Shoulder Pain:

Understanding, Managing, and Overcoming

Understanding Shoulder Pain

 

Shoulder pain is extremely common and can affect anyone — from athletes and active individuals such as swimmers  to people with more sedentary lifestyles.

The shoulder is the body’s most mobile joint, but this flexibility can make it vulnerable to pain, injury, and instability.

 

You might feel pain when lifting your arm, lying on your side, or even during simple everyday activities like getting dressed.

The good news? With the right assessment and treatment, most shoulder problems can improve significantly.

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Common Causes of Shoulder Pain

 

Shoulder pain can come from a range of conditions, including:

• Rotator Cuff Related Pain (tendon irritation or tears)

• Bursitis (inflammation of fluid-filled sacs around the joint, often related to an injury or rotator cuff pain, causes night and morning pain)

• Frozen Shoulder (stiffness and restricted movement)

• Shoulder Instability (due to ligament laxity or dislocations, this can be related to hypermobility in the shoulder joints)

• Labral Tears: Tears in the cartilage that forms a cup for the ball of the shoulder joint can cause pain and instability.

• Acromioclavicular (AC) Joint Pain: Pain in the joint at the top of the shoulder, often due to injury.

• Osteoarthritis

• Postural Strain (muscle imbalance and poor shoulder positioning)

• Referred Pain (from the neck or upper back)

 

Each case is different, which is why a personalised approach is critical.

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Key Factors Contributing to Shoulder Pain

• Repetitive Movements: common in sports like swimming, throwing sports, or trades like painting - especially when the shoulder hasn’t been strengthened for the task demand)

• Injury: sporting injuries or a fall onto the arm can cause shoulder damage and pain

• Previous Injury: old tears or dislocations can leave lasting impacts, especially if not rehabilitated fully

• Poor Strength and Posture: affecting shoulder mechanics and support

• General Health: poor sleep, high stress, high central adiposity - all contribute to increased pain sensitivity around the shoulder

 

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How We Treat Shoulder Pain

 

At Fit Bomb Physio, we take a modern, evidence-based approach to help you recover fully and get back to doing what you love.

 

Our treatment includes:

 

✅ Comprehensive Assessment

• Taking the time to hear the story behind your shoulder concern and a comprehensive physical examination: specific to your goals and concerns. From this we can  identifying the true cause of your pain (not just the symptoms).

 

✅ Education and Management Plan

• Helping you understand what’s happening, what you can do to help yourself, what we can do and developing a plan suited to your goals.

 

✅ Individualised Exercise Programs

• Focusing on areas identified as contributing factors in your assessment. These may be strengthening the rotator cuff, relaxing tense neck-shoulder - upper back muscles, improving posture, restoring movement, building shoulder stability as well as looking at the impact of the whole kinetic chain (your whole body).

 

✅ Hands-On Treatment

• Manual therapy techniques to reduce pain, improve mobility, and assist recovery, especially looking o restore movement around the shoulder, shoulder blade and upper back.

 

✅ Load Management Advice

• Guidance on how to adjust activities safely while building shoulder resilience eg returning to swimming in a graduated, structured way

 

✅ Advanced Rehabilitation

• For athletes and active people: sport-specific or goal-specific programs to get you back to peak performance.

 

✅ Surgical Rehabilitation

• If surgery is needed (e.g., rotator cuff repair or shoulder reconstruction), we provide expert prehab and post-op rehab care.

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Shoulder Pain Myths Busted

 

Myth 1:

“All shoulder pain means something is torn.”

Many painful shoulders show no major structural damage on scans.

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Myth 2:

“Resting completely will fix it.”

Gradual, guided movement and strengthening is almost always key.

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Myth 3:

“Surgery is always the answer.”

 Most shoulder problems can be successfully managed without surgery.

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Take Control of Your Shoulder Health

 

Shoulder pain doesn’t have to hold you back.

With the right care, you can rebuild strength, regain full mobility, and get back to your active lifestyle.

 

At Fit Bomb Physio, our experienced team will guide you with expert advice, targeted rehabilitation, and a program designed just for you.

 

Ready to feel strong and pain-free again?

Book your consultation with one of our expert physiotherapists today.

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