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A physical therapist using manual therapy to mobilize an older adult's shoulder.

Why get surgery if you don’t need it? People with nontraumatic rotator cuff tears can do just as well with physical therapy. 

That's according to a 2014 study published in Bone and Joint Journal. Patients who had physical therapy alone showed similar improvement and satisfaction to those who received surgery and physical therapy. And that was true for either arthroscopic surgery and open surgical repair.

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Kukkonen J, Joukainen A, Lehtinen J, et al. Treatment of non-traumatic rotator cuff tears: A randomised controlled trial with one-year clinical results. Bone Joint J. 2014;96-B(1):75-81. Article Summary in PubMed.


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