Online physiotherapy for shoulder pain
If your shoulder pain fits, a video appointment lets your physiotherapist watch you lift and rotate your arm, try a few self-checks, and plan exercises you do at home. It is not suitable with chest pain or breathlessness (call 999), after a dislocation, or after a fall where you cannot lift your arm (A&E). Sudden or very bad pain needs an urgent GP or 111.
If you’re in the Glasgow area, you can book a home visit instead of a video call.
How online physiotherapy works for shoulder pain
A shoulder is a joint you can watch working. On video we see how high your arm goes, whether your shoulder blade moves with it and where in the movement the pain starts. We ask you to move both sides, so we can compare your sore shoulder with your other one.
Most of what we learn comes from a handful of simple movements. You reach overhead, out to the side and behind your back, and we watch for where the movement stops or the pain kicks in. We also ask you to try a few self-checks, such as the painful arc self-check, if it is safe for you.
The NHS advises trying shoulder exercises for 6 to 8 weeks to stop pain returning and lists physiotherapy as an option. Our approach is to give you a small set of exercises, show each one on camera, and then adjust the load and the range as your shoulder responds.
Frozen shoulder is a separate picture, with its own plan and pace. We mention it here only so you know it exists. If you think frozen shoulder may be your problem, read our article on online physiotherapy for frozen shoulder.
Video has limits for the shoulder. We cannot feel the joint or test it by hand, and we cannot scan it. If we think you need an examination, imaging or a doctor, we will tell you and help you decide where to go.
What the video assessment checks
- How high you can lift your arm forward and out to the side, on both sides, and where the pain starts or stops you.
- The painful arc self-check, where we watch whether pain shows up in a certain part of the lift.
- The Hawkins-Kennedy test and full can test as guided self-checks, to see how your shoulder reacts to different positions.
- How you reach behind your back and across your body, which tells us about stiffness and about how the shoulder blade is moving.
- What triggers the pain in daily life, such as reaching a shelf, putting on a coat, lying on that side or carrying shopping.
- The red flag questions below, including any recent dislocation or fall, which we ask at the start of every appointment.
What treatment usually involves
Plans for shoulder pain usually start with advice on what to keep doing and what to ease off for now, followed by controlled exercises for the rotator cuff muscles and shoulder blade. As the shoulder copes better, we add reaching, lifting and the particular movements your work or sport needs.
Shoulder problems differ a lot, so we do not quote a course length before we have assessed you. It depends on your condition; your physiotherapist will give you an estimate after your assessment. The first is a 60-minute video assessment at £40, and follow-ups are 30 minutes at £30. We review the estimate with you at each follow-up.
The plan relies on you doing the exercises regularly. The NHS suggests 6 to 8 weeks of shoulder exercises, so we talk early about how to fit them into your day and how to tell whether your shoulder is coping.
Our rotator cuff exercise library shows exercises you may be given, and our guide to what online physiotherapy cannot do explains what a video appointment cannot cover.
How long recovery usually takes
The NHS says to try shoulder exercises for 6 to 8 weeks to help stop shoulder pain coming back. Frozen shoulder is different. The NHS describes it as painful and stiff for months, and sometimes years. If your shoulder is not improving, or is getting worse, speak to a GP.
When you need to be seen in person instead
A video appointment is not the right route for the situations below, and a home visit is not a substitute for urgent care.
- Call 999 or go to A&E if you have chest pain, chest tightness or breathlessness together with shoulder pain. Do not drive yourself.
- Go to A&E if your shoulder looks out of place or has changed shape, or you think you have dislocated it. Call 999 if you cannot get there yourself. Do not drive yourself.
- Go to A&E if you fell and now cannot move or lift your arm. Call 999 if you cannot get there yourself.
- Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if your shoulder pain is sudden or very bad, or started after an injury such as a fall.
- Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have a hot or cold arm, or no feeling in the arm.
- Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you cannot move your arm, or you have pins and needles that do not go away.
- Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have severe pain in both shoulders.
- If your shoulder is red, hot and painful and you have a fever or feel generally unwell: go to A&E now, or call NHS 111 straight away if you are not sure where to go. Do not drive yourself if you feel very unwell. NICE CKS guidance for clinicians says this needs emergency assessment, because it can be a sign of a joint infection.
- Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you are feeling feverish or unwell with your shoulder pain.
- Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you notice a lump or new swelling in your shoulder, or several of your joints have become swollen and painful at the same time. NICE CKS guidance for clinicians says these need urgent referral.
- If you are not sure how urgent your symptoms are, call 111 or speak to a GP before booking a video appointment.
Exercises and self-checks
Common questions
Can shoulder pain be assessed by video?
On video we watch how you lift, reach and rotate your arm, and we choose exercises from that. We cannot examine or scan the joint, and we will tell you if you need that or need to be seen in person.
How long should I do shoulder exercises for?
The NHS says to try shoulder exercises for 6 to 8 weeks to stop the pain returning. We build your plan around that kind of timeframe and check in with you along the way to see how the shoulder is responding.
I think I have a frozen shoulder. Is this the right page?
Frozen shoulder has its own page in our blog, which you can find at online physiotherapy for frozen shoulder. The NHS says physiotherapy can help you get movement back. This page is for other shoulder pain, such as pain on lifting your arm.
When should I go to A&E or see someone in person?
Call 999 or go to A&E if you have chest pain, chest tightness or breathlessness with shoulder pain, and do not drive yourself. Go to A&E after a dislocation, or after a fall where you cannot move your arm. For sudden or very bad shoulder pain, ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111.
Further reading
This information is general and not a substitute for an assessment. Don't start a new exercise programme without advice from a physiotherapist or doctor who knows your condition. If an exercise causes pain that doesn't settle, stop and seek advice.
Sources
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A 60-minute video assessment with an HCPC-registered physiotherapist is £40.
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