Rotator cuff and shoulder physio in Canning Town, East London

If the pain has not settled after a couple of weeks, is stopping you training or sleeping, or keeps coming back, an assessment is worth it. Shoulder pain is one of the problems where guessing tends to waste the most time, because the same symptom can come from the tendon, the joint or how you are loading it, and each needs a different plan. You do not need a GP referral to book.

Many people manage a rotator cuff tear well without an operation, and that is the path most of our rotator cuff patients take. A torn tendon does not usually knit back together on its own, but that is not the same as needing surgery: the aim is a shoulder that is strong and pain-free in the things you want to do, and a structured strengthening programme achieves that for a lot of people. Large or traumatic tears are more likely to need a surgical opinion.

Usually yes, with changes rather than a full stop. Overhead pressing and wide-grip work are typically the first things to adjust, while legs, hinge patterns and most pulling can often continue as normal. Training through it in a controlled way is part of the treatment, because the tendon builds tolerance by being loaded. After a repair this is different, and your surgeon's protocol sets the limits.

Pain through the middle of the range as you raise your arm is one of the most common shoulder complaints, and it usually reflects an irritable tendon combined with a shoulder that is not yet controlling load well in that position. It is rarely a sign of damage being done. What it does tell you is that the shoulder has less capacity than the task is asking for, which is what rehabilitation addresses.

It is the traditional label for pain when lifting the arm, and many people arrive having been given it. It is better understood as a description of a symptom than a diagnosis in its own right, because the underlying problem is usually an irritable tendon and a shoulder not controlling load well. That is a more useful way to look at it, since both respond to a structured strengthening programme.

For shoulders managed without surgery there is no fixed timeline, and it depends on how long the problem has been there and how the shoulder responds. Many non-surgical cases need around 3 to 6 sessions, though this varies. After a repair the shape of recovery is clearer: the sling typically comes off around 7 to 12 weeks, overhead activity returns between 3 and 6 months, and full return to sport and heavy lifting falls in the 6 to 12 month range.

It is staged, and the early weeks are deliberately protective while the repaired tendon heals to bone. Broadly: a sling and gentle passive movement for the first two weeks, assisted movement from around 3 to 6 weeks, active movement and light strengthening from 7 to 12 weeks, then progressive strengthening from 3 to 6 months. We follow your surgeon's specific protocol rather than a generic timeline.

This depends on your treatment path. If you are managing your shoulder conservatively, it varies based on how you are responding. If you have had a repair, heavy lifting typically returns in the 6 to 12 month range, with larger repairs generally taking longer, always guided by testing and your surgeon's clearance rather than the calendar.

Most patients regain functional, pain-free range of motion, though how close you get to your exact pre-injury range depends on factors like tear size and how your shoulder responds to rehab. We track this with objective testing throughout, and we will always be honest with you about what to expect for your specific case rather than making a generic promise.

Retear after a rotator cuff repair is a recognised risk, and the research links it to larger tears and to older age. What matters most in rehabilitation is getting the timing right: progressing too quickly in the early weeks and staying too cautious for too long have both been associated with higher retear risk. This is exactly why we follow your surgeon's specific protocol closely rather than a generic timeline, and use testing to guide when you are actually ready to progress.

Usually not to begin with. A clinical assessment is enough to plan treatment for most shoulder problems, and scans often show tendon changes in people who have no pain at all, which can be misleading. A scan is worth it when the result would change the plan, for example after a significant injury or when surgery is being considered. We will tell you if we think you need one.

Often yes, with adjustments to volume and to the shots or strokes that provoke it, rather than stopping entirely. Serving and overhead shots tend to be the most demanding, so they are usually the last things to come back rather than the first. After a repair, overhead activity, swimming and racquet sports are typically reintroduced between 3 and 6 months, guided by your surgeon's protocol.

For shoulders managed without surgery, many people need around 3 to 6 sessions, though it depends on how long the problem has been there and how you respond. Rehabilitation after a repair runs considerably longer, over months rather than weeks. We give you an honest estimate after the assessment rather than selling a fixed block up front.

We are registered with Bupa, AXA, WPA, Cigna and Vitality. Contact your insurer first to get an authorisation code, then book with us and we bill your insurer directly. Some insurers ask for a GP referral before they authorise treatment.