What we treat: Shoulder Pain
The shoulder girdle is one of the most complex regions in the body. This means that shoulder pain and dysfunction can be among the most difficult injuries to diagnose and treat. Symptoms can vary from sharp pain on specific activities, to dull aching or loss of movement. These symptoms can come from an acute injury (falling, lifting, pulling or pushing) or they can come on gradually with little apparent cause.
Due to the wide variety of structures that can cause or impact shoulder pain, it is highly recommended to see an experienced Physiotherapist who can accurately diagnose your injury and use the best evidence-based treatment to get you back to using your shoulder at its optimum capacity.
Common presentations for pain around the shoulder
The source of shoulder pain can arise from the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint itself or can be referred from the neck or upper back. Some of the common areas that you might feel pain are:
- Front or side of the shoulder: can be a dull ache or a sharp pain and may be associated with loss of strength and mobility
- Deep in the joint: may have an audible click or painful catch with movement
- Down the arm and towards the hand: may be a dull ache, or a burning/shooting pain, pins and needles or numbness may also be present
- Around the shoulder blade: this will often creep up to the neck or travel further down the back
These symptoms may present on their own, but it is also possible to have a combination. Instability or a sensation of the shoulder coming out of place is another possible symptom that may or may not be associated with pain and/or loss of function.
How we manage shoulder pain
- Take a full history to understand your symptoms and how they are affecting your life
- Full clinical assessment analysing your movement patterns, flexibility, and strength
- Hands on treatment to the affected areas if clinically indicated
- Exercise prescription for mobility and strength using an online video programme emailed to you
- Management plan discussed in detail including diagnosis, healing time frames and treatment required, all to achieve the goals important to you
Conditions we treat
- Any kind of pain or symptoms around the shoulder affecting your day-to-day life, gradual onset or acute
- Shoulder pain in the sporting population
- Rotator cuff tears and tendinopathies
- Impingement syndromes and bursitis
- SLAP lesions and labral injuries
- Shoulder instability and subluxations
- Acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries
- Neural injuries and referred pain
- Frozen shoulder/adhesive capsulitis
- Pre- and post-operative shoulder rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation following humeral, clavicle or scapula fracture
If you are experiencing shoulder pain that is affecting your day to day life, book an appointment with our Physiotherapy team today.
