How should i handle shoulder pain when MRI shows minor rotator cuff fraying?

[EvelynL]

I’ve been dealing with a nagging pain in my shoulder for months, and my doctor mentioned it might be related to my rotator cuff, but the MRI showed only very minor fraying. I’m just confused because the discomfort is very real, especially when I try to lift my arm overhead, yet I’m told it’s not a full tear. Has anyone else had this kind of mismatch between their symptoms and the imaging results?

[William.J]

I had something like that too: the scan showed only minor fraying in the rotator cuff, but the pain was very real when I lifted my arm overhead. It stuck around for months, not a sharp tear but still nagging.

[Natalie.J]

Took six weeks of physical therapy and did the home exercises every day. I kept a simple 0-10 pain log and it went from a solid 6 down to around 4 during the program, then crept back up after a while.

[Noah17]

Maybe this isn’t the shoulder at all? Some days it feels like it’s coming from the neck or upper back, and I keep wondering if that’s the real trigger. Could it be neck-related or another culprit?

[GeorgeR]

Mine never got clear on imaging either. I stopped pushing through overhead movements for a while, iced after, and tried gentler bands. Some days are better, other days not.