatment based on clinical examination. Scans (ultrasound or MRI) become more relevant if the pain is not responding to treatment, if a significant tear is suspected, or if surgery is being considered.
In many cases, yes. Rotator cuff tendinopathy and partial tears respond well to structured rehabilitation — progressive loading, rotator cuff strengthening, and scapular control work. Full thickness tears may require surgical assessment, but rehabilitation is typically part of the management regardless.
Usually yes, with modifications. Exercises that cause sharp pain during the movement should be temporarily avoided. Most people can continue lower body training, pulling movements through a comfortable range, and bodyweight work throughout rehab. Your sports therapist will give specific guidance.
Mild tendinopathy often settles in 6–12 weeks of consistent rehabilitation. Partial tears typically take 3–6 months. Full thickness tears requiring surgery have longer timelines — the 4-week programme in this guide is a starting framework; a full assessment will give a more accurate picture for your specific situation.
Yes. Most gym-related shoulder pain responds well to sports therapy — particularly when the programme addresses rotator cuff strengthening, scapular control, and load management. At RE:UP Altrincham, initial assessments are £60 with no GP referral needed.
RE:UP Altrincham is approximately 5 minutes from Hale and 10 minutes from Sale by car, at 20 Huxley Street, Broadheath. Initial assessment for shoulder pain is £60 and can be booked directly — no GP referral needed.
RE:UP ALTRINCHAM
Want a personalised assessment?
This guide is a starting point. For a diagnosis and a programme built specifically around your injury, book a 1:1 with our sports therapists.
Book an Assessment, £60Ask a questionALSO AT RE:UP
Combine your rehab with contrast therapy. Sauna and ice bath from £20.
View recovery sessions