I just had surgery to repair a rotator cuff tear. Believe me, this is the extreme answer; but if your condition warrants it, there is no substitute. You should review you x-rays to determine if you have a bone spur at the acromion. If that is the case, arm movement will allow the spur to wear away the muscle until it is completely severed. If the muscle (supraspinatus) is severed the condition may be irreversible--a bad thing; because pushing movements will forever be impaired. Don't perform self treatment too long before getting a look at x-rays.
