Shoulder Physio in Melbourne: Start Your Recovery Today

Relieve Pain with Comprehensive Shoulder Physiotherapy in Melbourne

Seeking a skilled shoulder physio in Melbourne? In our state-of-the-art Melbourne CBD physiotherapy clinic, our highly experienced physios will go above and beyond to rehabilitate your shoulder injury and alleviate your pain.

From lifting a child to reaching the top shelf or pulling open a heavy door, your is used in countless daily actions. Unfortunately, this, combined with the shoulder’s complex structure, means up to 70% of us will experience shoulder pain that can impact sleep, mental health and the capacity to perform everyday tasks.

If that’s you, learn how to give aches and pains the cold shoulder with our specialised physiotherapy techniques.

Understanding Shoulder Pain and Injury

Connecting the scapula (shoulder blade), humerus (upper arm bone) and clavicle (collarbone), the shoulder is our most mobile joint. However, its complex ball-and-socket structure, stabilised by the rotator cuff, also makes it injury-prone.

As it relies on several soft tissues for stability, the shoulder can be damaged by heavy lifting or repeated overhead motion. At the same time, its shallow socket increases dislocation risk.

Types of Shoulder Injuries

Shoulder injuries impact individuals of all ages and activity levels. Common types include:

Rotator Cuff Tear: This injury involves damage to tendons in the rotator cuff – a group of stabilising muscles and accompanying tendons that hold the shoulder bones together and facilitate arm movement.
Osteoarthritis: This degenerative disease with joint pain and stiffness causes the breakdown of cartilage and bone.
Bursitis: A painful condition, bursitis occurs with inflammation to a bursa – the small, fluid-filled, cushioning sac between bones, tendons, joints and muscles that allow smooth joint movement.
Shoulder (Subacromial) Impingement: This occurs when there is compression of the rotator cuff tendons and subacromial bursa (located below the shoulder blade) when moving the shoulder.
Dislocations: Highly mobile, the shoulder is the most commonly dislocated joint. This occurs when the humeral head (the ball of the shoulder joint) is forced out of the socket (glenoid), often during contact sports or accidents.
Frozen Shoulder: Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, is characterised by pain, stiffness and restricted shoulder mobility that impacts daily life.
Labral Tear: This involves a tear in the labrum – cartilage surrounding the shoulder’s ball-and-socket joint.

Many shoulder conditions present in athletes and active individuals who perform repetitive shoulder motions or heavy lifting, such as tennis players, swimmers, hairdressers, construction workers and weightlifters.

However, rotator cuff tendinopathy can occur with degeneration, osteoarthritis typically affects the ageing population, and frozen shoulder primarily impacts those aged 40 to 60 – particularly women and diabetics.

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Image Credit: Cleveland Clinic.

Symptoms to Watch Out For

Common shoulder injury symptoms include:

Pain: Sharp or dull and aching pain that may interfere with sleep.
Stiffness: Difficulty moving your arm, particularly overhead.
Swelling: Visible swelling in the shoulder region.
Restricted Range of Motion: Inability to perform the full range of shoulder movements.
Shoulder Instability or Weakness: Feeling the shoulder may slip out of place or weakness with arm movements.

Why Choose a Shoulder Physio in Melbourne?

Put an end to your pain with shoulder physiotherapy in Melbourne CBD. With friendly, expert physios and cutting-edge facilities, we’ll help you enjoy lasting relief.

Our Physiotherapists’ Expertise

Our physios have worked closely with orthopaedic surgeons, both in clinic rooms and surgical theatres. With this and their over 30 years of experience, they bring an extremely high level of knowledge to assessing and rehabilitating shoulder conditions.

Our Shoulder Physiotherapy Techniques

We use a combination of hands-on therapy, exercise prescription, and advanced techniques for each client’s treatment plan.

Customised Treatment Plans

Your shoulder rehabilitation program will include manual therapy techniques and targeted exercises to relieve tension, mobilise the shoulder joint and accelerate healing. These include:

Joint Mobilisation: Gently moving a stiff shoulder joint can help restore shoulder mobility and reduce pain.
Soft Tissue Manipulation: Boosting blood flow and alleviating muscle tension, massage helps to promote healing.
Stretching: Stretching the shoulders can improve your range of motion and flexibility.
Dry Needling: Creating a ‘twitch’ response, needling can boost blood flow and decrease muscle tension and pain.
Exercise Therapy: Our physios utilise a broad spectrum of strengthening exercises such as resisted Theraband exercises, Clinical Pilates and gym-based resistance training to return you to your pre-injury activity level.

Preparing for Your Shoulder Physiotherapy Session

During your first visit, your shoulder physiotherapist will ask about your symptoms, perform a physical assessment and use hands-on techniques to relieve pain. Please consider when your pain began, whether it’s sharp or dull, and when it’s most troublesome (e.g. sleeping or getting dressed).

What to Bring to Your Session

If you have x-rays or scans, please bring these with you.

Aftercare and Follow-up

At The Alignment Studio, we’re committed to your long-term recovery and target the underlying causes of your pain – not just the symptoms. From postural analysis to Clinical Pilates rehab and Functional Movement Screening (FMS) to identify and correct inefficient movement patterns, our holistic treatment plans and ongoing care will accelerate your recovery.

Lifestyle Tips for Shoulder Health

Prevention is better than cure, and the following steps can help prevent shoulder conditions from arising:

Correct Posture: Good posture reduces shoulder strain and helps prevent pain.
Regular Movement: Movement is beneficial overall, and strengthening and stabilising exercises like weight training and Pilates promote healthy shoulders.
Breaks: Take regular breaks during repetitive activities and introduce shoulder stretches into your workday.
Warming Up: When playing sport or lifting weights, warm up your shoulder muscles to avoid injury.
Ergonomics: With endless hours seated at screens, workstation ergonomics is crucial. Learn more about our ergonomic assessments in Melbourne.
Balanced Diet: Hydration and good nutrition promote healthy, mobile shoulder joints.

Whether caused by wear and tear, sporting injury, accident, or degeneration, shoulder pain and conditions such as bursitis and arthritis are commonplace. A healthy, active lifestyle can help, but if problems arise, please contact our Melbourne shoulder physiotherapy clinic for comprehensive assessment and treatment.

FAQS

What is the best therapy for shoulder pain?

This depends on the nature of your shoulder pain. In addition to hands-on shoulder therapy to relieve symptoms, your physio will prescribe a tailored exercise program.

Heat or cold therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can reduce inflammation, and you may need to rest or modify your activity. In severe cases, steroid injections or surgery may be required.

What are the warning signs of a rotator cuff tear?

Persistent shoulder pain, especially when lying on the affected shoulder, or difficulty lifting or rotating your arm may signify a rotator cuff tear.

Should I see a physio or GP for shoulder pain?

We suggest seeing a physio for mild-to-moderate pain. If your shoulder pain is severe, sudden and accompanied by significantly restricted movement, muscle weakness or swelling, seek the advice of your GP.

Is physiotherapy good for shoulder pain?

Shoulder physiotherapy can relieve acute and chronic pain – addressing underlying causes and preventing recurrence. It involves manual techniques, education and exercises to reduce pain, improve mobility and strengthen the muscles around the shoulder joint.