Shoulder pain

Shoulder pain shows up as difficulty reaching overhead, pain lying on that side at night, or a shoulder that has lost range since an injury. Different shoulder problems can require quite different plans, so working out what is actually going on comes first.

What tends to cause it

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, which means it depends on the rotator cuff and the muscles around the shoulder blade to keep it controlled. When those muscles are weak or fatigued, the joint is less well supported and pain often follows. Pain usually follows a change in load, whether that is a new training program, a job with overhead work, or a period of doing much less than usual.

How we treat it

Assessment separates what is genuinely restricted from what is simply painful to load, because the two need opposite approaches. From there, treatment settles the irritated structures and rebuilds strength through the range you have lost, with a clear progression rather than open-ended rest.

What it often feels like

  • Pain reaching overhead or behind your back
  • Difficulty sleeping on that side
  • Weakness lifting or carrying
  • A catch or pinch through part of the range
  • Loss of movement that has come on gradually

Not sure if this is what you have? An initial assessment works that out before deciding how to treat it.

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Other conditions