Which movement most often worsens pain in a rotator cuff injury?

Which movement most often worsens pain in a rotator cuff injury?

• A. Abduction of the arm
• B. Flexion of the wrist
• C. Dorsiflexion of the ankle
• D. Neck rotation

Answer: (A)

Pain from a rotator cuff injury is typically aggravated by movements that compress the tendons under the acromion as the arm is lifted away from the body. Abduction of the arm, especially when the shoulder is elevated, pushes the inflamed tendons—particularly the supraspinatus—into the subacromial space, increasing friction and reproducing or worsening pain. The other motions listed don’t involve the shoulder cuff in the same way: wrist flexion, ankle dorsiflexion, and neck rotation engage the wrist, ankle, or cervical spine rather than the rotator cuff tendons, so they’re less likely to intensify shoulder pain.

Pain from a rotator cuff injury is typically aggravated by movements that compress the tendons under the acromion as the arm is lifted away from the body. Abduction of the arm, especially when the shoulder is elevated, pushes the inflamed tendons—particularly the supraspinatus—into the subacromial space, increasing friction and reproducing or worsening pain. The other motions listed don’t involve the shoulder cuff in the same way: wrist flexion, ankle dorsiflexion, and neck rotation engage the wrist, ankle, or cervical spine rather than the rotator cuff tendons, so they’re less likely to intensify shoulder pain.