An injury or tear of the rotator cuff could be due to an injury to the shoulder or even progressive wear and tear of the tendon tissue. Some activities like heavy lifting can damage or irritate the tendon, or repeated activities can contribute to or complicate an injury. Also, there are some factors that affect how likely it is for someone to get a rotator cuff tear or related injury, like older age, family history, or working in the construction sector. It's important to fix a rotator cuff injury soon. Only a professional can do so.