Shoulder pain is the second most common injury we see here in clinic! We use our shoulders for everything – and we certainly don’t realise this until they start to hurt. We often say about the shoulder “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”. 

Shoulder pain can develop for a range of different reasons – one very common type of shoulder pain comes from a condition called Frozen Shoulder.

It generally occurs between the ages of 50-70. It can vary hugely in severity and duration. Some frozen shoulders can be barely noticeable while others can feel debilitating and very painful. Frozen shoulders go through different stages and each stage has different types of treatments available.

In clinic we see 2 different types – the kind that we can help (the majority), and the kind that need further medical attention, followed by physiotherapy at a later stage. This may mean a steroid injection or other types of treatments to ease symptoms.

Pain control is a key part of managing frozen shoulder. Once under control, we aim to regain as much strength and function of the shoulder as possible. 

People often think they have a frozen shoulder, when it’s actually a completely different problem. Whatever it is, it’s worth getting an opinion from us on how best to manage it.

Written by Roisin Walshe, Chartered Physiotherapist with a special interest in shoulder pain