Shoulder Pain & Frozen Shoulder Physiotherapy in Liverpool
Home physiotherapy across Liverpool for rotator cuff pain, frozen shoulder, unstable shoulders and recovery after shoulder surgery.
Shoulder pain is common, and usually treatable
A painful shoulder can make everyday things hard: reaching up to a cupboard, putting on a coat, doing your hair or sleeping on that side. Most shoulder problems get better with the right exercise and advice, and many people avoid injections or surgery altogether.
The first job is working out which kind of shoulder problem you have, because they behave very differently and need different treatment. Naveen has treated shoulder injuries in professional footballers and in older adults, and he sees both at home across Liverpool.
Shoulder problems treated at home
Rotator cuff pain
The most common cause. Pain on the outside of the arm, often worse lifting the arm or lying on it. Usually responds well to strengthening.
Frozen shoulder
Pain and then stiffness in every direction, most common between about 40 and 60 and in people with diabetes. Treatment depends on the stage.
Rotator cuff tears
From a fall or wear over time. Many tears do well with exercise, and some need a surgical opinion. Naveen will tell you which.
A shoulder that feels unstable
After a dislocation, or in sport. Strength and control work helps the shoulder feel secure again.
AC joint pain
Pain on the top of the shoulder, often after a fall onto it or from heavy lifting.
After shoulder surgery
Rehab after a repair, decompression or replacement, following your surgeon's plan.
Frozen shoulder: why the stage matters
A frozen shoulder tends to move through phases over many months: a painful stage, a stiff stage, and then a gradual thaw. In the painful stage, pushing hard into the pain often makes it worse, so the aim is to calm it down and keep what movement you have. Your GP may discuss a steroid injection. In the stiff and thawing stages, graded stretching and strengthening help you get movement back. Matching the treatment to the stage is what makes the difference.
What helps
- Keep using the arm within comfort. Resting it completely tends to make it stiffer and weaker.
- Graded strengthening. For most shoulder pain, building strength over weeks is the treatment that lasts.
- Sleeping positions. A pillow under the arm, or lying on the other side, can help you get a better night.
- Check the neck too. Pain around the shoulder blade or down the arm sometimes comes from the neck. Naveen checks both.
Get urgent medical help for shoulder or arm pain with chest pain, breathlessness or sweating, a shoulder that looks out of place after a fall, or a hot, red, swollen joint with a fever.
What the first visit involves
- A proper history: how it started, what you cannot do, and how you are sleeping.
- Assessment: the shoulder, the shoulder blade and the neck, so the right problem gets treated.
- A clear explanation: what is most likely going on and how long it usually takes.
- Treatment on the day, including hands-on work where it helps.
- A short exercise plan that fits into your day, using things you have at home.
Why Naveen
Naveen is a chartered physiotherapist (MCSP) with around 14 years of experience, registered with the HCPC (PH127898). His main focus is musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy. He has worked in NHS and private healthcare in the UK, and has elite sports physiotherapy experience with professional footballers and athletes in the UAE and Oman, along with around five years of musculoskeletal and orthopaedic rehabilitation in a hospital in the UAE.
Every appointment is a home visit, and evening and weekend visits, including Saturdays and Sundays, are available depending on his diary. There is no GP referral needed. The first step is a free phone call to check that physiotherapy is the right thing for you before anything is booked. Naveen speaks English, Malayalam and Hindi.
Your physiotherapist in Liverpool
Naveen Ramakrishnan
Physiotherapist
- MCSP, HCPC Registered (PH127898), around 14 years' experience
- Musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy
- Home visits across Liverpool and the surrounding Merseyside areas
Call Naveen on 07553 370300
Please mention Mobile Physiotherapist.co.uk when you call.
Home visits across Liverpool
Naveen visits homes right across Liverpool, including the city centre, Anfield, Everton, Walton, Norris Green, West Derby, Old Swan, Kensington, Wavertree, Childwall, Allerton, Mossley Hill, Aigburth, Woolton, Garston and Speke. See the Liverpool page for everything Naveen offers locally.
Helpful guides
Frequently asked questions
How long does shoulder pain take to get better?
Most rotator cuff pain improves over six to twelve weeks of the right exercise. A frozen shoulder takes longer, often many months, but treatment can ease the pain and help you get movement back sooner.
Do I need a scan?
Usually not at first. Most shoulder problems can be diagnosed from the history and examination. Naveen will say if a scan or a specialist opinion would help, for example after a bad fall or if a tear is likely.
Should I have a steroid injection?
An injection can ease pain in some shoulder problems, especially early frozen shoulder, and is something to discuss with your GP. It works best alongside exercise, rather than instead of it.
Why does my shoulder hurt more at night?
Lying on the painful side presses on it, and many shoulder problems ache more when you are still. Changing your sleeping position and support usually helps while the shoulder gets better.
Can I have an evening or weekend appointment?
Yes, depending on availability. Naveen offers evening visits and weekend visits, including Saturdays and Sundays, which suits people who work or look after family during the day.
Do you visit anywhere in Liverpool?
Yes. Every appointment is a home visit across Liverpool and the rest of Merseyside. Depending on where you live, a travel charge may apply. Naveen always confirms it before your appointment is booked.