How does one tell the difference between theses injuries and do they require different treatments and rehab protocols?
When do you know when its ok to train through the discomfort and rehab the shoulder back to health vs when to seek treatment so as to not induce further damage?
I asked about bursitis a month ago and Austin referenced your article on training through pain. I have been able to find an entry point and im doing well but in the back of my mind i worry that if its a tear i may be making it worse
This is discussed a bit in the shoulder article series on our website.
Regarding rotator cuff tears, the presence or absence of traumatic injury is relevant here. Without trauma as a consideration, I would not manage these three conditions significantly differently and would generally not be concerned about making a tear worse, as most of these will either heal, or not be of any real significance, since tons of “tears” are seen in people with no shoulder symptoms whatsoever.
When do you know when its ok to train through the discomfort and rehab the shoulder back to health vs when to seek treatment so as to not induce further damage?
Outside of the guidelines I’ve laid out in our articles discussing how to approach training with pain, I don’t have other advice here. If you are struggling with this issue, it sounds like getting some professional guidance would be helpful.