A painful shoulder or elbow can be one of the most complex problems to manage. Many shoulder problems in particular will have their origins not in the shoulder itself, but in other areas of the body – which, if missed, can alter how the shoulder is able to work.
While treating you and getting you back to full activity, we’ll also focus on helping to understand why you’re in pain in the first place – and how to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Meet our specialistS
Paul Martin
Having worked in elite swimming for over ten years, Paul is aware of the importance of comfortable shoulder and elbow movement – both for everyday mobility and higher-level activity. He’ll help you return to the level of activity you’re used to.
Paul has a degree in Physiotherapy from Brunel University, and an MSc in Neuromusculoskeletal Physiotherapy from UCL. He’s worked for many years in private practice, treating a variety of problems – from sports-specific injuries to acute spinal issues.
Charlie Brahmbhatt
Charlie recently completed his Masters in Sports Medicine, Exercise and Health at University College London. He specialises in post injury rehab.
With a previous International amateur boxing career, it is no surprise that he has a particular interest in upper limb injuries including shoulder work, hand and wrist injuries. Charlie has worked successfully with boxers, tennis players and climbers.
Allison Swan
Allison has 25 years of experience in musculoskeletal (MSK) care, specialising in the upper limb. She honed her expertise in this area while working at The Royal Liverpool Hospital, under the supervision of Jo Gibson, a renowned expert in shoulder joint care. It was here that Allison developed an in-depth understanding of shoulder assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
During her MSc in Australia, she completed her dissertation on the rehabilitation of a Rugby Rules football player with a traumatic shoulder injury.
WHAT WE TREAT
We treat a variety of shoulder and elbow conditions, including the following:
Impingement syndromes
Symptoms related to instability
Golfer’s and tennis elbow
Tendinitis and tendinopathy (e.g. long head of biceps, triceps, pecs, supraspinatus)
Post-dislocation rehabilitation
Bursitis
Posture-related discomfort
Local muscular imbalances
Post-surgical rehabilitation (e.g. decompression, SLAP repair, glenohumeral stabilisation)
Acromioclavicular joint problems
Rotator cuff problems
Post-fracture rehabilitation
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT
When you first arrive at Physio Remedies (and after you’ve filled out a few tedious forms!), we’ll usually have a one-hour session with you, broken down as follows:
+ 1: Full assessment of your issues
Your therapist will ask you questions about what’s happened, what hurts, what treatment you’ve had to date, past injuries/medical conditions, your general fitness, and so on.
+ 2: Physical examination
Your therapist will look at both the area of pain and the body as a whole, to work out if the pain stems from another area. You’ll also be asked about your general lifestyle, sports, working habits, and so on – all in an attempt to learn the initial cause of your problem and prevent it from happening again.
+ 3: Treatment and next steps
Once your therapist has a good overview of what’s wrong, they may be able to provide you with some treatment there and then to ease your pain and make you feel more comfortable. They’ll also sit down and discuss their findings and next steps with you.
These next steps may involve regular physiotherapy, massage, pilates, exercises for you to do at home, and more. When you’re given exercises to do in your own time, we sometimes like to record them on your phone (with your permission, of course), so that you have something accurate to follow. Alternatively, we might give you links to exercise programmes created just for you.
Your therapist will never give you too many exercises – and they’ll always check that you’ll realistically be able to fit them into your days.
+ 4: And then?
What happens next depends on your specific condition and the treatment required. Your therapist will outline everything in detail during the first appointment, so that you know exactly what’s going to happen and how long your treatment may take.
HELPING YOU GET THE BEST TREATMENT
Sometimes, physiotherapy isn’t the answer – and we believe in referring our patients on quickly when they have problems that require a specialist opinion.
We have strong, direct links with shoulder and elbow specialists in central London, which means we can help you with a fast, efficient referral process to orthopaedic consultants, complex pain consultants, and sports medicine doctors/consultants.