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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Pain in shoulder and upper arm, could it be a rotator cuff problem?

    Related Topics
    Back & Neck Pain Pain
    How can I fix this this problem? Pain happened after bucketing water.
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    Joel Laing

    Physiotherapist

    I am a McKenzie Method specialised physiotherapist, with a Diploma in Mechanical Diagnosis & Therapy. Using the McKenzie Method I predominantly treat low back and … View Profile

    It could be.

    But it is more likely referred from the neck.

    Rotator cuff damage is far more common in those over age 55, and so the odds are if you are younger than this it is likely referred pain from one of the discs in your neck.

    To test this you could perform a movement that is painful for the shoulder. 

    Then do x10 retraction exercises as in the attached video.

    https://youtu.be/Vg4iSulJStI

    If your shoulder movements are less painful after it is definately your neck!

    Either one a thorough consultation should involve screening of both your neck and shoulder.

    The short answer to your question is yes it could, but it certainly could be a lot of other things too.

    Thats why you need a proper evaluation first.

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    Dr Marcus Chia

    Orthopaedic Surgeon

    Dr Marcus Chia is an Orthopaedic Surgeon in Sydney, Australia. As a Fellowship trained Shoulder and Elbow surgeon, he employs the most current arthroscopic and … View Profile

    Shoulder pathology typically causes pain in the region from the bra strap to the short sleeve. If you are experiencing shoulder pain after bucketing water then I would suggest you visit a physiotherapist or your general practitioner for an opinion. Typically, traumatic rotator cuff tears are best treated with surgical repair.

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    Helen Potter

    HealthShare Member

    Thanks for referring someone with a shoulder injury to a physiotherapist for an opinion.

    There are so many optional diagnoses for shoulder pain, and Google offers so many treatments, that unless the specific injury is assessed, the treatments could all waste time and money.

    As first contact practitioners, Physiotherapists are skilled in comprehensive examination and will refer on for investigations or medical opinion, if we think either is required. 

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