Who is At Risk? The first group of people that comes to mind when answering the question of who is at risk for rotator cuff injuries is athletes. Baseball pitchers, swimmers, and gymnasts are among the athletes that are at the highest risk. According to PT in Motion magazine, athletes that do a lot of catching and throwing, particularly over head, are prone to rotator cuff injuries.
People who do manual labor for their jobs that require repetitive heavy lifting are also at a high risk for rotator cuff injuries. Many construction workers find themselves with rotator cuff injuries because of the heavy overhead lifting. I have personally interviewed many patients with rotator cuff injuries, and most of these patients, especially the younger adults, had jobs in the construction or automotive industries.
Most people get rotator cuff tears in their 40's-60's, but prevention starts early. It is not uncommon for younger adults to have rotator cuff injuries due to falls or an acute injury associated with heavy lifting. I have seen patients with rotator cuff tears in ages ranging from late 20's to early 70's, so there is really no age limit on when one can acquire a rotator cuff injury.