Understanding your shoulder
A simple guide to the bones, muscles, tendons and other structures that help the shoulder move and manage load.
Read the guidePatient resources
Shoulder information, written for people rather than clinicians.
Clear general information to help you understand the shoulder, make sense of common terms and have a better conversation with your health professional.
Start with your questionExplore the basics
Start with the topic closest to your question.
These summaries explain common language and broad principles. They cannot diagnose your shoulder or tell you which treatment is right for you.
Rotator cuff related shoulder pain
What the rotator cuff does, why pain can appear with lifting or reaching and why a scan is only one part of the picture.
Read the guideFrozen shoulder
An overview of the pain and stiffness that can develop, why recovery can take time and where individual advice may help.
Read the guideShoulder osteoarthritis
What joint changes can mean, why imaging and symptoms do not always match and how activity may fit into management.
Read the guideShoulder instability
Information for shoulders that have dislocated, partly slipped out or feel less secure in certain positions.
Read the guideAC joint and other causes
Pain at the top of the shoulder, fractures, nerve symptoms and pain that may be referred from the neck or upper back.
Read the guidePain and scans
A scan finding is not the whole story.
Changes can appear on shoulder imaging in people who have no pain. Pain can also be present without a scan showing a single clear cause. Your symptoms, function, health, goals and examination all help add context.
Movement and exercise
Movement is usually part of the plan.
Appropriate movement and exercise can help many shoulder presentations. The right starting point and pace depend on the person, the problem and how symptoms respond.
Watch and learn
Useful videos from trusted educators.
A clear boundary
General education is not individual clinical advice.
If your pain is severe, worsening, associated with significant injury or simply worries you, speak with a physiotherapist, GP or another qualified health professional. Seek urgent medical help for urgent or life-threatening symptoms.