Shoulder injuries and pain commonly effect many people, from high level athletes and regular gym goers, to office workers and even people in sedentary roles. The shoulder is a very mobile joint. Because stability is sacrificed for mobility in this area, it can leave it vulnerable to injury from repeat stress/overuse, trauma, instability, or soft tissue damage. Whether an injury has happened in sport, due to overuse, sedentary lifestyle habits, or trauma causing muscle, tendon or ligament injury, or even a potential dislocation, this can impact your day to day activities, and activity related goals.

At Optimise Sports Physiotherapy & Performance, we have extensive experience assessing and treating a wide range of shoulder injuries, from minor strains and niggles, to high level trauma requiring post surgical rehabilitation. Our goal is to help you return to full strength, and doing what you love, pain free.

Common Shoulder Injuries

• Rotator Cuff Injuries

Rotator cuff injuries are complex, and can vary from repetitive strain causing tendonopathy, acute injuries which can cause partial or full thickness tears, or overuse which can cause chronic tears of the fibres that help stabilise the shoulder. These often are caused by falling on an outstretched hand, sporting injuries out on the field or in the gym, lifting something awkwardly from an overhead position, or when pushing/pulling a heavy object.

• Shoulder Impingement

This is a common symptom that stems from an irritable shoulder due to potential inflammation of certain structures (such as bursitis), rotator cuff injuries, muscle or tendon strains, labral (cartilage) injury, bone injury, or instability of the joint from previous trauma.

• Shoulder Dislocation 

Dislocations commonly occur when falling on an outstretched hand, which often occurs in contact sports. The shoulder can dislocate more commonly anteriorly (front), and less commonly posteriorly (behind), which can lead to associated injuries to surrounding structures of the shoulder such as the labrum and ligaments. This can long-term cause instability and requires surgical opinion.

• Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)

Often associated with high levels of pain and stiffness, frozen shoulder can significantly limit function, and while in some incidents trauma can trigger it, it can often occur without any clear reason

• AC Joint Injuries

The acromioclavicular (AC) joint, located at the tip of the shoulder, is typically injured from direct impact such is in a rugby tackle, or falling directly on the shoulder. This injury is associated with high levels of pain, and can cause limitations in strength and mobility, depending on the grade of injury to the surrounding bone and ligaments.

Symptoms of Shoulder Injuries

• Throbbing pain at rest
• Sharp pain in the shoulder when elevating the arm
• Loss of strength or mobility in varying positions
• Stiffness, locking or catching
• Feeling like the shoulder pops out or like the shoulder is loose or unstable on movement

Treatment for Shoulder Injuries

Early diagnosis is important to cater an individualised treatment plan for your injury. Treatment may include:

• Manual therapy to reduce your pain, and improve range of motion/mobility
• Strength training to improve your shoulders movement and lifting capacity
• Stretch/Mobility exercises to improve your functional rang eappropriate for your daily tasks and sport
• Motor Control exercises to improve movement coordination
• Taping where required to provide support and comfort prior to sport and activity
• Return-to-sport testing to ensure you reduce the risk of reinjury occuring
• Referral for imaging and specialist review where neccessary

Rehabilitation & Recovery

Rehabilitation focuses on pain management, targeting improvements in strength, stability, mobility, control and stability of the shoulder. Depending on the type of injury, recovery can take a few weeks to several months. Recovery expectations are varied but will be discussed following an initial assessment. Our return to sport testing criteria ensures you are returning to what you love doing primed, and with minimal risk of re injury.

Shoulder Injury Treatment at Optimise Sports Physiotherapy & Performance

Our physiotherapists have extensive experience in assessing and treating a wide array of shoulder injuries in numerous populations, including high level athletes, labourers, gym goers, and desk workers. We ensure through our detailed assessment that we get to the root cause of your issue, and that you have a thorough understanding of your injury, what the impairments are, and the strategies to fix them.

If you are suffering from shoulder pain, or have a shoulder injury, contact us today for an assessment so we can help aid you back to full recovery.

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