How can physio help an injured shoulder?

Physiotherapy works by improving your joint function and mobility. Keeping your joints moving well and pain-free is achieved by keeping the joint surfaces in good position and the shoulder joint is no exception to this.

A shoulder injury may begin with a sudden event (such as a fall onto the shoulder or sudden movement) or as a result of long-term over-use or loading of the joint. Most musculo-skeletal structures will heal themselves but this process can sometimes be slowed or stopped by other factors contributing to the injury such as postural dysfunction, muscle imbalance or inadequate rest and protection of injured tissue.

Through a detailed assessment a physiotherapist can understand all of the possible factors that may be stopping your shoulder from healing and design a treatment and exercise plan to address these problems. 
Specific physiotherapy exercises are often needed to restore good muscle balance and function across an injured shoulder before a more generalized gym-based shoulder program can be returned to.

Restoring a healthy muscle balance around the shoulder is not just about strength but needs a specific exercise based approach that accounts muscle fibre types (slow and fast twitch fibers) and muscle architecture (how a muscle is able to work across a joint). By treating the underlying causes of a shoulder injury rather than just the symptoms you are able to reduce the risk of a similar injury occurring again.

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