Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain can come from tendons, frozen shoulder, arthritis or referred pain, and most cases settle with the right physiotherapy and time. I look most carefully at the patterns that suggest inflammatory disease, especially bilateral shoulder pain in an older patient.
What shoulder pain is
The shoulder is a highly mobile joint supported by tendons, muscles, ligaments and bursae. Pain may come from rotator cuff problems, bursitis, frozen shoulder, calcific tendonitis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or polymyalgia rheumatica.
Symptoms to look out for
Pain lifting the arm or reaching overhead
Night pain when lying on the shoulder
Stiffness or reduced range of movement
Weakness or catching
Pain in both shoulders with hip and thigh stiffness in PMR
Why this matters to a rheumatologist
Rheumatology input is useful when shoulder pain is bilateral, associated with inflammatory stiffness, other swollen joints, PMR symptoms or autoimmune disease.
Signs I would like you to seek care for
For emergency symptoms please seek urgent or emergency care first rather than waiting for a WhatsApp reply.
Sudden severe pain after injury
Fever, redness or hot swollen joint
Severe pain in both shoulders with thigh pain or feeling unwell
Symptoms not improving after two weeks of self-care
What a specialist review looks like
I examine shoulder movement, neck, surrounding tendons and other joints, then consider physiotherapy, injection, imaging or inflammatory blood tests depending on the pattern.
Questions my patients often ask me
Speak with me
If your shoulder pain is persistent, waking you at night, or comes with stiffness in both shoulders and hips, WhatsApp my clinic and we can help you decide whether a rheumatology assessment is the right next step.
Other conditions I treat
This page is for general education only and does not replace medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment.