What Is Shoulder Impingement—and Can It Be Fixed Without Surgery?
That nagging shoulder pain isn’t just in your head.
Maybe it started as a small pinch. Just a little twinge when you reached for something in the back seat, or when you tried to hang out the washing. Now, it hurts to lift your arm, roll over in bed, or do basic everyday tasks.
If this sounds familiar, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with something called shoulder impingement.
And the good news?
You don’t need to jump straight to surgery.
So, what is shoulder impingement?
Let’s keep this simple.
Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint. It’s designed to move freely in lots of directions, which makes it super flexible—but also prone to problems.
When you have shoulder impingement, one of the tendons in your shoulder (often part of the rotator cuff) gets pinched or “impinged” by the bones around it. This usually happens in a small space called the subacromial space, between the top of your upper arm and part of your shoulder blade.
If that space becomes too tight—due to swelling, poor posture, muscle imbalance, or an old injury—the tendon gets trapped when you lift or move your arm.
And that’s when pain kicks in.
What does it feel like?
Every person’s a bit different, but here are some common signs of shoulder impingement:
A sharp or pinching pain when lifting your arm
Discomfort reaching behind your back (like tucking in your shirt or doing up a bra)
Trouble sleeping on your sore side
Weakness in the shoulder
Pain that worsens with overhead activities, like washing your hair or putting dishes away
You might even notice that the pain moves around a bit—starting in your shoulder and sometimes spreading down your arm.
Can it really be treated without surgery?
In most cases—yes!
At North Parramatta Physiotherapy & Sports Injuries, we help people with shoulder impingement every week, using hands-on care and specific rehab exercises. Surgery is usually only considered if the problem doesn’t improve after a proper course of physio.
Here’s how we can help:
Step 1: Find out what’s really going on
We start with a thorough assessment. That includes checking your shoulder strength, movement, posture, and even how your neck and upper back are working—because it’s all connected.
Sometimes we’ll use video analysis to see how your shoulder moves, or posture screening to spot habits that could be making things worse.
Step 2: Settle the pain
Before jumping into exercises, we help calm things down. This might involve:
Gentle joint mobilisation
Soft tissue release
Taping to support your shoulder
Advice on activity modifications so you don’t keep aggravating the area
Step 3: Restore proper movement
This is where the magic happens.
Once the pain settles, we get to work on fixing what’s causing the problem. That might include:
Strengthening your rotator cuff and upper back
Improving your shoulder blade control
Correcting posture and movement habits
These exercises are tailored to you, based on your specific movement patterns and goals.
Step 4: Get back to what you love
Whether you want to return to sport, get back to gardening, or just sleep without pain—we help you get there. And we’ll make sure your shoulder stays strong and supported, so the pain doesn’t return.
Don’t let shoulder pain become your new normal
If you’ve been living with shoulder discomfort for a while, it can be easy to brush it off. But the longer you leave it, the harder it can be to fix.
Shoulder impingement is treatable—and surgery is rarely the first option.
With the right support and a tailored treatment plan, you can get back to pain-free movement.
Need help with shoulder pain?
Our friendly team at North Parramatta Physiotherapy & Sports Injuries is here to guide you every step of the way. Whether your pain just started or it’s been hanging around for months, we’ll help you understand what’s going on—and how to fix it.
Book your appointment today, and let’s get your shoulder moving the way it should.
