Shoulder Pain

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body and therefore it relies heavily on the muscles around it to control the movement. The shoulder can cause localised pain or you might feel pain anywhere from the neck to down the arm and around the shoulder blade. There are various structures and pathologies in the shoulder that can cause pain. Occasionally the neck can cause referred pain to the shoulder, this means that the problem is in the neck but you might feel it in the shoulder. JW Physiotherapy can help with an accurate diagnosis of where the pain is coming from. 

Diagnoses for shoulder pain

  • Rotator cuff pain disorder/impingement
  • Rotator cuff tendinopathy/tendinitis
  • Bursitis 
  • Frozen shoulder
  •  Labral tears
  • Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint)
  • Osteoarthritis of the acomio-clavicular joint

Please note - this list is not exhaustive

Advice if you have shoulder pain

  •  Pain medication - especially if you are in constant pain or waking at night. Discuss this with your GP.
  • Rest and exercise - get the balance between relative rest but exercising the joint to keep it moving.

When to be concerned...

  • If you have had trauma, a fall or a knock for example, and have pain, reduced movement or swelling attend A&E.
  • If the shoulder looks deformed, out of place or it has changed shape then attend A&E.
  • If the shoulder is swollen, hot and red attend A&E, especially if you have a fever as well.