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Rotator cuff physiotherapy London

Name: Nell Mead
Address: Longcroft House 2-8 Victoria Ave, London, EC2M 4NS
Telephone: 0207 175 0150

If you’re looking for rotator cuff physiotherapy, and need a therapist who is thorough and thinks outside the traditional physiotherapy box, then look no further!

Get in contact

Just call my London team on
0207 175 0150 or use the form below and let me help you get better.

Just call my London team on 0207 175 0150 or use the form here.

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Rotator cuff physiotherapy treatment

The rotator cuff is a set of four fairly small muscles whose primary job is to hold the “ball” of your shoulder centred in the “socket”. Sounds simple, right? But shoulders are complex creatures and the rotator cuff muscles are often put in harm’s way.

The rotator cuff is supposed to be protected by three systems:

the shape of the bones – the socket needs to be deep enough for the ball to sit in it neatly, with the curve of the ball mirroring the curve of the socket, and the labrum – a ring of cartilage that deepens the “bowl” of the socket – intact. It’s also helpful if the under side of the acromion – part of the shoulder blade which forms the socket – is smooth and not pointy!
the integrity and normal structure of the ligaments and capsule, the tough, relatively passive soft tissue structures that hold the bones together
the neuromuscular activity that controls the relationship between the shoulder blade and the ribcage – your brain needs to tell your muscles when to activate, and the muscles need to hold the acromion away from the “ball” so that the space for the rotator cuff muscles isn’t compromised

If one of these systems is compromised, it makes good rotator cuff function more difficult.

Rotator cuff problems may occur as the result of trauma (eg I sustained a rotator cuff tear hitting a backhand drive volley on Court 4 at Wimbledon!); or it commonly comes on gradually or without a specific injury, and you may be told that you have rotator cuff impingement or rotator cuff tendinitis.

What to expect from a rotator cuff injury physiotherapy assessment

The first thing to expect is that we’ll be having a long chat! I need to understand exactly when and where you feel the rotator cuff pain, and how you damaged it, and whether you have weakness as well as or instead of pain. I also need to understand what you’re hoping to be able to do with it! For example, are we aiming to get you back to being able to carry a bag of shopping; or do you want to be able to play full-contact rugby or serve a tennis ball at 100mph?

Next, we’ll look at your shoulder and everything that may be impacting on your ability to control the ball within the socket. We need to understand whether your rotator cuff problem is due to bony structures, ligamentous integrity or neuromuscular control.

Working this out may involve imaging such as X-ray or MRI; and we may need to talk to other specialists such as an orthopaedic shoulder surgeon, a radiologist, a neurologist, a sports doctor or a rheumatologist.

Physiotherapy for rotator cuff injury London

Physiotherapy for torn rotator cuffs and related problems will focus on retraining the muscles and movement patterns that control the shoulder, whether you’re at rest or challenging yourself. This will include the rotator cuff muscles themselves which directly control the ball’s position in the socket (though you’ll find that I’m not a fan of wafting your arm around with a bit of theraband!) and also the global stabilisers which control the position of the socket, such as the serratus anterior and lower trapezius.

However, if the passive systems (bone, cartilage and ligament) are significantly compromised, then we may also need to involve some of the other professionals. I regularly work with some of London’s most talented and experienced shoulder surgeons, radiologists and sports doctors. Teamwork is key to success in this situation if you’re to make the best possible recovery – but don’t forget that the most important member of the team is you!

Rotator cuff instability physio assessments are 90 minutes

Follow-up sessions if required are usually an hour – it’s important to me to be very thorough when it comes to rotator cuff physiotherapy, as I want to be the last shoulder physiotherapist you need.

Nell Mead Physiotherapy YouTube Channel

Where i share my logical and simple formula to help you improve your own body. See all my rotator cuff physiotherapy related videos.

Physiotherapy after rotator cuff repair - Client reviews

"Nell is one of the best physio in the UK. She has been treating my shoulder problem. Nell is an excellent physio who understands and feels your pain and will make sure that she fixes your body with care. Although through covid has been difficult for everyone, she has been doing a home visit to help with my shoulder pain. I can't recommend Nell enough she is Amazing. "

Suad Mahamed

"Nell did what other physios and osteos couldn't — fix my shoulder, which had been sitting in the wrong place for about 15 years! If you have any doubt about booking with Nell, just do it — she's worth every penny."

Bryony

"My appointment with Nell was an absolute delight! She is thorough, detailed, hugely knowlegable, effective and has a brilliant manner. I walked out of the appointment with my shoulder pain gone in a single session, feeling very relaxed and with advice on how to manage any reoccurring issues. She came highly recommended by friends and I would not hesitate to return to her for any physio needs in the future."

Chantal Younis