Arm and shoulder pain: shoulder problem or neck problem?
Shoulder and arm symptoms often start in the neck, and neck problems often present as shoulder pain. Treating the wrong one wastes your time, so the examination covers both before anything is treated.
Who this page is for
Adults with shoulder pain, arm ache, or tingling into the hand, including symptoms following a collision or repetitive work.
Why people come in
These are reasons patients give for booking. They are not a diagnosis, and only an examination can tell you what is happening in your case.
- Pain reaching overhead or behind your back
- Ache down the outside of the arm
- Tingling into the hand or fingers
- Difficulty sleeping on the affected side
How the evaluation works
We examine the shoulder complex and the neck, including neurological screening where symptoms travel into the hand.
How we may approach care
Care targets whichever source the examination identifies, commonly combining manual therapy with progressive loading exercise for the shoulder.
What a first visit may involve
Expect testing of both neck and shoulder and a clear statement of which appears to be driving your symptoms.
Safety and when to seek other care
Shoulder pain after trauma with deformity or inability to lift the arm, chest pain or arm pain with breathlessness or sweating, or progressive weakness require urgent medical care. Left arm pain with chest symptoms is an emergency.
Questions patients ask
Why examine my neck for shoulder pain?
Neck structures commonly refer symptoms into the shoulder and arm, so both are assessed.
Do I need a scan?
Only when findings indicate it. Your provider will explain the reasoning either way.
Where this care is offered
The clinical explanation above is the same at every clinic. Location links add only what is specific to that clinic.
Related pages
Clinical review
Clinician review pending. This page has not yet been signed off by a named Inspine provider, and no reviewer is claimed until one confirms it. See our provider profiles.
Take the first step.
Call the clinic nearest you, or send a request and our team will follow up to agree a time.