I had a rotator cuff problem a while ago when I played tennis, so I am familiar with it. While I do agree that the shoulder pain is similar, my complete neurological workup shows clearly that I have cervical spine issues. In addition, my pain and numbness goes down my arm to my hand and fingers (particularly my thumb and index), which are classic signs of cervical radiculopathy.
I was diagnosed at the time with myelopathy, which meant that my disc was damaging my spinal cord. Despite my ongoing pain, my understanding is that the surgery did remove that pressure, which could have led to paralysis.
Thanks for chiming in, though!