Shoulder physio in Five Dock
One appointment, one physiotherapist, and a shoulder that gets examined properly before anybody decides what to do about it.
Most shoulders that come through the door fall into a handful of groups: a cuff that has been overloaded, a joint that has been unstable since a dislocation, a stiff shoulder that has slowly lost range, or a shoulder that has had surgery and needs the rehab that follows it. They look similar from the outside and they are treated very differently.
The first appointment is forty five minutes. We take a history, examine the shoulder through range and under load, and test the strength of both sides so there is a number to work from rather than an impression. You leave with an explanation of what is loaded, a plan, and the first few exercises.
What actually happens
Nothing here is unusual. It is written down because most people booking a shoulder appointment have no idea what they are booking.
History
What you felt, when, and what has happened since. If there was an incident we want the mechanism. If there was not, we want to know what changed in your training, your work or your sleep in the weeks before it started.
Examination
Range of movement both sides, the tests that separate the cuff from the joint from the neck, and how the shoulder blade behaves while the arm moves. Neck and thoracic spine get looked at, because shoulder symptoms sometimes come from neither the cuff nor the joint.
Strength testing
Measured with a hand-held dynamometer, and on a ForceFrame where the presentation warrants it. Both sides, so the comparison is against your own other shoulder rather than a table.
A plan you can repeat
The exercises go into an app with video, sets and reps, so the program in your hand is the same one we wrote. If something in it hurts more than it should, you can tell us before the next appointment rather than after.
Two things people ask before they book
Do I need a scan first?
Usually not, and a scan on its own rarely settles the question. Rotator cuff changes are common on the scans of people with no shoulder symptoms at all, which means a report describing them does not by itself explain why your shoulder hurts. What the report says has to be read next to what the shoulder does under load. If imaging would change what we do, we will say so and write to your GP.
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book a physiotherapy appointment directly. A referral matters if you are claiming under a chronic disease management plan, workers compensation or a CTP claim, and it is worth sorting out before the first appointment rather than after.
What we treat here
- Rotator cuff pain, including cuff tears managed without surgery
- Shoulder instability, from a first dislocation through to recurrent instability
- Rehab after stabilisation surgery, cuff repair and shoulder replacement
- Stiff and painful shoulders that have gradually lost range
- AC joint injuries
- Shoulder pain in overhead and throwing athletes
Questions we get asked
How long is the first appointment?
Will I get exercises on the first day?
Can I claim on private health?
How many appointments will I need?
Not sure it is worth an appointment?
Book a free 30 minute call. Describe what the shoulder is doing and we will tell you whether we are the right people, and what to expect if you come in.
No gap on an accepted claim · You choose your own physio · Five Dock