Shoulder Pain When Reaching Overhead: Is It Impingement or Rotator Cuff Injury? | Brooklyn NYC

Pain when lifting your arm? Learn the difference between shoulder impingement and rotator cuff injury—and how physical therapy and acupuncture in Brooklyn NYC can help you recover.

Shoulder Pain When Reaching Overhead: Is It Impingement or Rotator Cuff Injury? | Brooklyn NYC

Pain when lifting your arm? Learn the difference between shoulder impingement and rotator cuff injury—and how physical therapy and acupuncture in Brooklyn NYC can help you recover.


Why Overhead Movements Cause Pain

The shoulder is a highly mobile joint with limited stability. When lifting your arm, the rotator cuff tendons pass through a narrow space called the subacromial space.

If this space narrows, tendons become compressed → impingement.


Impingement vs Rotator Cuff Injury