Here are some of the FAQs I get for shoulder physiotherapy all the time? Lets help you find some answers-you have been looking for.

• What is Physiotherapy?

• How can Physiotherapy help my shoulder pain?

• What do physiotherapists do for shoulder pain?

• I injured my shoulder at work? Worksafe BC physiotherapy
• Shoulder injury is affecting my gym strength and I cannot bench press anymore?

• Injured my shoulder in a car accident? ICBC physiotherapy

• What is rotator cuff and how to heal from rotator cuff tears? Can Physiotherapy help with rotator cuff problems?

• What is frozen shoulder and how to heal from frozen shoulder? Can Physiotherapy help with the frozen shoulder?

• Postural nagging ache in the side of the neck and shoulder all day at work? Can physiotherapy help? Uncomfortable at work-sitting in front of a computer leads to aches on the side of the neck and shoulder?

What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is a healthcare profession that focuses on how the human body functions and moves to make our everyday life possible. It helps in maintaining or improving quality of life after an injury, preventing injury and restoring well being. Physiotherapy utilizes various science based approaches to achieve the goals10. It can help in education regarding the injury, providing valuable home resources to recover from an injury.

A physiotherapist will use various tools in their toolkit to achieve pain relief, improve active range of motion, strength and enhance participation of a client in the daily activities or recreational activities.

How can Physiotherapy help my shoulder pain?

Physiotherapists can assess and diagnose shoulder pathology. A tailored treatment plan as per your goals and expectations is chalked out. All you have to do is follow the-Home exercise plan and adhere to your Physiotherapy appointments. For more information on what a shoulder physiotherapy session will look like, see our post on Shoulder pain Physiotherapy, Injured your shoulder? How can a Physiotherapist help you with shoulder pain?

What do physiotherapists do for shoulder pain?

A physiotherapist can diagnose and assess the shoulder pathology. A tailored Home exercise plan is provided to help you start with the rehabilitation within your tolerance ranges. To learn more click on Home exercise plan Check out our post on-Here are the tools required to manage Shoulder pain home https://www.willowwellnessphysio.ca/tools-to-manage-shoulder-pain-home/

Learn more about resistance training–https://www.willowwellnessphysio.ca/rotator-cuff-training-for-general-shoulder-injuries/

To learn more- Shoulder pain Physiotherapy, Injured your shoulder? How can a Physiotherapist help you with shoulder pain? How can I help heal my shoulder at home? To learn more on Home exercise plan Check out our post on-Here are the tools required to manage Shoulder pain home https://www.willowwellnessphysio.ca/tools-to-manage-shoulder-pain-home/

I injured my shoulder at work? Worksafe BC physiotherapy

We cover all Worksafe BC/wcb Injury claims- all you need is to follow the work safe BC reporting guide https://www.worksafebc.com/en/health-safety/create-manage/incident-investigations/reporting-incidents-worksafebc

 Report your claim to the first aid immediately. Make an appointment with your physician and your Physiotherapist. Update WCB

An assessment and treatment session will involve diagnosing the shoulder pathology, treating the shoulder with physio tools, setting up a Home exercise plan and A graduated Return to work if possible. The approved and allowed WCB claims have no out of pocket expenses paid at our clinic for the treatment.

Shoulder injury is affecting my gym strength and I cannot bench press anymore?
Shoulder pain can become a number one complaint amongst the gym going clients, especially those engaging in repetitive overhead exercises, heavy weightlifting. The rotator cuff comprises four muscles- supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis. The Rotator cuff plays a crucial role in stabilizing the shoulder joint during movements and supporting its mobility. Imbalances or weaknesses in these muscles can lead to shoulder injuries, affecting performance and overall well-being. The improper form or poor posture can put additional stress on the rotator cuff muscles, leading to overuse injuries such as tendinitis or tears11.

As a result the loss of strength is experienced in bench press, shoulder press with moderate to severe pain. A physiotherapist can help assess the cause and use tools like dry needling to help improve the muscle balance and shoulder mechanics required to participate in the gym. For more information on what a shoulder physiotherapy session will look like, see our post on Shoulder pain Physiotherapy, Injured your shoulder? How can a Physiotherapist help you with shoulder pain?

Or follow our resistance training guide to target scapular muscle activation- https://www.willowwellnessphysio.ca/rotator-cuff-training-for-general-shoulder-injuries/

Lets book you a session today and get you back to the gym. Call us at 604-533-1819 or book online https://willowwellnessphysio.janeapp.com/

Injured my shoulder in a car accident? ICBC physiotherapy

Injured in a car accident. Physiotherapy can help you recover faster. ICBC now covers 25 Physio sessions within 3 months from the date of the accident. Shoulder injuries in a car accident can vary from traumas to the humerus, scapula, clavicle, acromio-clavicular (AC) joint and glenohumeral (GH) joint12 .Pain can prevent participation in daily activities.

