The shoulder joint is made up of three bones: arm (humerus), shoulder blade (scapula) and collar bone (clavicle).
The largest joint of the shoulder is the glenhumeral joint (head of the arm bone and socket of the shoulder blade). This joint is very mobile and therefore we can move our shoulder through a large range of movements.
Common injuries to the shoulder include:
- Rotator cuff tears
- Tendinopathies
- Impingement
- Frozen Shoulder
- Labral tears
- Dislocations/instability
- Osteoarthritis
- Bicep tear
- Acromioclavicular joint injuries
What will an Exercise Physiologist Look At?
An Exercise Physiologist will look at your injury history, MRI reports and/or X-ray reports, pain location and description, what makes your shoulder feel worse, what makes your shoulder feel better and previous treatment you have had.
An Exercise Physiologist will consider anatomical deficits such as rotator cuff tears, labral injuries and bone shapes.
An Exercise Physiologist will assess, your posture, current function, range of motion, control of movement, muscle strength, muscle balance and muscle endurance. Movement quality (biomechanics) will be assessed to determine if your shoulder blade and arm are moving in the correct rhythm and way, whilst maintaining stability. Other joints will also be assessed as they may be influencing the shoulder.
What Treatment Could I Expect?
Treatment may include shoulder blade positioning training, posture training, ergonomics education and exercise rehabilitation. Exercise will be prescribed to restore a pain-free range of motion; these may include stretches and self-mobilisation techniques. Exercises will work to address muscle imbalances, improve movement control, muscle strength and muscle endurance. Exercises will be progressed to improve your function to get you back doing things you want to do or maintain your ability to do the things you want to do. Exercises can also be used pre-op and research has shown that this improves outcomes. Exercise can be used post-op o restore normal range of motion, muscle function and to empower you to return to the activities you want to do.