When I perform a clinical evaluation, one of the first things I look at is shoulder range of motion and strength. It’s not uncommon to discover a rotator cuff tear in the diagnosis section of the medical record, and it’s also not unusual to find one right here in the clinic.
Beyond obvious tears, however, I often discover shoulders with a significantly limited overhead range of motion outside of cuff problems. These patients don’t demonstrate pain and can pass rotator cuff tests, but their active range is limited.