For ICBC shoulder physiotherapy- Report the accident- https://www.icbc.com/claims/report-view/Report-a-claim-online  Get a claim number. Book a Physiotherapy appointment today to start your healing journey

What is rotator cuff and how to heal from rotator cuff tears? Can Physiotherapy help with rotator cuff problems?

The rotator cuff comprises four muscles- supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis. The Rotator cuff plays a crucial role in stabilizing the shoulder joint during movements and supporting its mobility. Imbalances or weaknesses in these muscles can lead to shoulder injuries, affecting performance and overall well-being. The improper form or poor posture can put additional stress on the rotator cuff muscles, leading to overuse injuries such as tendinitis or tears11.

A physiotherapist can help assess the cause and use tools like dry needling to help improve the muscle balance and shoulder mechanics required to participate in the gym. For more information on what a shoulder physiotherapy session will look like, see our post on Shoulder pain Physiotherapy, Injured your shoulder? How can a Physiotherapist help you with shoulder pain?

What is frozen shoulder and how to heal from frozen shoulder? Can Physiotherapy help with the frozen shoulder?

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis is condition that causes significant restriction of both active and passive shoulder motion. Pain stiffness and altered scapular mechanics are key characteristics of the frozen shoulder. It reverses the scapular blade stabilizing factor to mobility to perform the functional activities. It is also established that the Scapular functional stabilization training resulted in improvement of function, reduction in pain. A greater improvement in range of motion in frozen shoulder patients15.

For more information on gentle exercises to perform check out our post on how to maintain or gain the shoulder Range of motion- The following exercises can be performed. https://www.willowwellnessphysio.ca/tools-to-manage-shoulder-pain-home/ Shoulder pain Physiotherapy, Injured your shoulder? How can a Physiotherapist help you with shoulder pain?

Postural nagging ache in the side of the neck and shoulder all day at work? Can physiotherapy help? Uncomfortable at work-sitting in front of a computer leads to aches on the side of the neck and shoulder?

Pain/ache from sitting for prolonged durations at work or for school can lead to a nagging ache in the shoulder, neck and surrounding areas. Dry needling can help maintain the muscle balance back in the upper body by reducing tension. It was established that the addition of DN along with physical therapy was effective in improving disability, AROM in extension, flexion, side bending, and depression in patients with chronic neck pain14. For more information on dry needling check out our post on IMS/dry Needling for pain3

References:

3: Quantifying success after total shoulder arthroplasty: the minimal clinically important difference Simovitch, Ryan et al.Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, Volume 27, Issue 2, 298 – 305.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29162305/

10. https://www.physio-pedia.com/Physiotherapy_/_Physical_Therapy
11 Ankar P, Harjpal P. Comparative Analysis of Various Rotator Cuff Stretching Techniques: Efficacy and Recommendations for Gym Enthusiasts. Cureus. 2024 Jan7;16(1):e51785. doi: 10.7759/cureus.51785. PMID: 38322067; PMCID: PMC10844772. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38322067/
12:Yoganandan N, Stadter GW, Halloway DE, Pintar FA. Injury patterns to other bodyregions and load vectors in nearside impact occupants with and without shoulder
injuries. Ann Adv Automot Med. 2013;57:133-44. PMID: 24406953; PMCID: PMC3861837. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24406953/

14: Slwa Sami Alattar, Hosam Alzahrani: Effectiveness of adding dry needling of the upper trapezius muscle to the usual physiotherapy for managing chronic neck pain: A randomized controlled trial with a 7-week follow-up. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice 74 (2024) 103155. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39217854/
15; Saloni Karnawat, MPT, Karvannan Harikesavan, PhD, and Prem Venkatesan, PhD: Effect of Functional Scapular Stabilization Training on Function and Pain in Frozen
Shoulder Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics Volume 46, Number 2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37452810/

Written by Mandeep (Meenie) Hundal, M.Sc. PT, B.P.T.

Meenie has been working as a musculoskeletal Physiotherapist with more than 10 years of experience treating musculoskeletal injuries, she has been practicing since 2016 in Canada. Meenie has a Masters in Science Physiotherapy which she completed with merit and was awarded the vice chancellor scholarship award. Meenie is certified in both IMS, Vestibular and Concussion rehabilitation.

Medical Disclaimer:

The information presented in this blog post is for educational purposes and should not be interpreted as medical advice. To seek a treatment or a diagnosis, consult with a medical professional such as one suggested on this website. Willow Wellness and the author of this page are not liable for the associated risks of using or acting upon the information contained in this article.