Shoulder Pain Treatment in Bicton, Perth
Shoulder pain is something we see a lot of in our clinic, and for good reason. The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, which also makes it one of the most complex to get right when something goes wrong. Whether yours came on gradually or out of nowhere, Dr Russell Jensen works with patients across Bicton and Perth to find the actual cause and start fixing it from day one.
Why Shoulder Pain Is So Complex
Shoulder problems are rarely straightforward. The pain you feel in one spot is often being driven by something happening somewhere else entirely. Which is why so many people get treated for months without real progress.
Painful shoulders are commonly caused by:
Rotator Cuff Problems
The rotator cuff is four muscles and their tendons wrapping the shoulder joint. This is the most common source of shoulder pain we see. Tears, strains, muscular weakness and tendinopathy here cause deep aching pain, pain when lifting and rotating the shoulder, weakness and often disturbed sleep when lying on the affected side.
Bursa Problems
Bursas commonly sit between tendons and bones, or between any two structures, to reduce friction. When it gets irritated, usually from repetitive overhead movement, sustained compression or abnormal movements from being in pain, it becomes inflamed and makes most arm movement uncomfortable. It often co-occurs with Rotator Cuff Problems.
Shoulder Impingement
Impingement is what happens when the soft tissues of the shoulder get pinched between bones of the AC joint and the head of the upper arm (humerus) during movement. You'll often notice a ‘painful arc’ when you lift your arm up that eases off again at full abduction.
Muscle and Soft Tissue Adhesions
In our opinion, is something that gets missed a lot. Fibrous adhesions build up in the muscles of a chronically painful shoulder. The result is restricted movement, altered joint loading and vicious pain cycles that persist long after the original injury should have settled. Identifying and treating these adhesions is at the core of what we do at Southside Spine and Sport.
Referred Pain From the Neck or Upper Back
Not all shoulder pain comes from the shoulder. Irritation in the discs or joints in the neck or upper thoracic spine can refer pain into the shoulder and arm and present exactly like a local shoulder problem. Getting this distinction right early saves a lot of wasted treatment time.
How We Approach Shoulder Pain Treatment
Good shoulder treatment needs to deal with all the involved elements, understand how it got to this point and give you a clear path forward, including how to avoid it coming back.
Start With a Thorough Assessment
Before anything else, Dr Russell Jensen takes a detailed history and works through a thorough physical examination to identify what's actually driving your pain. Where imaging is needed, ultrasound or X-ray most commonly, or MRI for more complex cases, we coordinate that referral directly so you're not left to navigate it alone.
Hands-On Soft Tissue Treatment and Adhesion Release
Once we know what we're dealing with, treatment targets the specific muscles, tendons or other restricted tissues contributing to your pain. This includes adhesion release techniques that restore normal tissue length, movement and take the load off inflamed structures.
Shockwave Therapy for Tendons and Chronic Pain
For stubborn tissue problems, such as bursitis, that hasn’t shifted with other treatments, shockwave therapy can be used. It stimulates the body's natural healing response in damaged tendon and bursal tissue and has strong clinical evidence behind it for rotator cuff tendinopathy and calcific tendinitis specifically. Find out more about shockwave therapy.
Specific Rehabilitation Exercises
Once your pain is sitting below a 3-4 out of 10 we start integrating targeted strengthening exercises to rebuild the shoulder properly and stop it from coming back. Some patients are open with us that they won't do home exercises and that's fine too. We can still support those patients over a longer period using treatment and activity modification to manage things. Learn more about our rehab approach.
What to Expect When You Come In
We start treating you at your first visit, not at your follow up. Dr Russell Jensen will assess your shoulder thoroughly, explain what he finds in plain language, and begin treatment the same day.
Most people start noticing real improvement within a few appointments. More complex cases take longer and we'll be straight with you about what realistic progress looks like for your specific situation.
Related Conditions We Also Treat
Shoulder pain often occurs alongside other musculoskeletal problems. At Southside Spine and Sport we also commonly treat patients dealing with neck pain, mid back pain and muscle pain that contributes to or results from chronic shoulder dysfunction. If you're not sure whether your problem is a shoulder issue or something referred from elsewhere, book in and we'll work it out together.
Shoulder Pain FAQs
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book directly online or give us a call on 08 6317 9897.
Can you help with a rotator cuff tear?
Partial tears and tendinopathy respond very well to what we do at a conservative healthcare level. Full thickness tears sometimes need a specialist opinion first, and if we suspect that's the case we'll tell you up front.
Is it covered by private health insurance?
Chiropractic is covered under extras with most Australian health funds. Check your level of cover for the specific rebate amount.
What about shoulder injuries from sport or the gym?
Absolutely. Rotator cuff strains, AC joint injuries, overuse tendinopathy, we see all of these regularly. Have a look at our sports injuries page for more info.
How long will it take?
Straightforward cases typically respond well within 4-8 appointments. Complex or long-standing problems take longer. You'll get an honest assessment of your timeline at your first visit.
Come and See Us in Bicton
We're based in Bicton and see patients from across Fremantle, Melville, East Fremantle, Palmyra, Attadale and the surrounding south of the river suburbs.
Book online or call 08 6317 9897 to get started with Dr Russell Jensen.