The shoulder is vulnerable to a many differing problems due to its complex nature - combining several joints, tendons and muscles which allow for a broad range of movement. The shoulder is inherently unstable and its function can be likened to a seal trying to balance a ball on it's nose! It is very reliant of good muscle strength and function for support and stability and when this is not present, one of the common painful conditions which may develop is shoulder impingement also referred to as rotator cuff tendinopathy or impingement syndrome.

Treatments include Physiotherapy (usually the first approach) which may involve exercise, manual therapy and medical acupuncture/dry needling, as well as other procedures such as local injections and surgery in certain cases.

Striking a tiny ball with a small club face at the end of a long shaft is the respectable skill of the golf swing. Making that tiny ball travel the distance and direction intended requires great skill as well as good body position technique with sufficient specific golf flexibility throughout the full range of motion.

This post is an excerpt from a more extensive article I wrote recently called - Golf Flexibility, The Golf Swing & Common Injuries

Let’s get into the golf swing of things; the arms move through a large range of motion while linking the golf club and the power-generating torso of the golfer. The golf swing involves 5 phases: the backswing, the downswing, acceleration, early follow-through and late follow-through. With each phase requiring an evolving recruitment of muscle activity and fluid technique there is risk of soft tissue damage throughout the full swing movement.

The original golf swing is said to have evolved in Scotland some hundred years ago. Modern equipment and material as well as advancement in performance technique has led to the 'modern golf wing' changing the dynamics of required golf flexibility.

When asking yourself "Why do I have Shoulder Pain?" I suggest you don't waste much time agonising about how it happened but rather focus on how you are going to relieve your pain and achieve a speedy recovery. Do not leave it too long before receiving treatment. It is normal to rest an inflamed or irritated muscle but timing and type of treatment along with doing specific shoulder pain exercises will be necessary for a quick recovery.  

My client has been doing very well in treatment for a right sided adhesive capsulitis, otherwise known as a ‘frozen shoulder’. Following a successful integrated treatment approach my client has progressed to the third stage of the frozen shoulder continuum where stiffness as opposed to pain is the main problem.

In this article I demonstrate the effectiveness of treating this condition with a combination of medical acupuncture, also known as dry needling, and manual therapy techniques.

You are suffering pain, weakness and stiffness in a shoulder and are then told by your Physiotherapist to perform special, regular shoulder movements. Moving a painful body part many times a day may not seem logical but let's take a look why this can be a good approach.