Hi @johnlschwartz, I'm not sure how long you have been battling the the shoulder injury.
Mayo Clinic has some information on the injury and treatments that may be helpful - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rotator-cuff-injury/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350231
Have you looked into any treatments or physical therapy for your rotator injury?

I have a rotator cuff tear plus other problems there (injury) and I used Ice to bed with a contraption sold in cvs where you put the ice pack in it and it wraps around your bad shoulder and keeps the ice in place. I needed help putting it on. The strap wraps around. It was agony until I went to physical therapy for a while and continued to use ice. I would question the use of the heat vs. cold. The cold has a numbing effect which is good to alleviate that pain. I used lidocaine roll on they sell at the pharmacy. I hope you feel better. I need surgery to correct mine. Never got it. Now I have two bad shoulders. The new injury.

Same, just more like frozen shoulders, tho.

I get lidocaine roll on from Amazon, also use lidocaine/aspercreme patches,
always have something like that on my shoulders.

Does ice help more?

I have every imaginable thing for pain!!! Except the good pain pills. Just
keep trying stuff.

Have u tried a tens unit???... this helps mine. Also chinese linament...which u can get on Amazon.
Don't baby ur shoulder....or it will freeze up...and then u will have an issue. I bought a pulley on ebay that attaches to the space in between the top of the door when u close it. You hold a handle in each hand, and slowly, as u can tolerate, go up with one arm while one goes down....and so forth.
This gives u a gentle stretch of ur shoulder and tendons without causing harm. Go up only as far as u can tolerate...and u should in time get better at it.
I tore my shoulder shoveling snow 5 yrs ago during a 4ft storm with 10 ft drifts. I rehabilitated myself when pt gave me a bunch of pics and said good luck.
I got myself back to full functioning.
Best wishes.....anymore questions....just ask.
Audrey