Shoulder pain is often caused by work-related factors or sports injuries. Traumatic injuries, such as whiplash, can also frequently lead to shoulder pain.

Tips if you have shoulder pain:

• Use a low firm pillow – ensure your spine is properly aligned when lying on it. You can have someone take a photo of you lying down to assess your posture.
• Try exercises – these are examples of shoulder exercises you can do – ensure the movements are comfortable and you build up the range of movement gradually. Do not ‘push on through’ the pain or do movements which are painful.
• Take pain relief – paracetamol or ibuprofen – if the pain is impacting your everyday activity and/or sleep.
• Use a heat or ice pack – for 5-10mins for pain relief. Ensure the pack is wrapped up to avoid damaging the skin.
• Get an assessment from a professional – seeing a specialist will not only speed up your recovery but also provide you with the right tools, guidance, and exercises to help you get back to normal.

How a physiotherapist can help:

Assessment –We will ask you in detail about the symptoms and assess the biomechanics of how you move, your posture and the function of your muscles, joints and ligaments.

Diagnosis – We will then diagnose the cause of the shoulder pain, this may include identification of a number of factors which have contributed to the pain starting.

Treatment – We will formulate a treatment plan and discuss this with you. Treatments will first be targeted at reducing pain and then rehabilitation to maximise functioning of the affected area. Treatments may include

• Manual therapy
• Acupuncture
• Electrotherapy / Tecar therapy
• Rehabilitative exercise