Specialist Shoulder Physiotherapy

Let our expertise give you piece of mind

Shoulder pain can be incredibly limiting. It can affect sleep, work, exercise, driving, and even simple tasks like getting dressed or reaching overhead. Because the shoulder is involved in almost everything you do with your arm, pain here can quickly start to dominate daily life.

The shoulder is also one of the most complex joints in the body. Pain may come from tendons, joint structures, instability, nerves or movement patterns — which is why successful treatment depends on understanding exactly what is driving your symptoms, not just where it hurts.

At Solent Specialist Physiotherapy, shoulder problems are assessed and managed by clinicians who specialise in shoulder conditions and treat them every day — not generalists using one-size-fits-all approaches.

Why shoulder problems need specialist care

The shoulder relies on a delicate balance between mobility and stability. When something goes wrong, pain can arise from:

Rotator cuff tendons
Shoulder joint surfaces and arthritis
Capsular stiffness (including frozen shoulder)
Instability or labral injury
Nerve irritation from the neck or shoulder region
Poor movement control or overload

Many shoulder conditions present with similar symptoms, yet require very different management. Without specialist assessment, people often experience prolonged pain, disrupted sleep, repeated flare-ups or ineffective rehabilitation.

Specialist shoulder assessment allows us to identify which structures are involved, how your shoulder is moving, and why symptoms are persisting — so treatment is targeted and appropriate from the start.

Common shoulder problems we help with

We regularly treat people with:

Rotator cuff tendinopathy or tears
Shoulder impingement–type pain
Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
Shoulder instability or dislocation
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder
Post-surgical shoulder rehabilitation
Sports-related shoulder injuries
Persistent or recurring shoulder pain

If you’re unsure what’s causing your shoulder pain, a specialist assessment can provide clarity and reassurance.

What makes our shoulder service different

At Solent Specialist Physiotherapy, your shoulder care is led by highly experienced specialist clinicians working at advanced level within the NHS and private practice.

We prioritise accurate diagnosis from the very first appointment, identifying whether pain is driven by tendon pathology, joint stiffness, instability, nerve involvement or movement patterns — so rehabilitation is specific and effective.

Your rehabilitation is designed using specialist-level clinical reasoning, tissue-specific loading and detailed movement analysis. Rather than generic exercises, your programme reflects how your shoulder actually responds to load and movement in real life.

Where appropriate, we can:

Request and interpret X-ray, ultrasound or MRI to better understand what is happening inside your shoulder.
Correlate scan findings with your physical examination and symptoms. We don’t just read reports — we are experts at correlating the images with how your shoulder moves, loads and feels, so decisions are based on the whole picture, not just a scan.
Use injection therapy to support rehabilitation when indicated. This is always used to support recovery, not replace it — helping calm pain and inflammation so you can rebuild strength and confidence in your shoulder.

This integrated approach helps reduce prolonged pain, unnecessary flare-ups and delayed recovery.

Book your shoulder specialist assessment

Where to book your shoulder specialist appointment:

Your shoulder assessment can be arranged in the setting that works best for you.

Our upper limb specialist primarily sees patients in their own homes, but clinic-based appointments can also be arranged if you would prefer to be seen in a clinic setting. The location will be discussed and agreed at the time of booking to ensure the most appropriate and convenient option for you.