If you have shoulder pain from a rotator cuff problem, you might think exercise is the best fix. But a new analysis of 1349 people suggests that exercise therapy may not be more effective than passive treatments like massage, ultrasound, or injections.
The review looked at 14 trials comparing exercise therapy to passive conservative treatments for rotator cuff-related shoulder pain. For both pain and disability, exercise alone or combined with other treatments did not show clear benefits over passive care in the short term.
However, the evidence is not strong. The certainty of the findings ranged from very low to low, meaning we cannot be confident in these results. More research is needed to know for sure.
This does not mean exercise is useless. It may still help some people. But if you have shoulder pain, talk to your doctor about what approach might work best for you.