Impingement described as a tissue at the top of the shoulder being compressed as the arm lifts, producing a distinct pinch through the middle of the movement. The term has fallen out of favour clinically, because it names a mechanism rather than a diagnosis and the underlying problem is usually cuff-related. Either way, the treatment is well established and it does not begin with surgery.

Does this sound like you?

Most people have several of these, not all of them.

A painful arc roughly between shoulder height and overhead
Pain reaching into a cupboard or putting on a seatbelt
Discomfort at the front and outside of the shoulder
Night pain lying on that side
A sense of catching rather than true weakness

Why it happens

Weakness through the rotator cuff and shoulder blade muscles
A rapid increase in overhead loading
Stiffness in the upper back reducing how far the shoulder blade can rotate
Swelling in the tendon or bursa reducing the available space
Bony shape at the top of the shoulder, which some people simply have

What we would do about it

Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.

Cuff and shoulder blade strengthening, which changes the mechanics
Upper back mobility work so the shoulder blade can move properly
Manual therapy to settle the irritated tissue
Temporary modification of overhead load rather than avoidance
Technique review for the sport or task that provoked it
Referral for imaging only where it would change the plan

See a doctor first if

Your pain followed a significant injury
It is getting worse rather than settling
It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.

Worth checking what is actually being pinched

Impingement is a description, not a diagnosis. Finding out which tissue is irritated and why is what makes the difference between a plan and guesswork.

Book a shoulder assessment Ask a question first

Or call us on 0403 907 587 — we see patients across Seaton.

Other shoulder conditions we treat

Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy Frozen Shoulder Shoulder Instability AC Joint Injury Shoulder Bursitis

Back to all shoulder conditions

General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Subacromial Impingement on Physiopedia.

Shoulder Impingement