Unfortunately, a torn rotator cuff cannot heal on its own.
Even partial tears where the rotator cuff is not completely torn do not heal on their own. In fact, they tend to get bigger over time, and even if they’re not symptomatic, typically cause symptoms within about two years.
We’ve followed patients with asymptomatic partial rotator cuff tears, and unfortunately, within about two years, almost 100% of patients had larger tears and tears that cause pain.
So I do think it’s important that if you experience
symptoms in your shoulder, or any change in your function that feels different or abnormal to you and your body, it’s worth seeing a sports medicine specialist.
At the very least, you may just be a candidate for yearly or biannual observation to make sure that this rotator cuff tear is not turning into a bigger problem.