Assessment
A detailed history, then a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. You leave with a working diagnosis you understand and a plan agreed with you, not handed to you.
What We Treat
Shoulder Pain Treatment in London
Overhead training, a sudden spike in load or long desk hours can all push the shoulder past what it can comfortably take. Common shoulder problems, from rotator-cuff related pain to impingement and frozen shoulder, settle well with physiotherapy, exercise and manual therapy.
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- Self-referral; no GP letter needed.
Overview
Understanding shoulder pain
Shoulder pain is one of the most common reasons City professionals and active people seek physiotherapy. Most common shoulder problems come down to load that outgrows what the tissue can comfortably take, whether from repetitive overhead work, a sudden training spike, or long hours in a rounded-shoulder desk position.
Common shoulder problems include:
- Rotator-cuff related shoulder pain: NICE CKS on shoulder pain and current evidence support progressive loading rehabilitation as first-line care, and many people do well with it and avoid surgery altogether.
- Subacromial impingement: irritation of the cuff tendons in the space beneath the acromion, which responds to the same loading approach.
- Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis): this follows its own freezing, frozen and thawing pattern but responds to physiotherapy throughout.
Our team, led on the shoulder and upper limb by Gus, tailors assessment and rehabilitation to your work, training and goals. We settle the painful phase first, then build the strength and load tolerance that makes symptoms settle and recurrence less likely, so the shoulder finishes more robust than before.
Excellent
From 6 five-star Google reviews
Source: Google
David helped me when I started to have a strong tibia pain only 5 weeks before the marathon. I genuinely thought at some point that I wasn’t going to be able to do it and I did my PB!
After suffering with terrible back pain, Gus has helped me make huge improvements. Very professional and happy to explain the processes and treatments. Many thanks
Couldn’t recommend this physio team enough! They helped me recover from a knee injury 3 weeks before the London Marathon which I thought was going to prevent me from running it! Everyone was really friendly, supportive and genuinely cared about helping me reach my goal. Special thanks to Charlie, Gus, Brad and Stef!
I came to Dave with an ongoing injury that I’ve been struggling with for months! He helped sort it out straight away, also giving me some exercises to help target the area to get back to full strength. I’m now back to running pain-free already and training properly — I’ll definitely be recommending Kaizen Physiotherapy to my clients!
Gus worked miracles to get me running a marathon after being injured 6 weeks out. He worked out the issue really quickly and provided a clear and actionable plan to deal with it. The sports massages were the best I’ve ever had too — thanks Peggy! Can’t recommend Gus and Peggy enough.
I had such a positive experience working with Brad at Kaizen. He supported me through a meniscus tear and got me all the way back to running a half marathon and HYROX training. Everything was structured, progressive, and easy to follow, and I always felt like I was in safe hands.
Physiotherapy for shoulder pain can help to:
Rebuild the rotator cuff
Rotator-cuff related pain responds well to progressive loading rehabilitation, and many people avoid surgery altogether. We build the cuff's tolerance gradually, from easing night pain and overhead reaching through to pressing, swimming and racket sports.
Calm impingement
When the cuff tendons are irritated beneath the acromion, overhead reaching becomes the sticking point. We settle the painful arc first, then load the cuff and shoulder blade muscles steadily so the space works as it should under load.
Guide frozen shoulder through its phases
Frozen shoulder moves through freezing, frozen and thawing stages, and physiotherapy helps at each one. We manage pain early, avoid aggressive stretching while the shoulder is most irritable, then rebuild mobility and strength steadily as the joint allows.
Restore shoulder blade control
Scapular and postural control issues amplify how much load the shoulder takes. We retrain how the shoulder blade moves with the arm, and address long rounded-shoulder desk hours with movement variety and regular breaks alongside your exercise plan.
Add acupuncture where it earns its place
Western medical acupuncture is offered by our AACP-registered clinicians as an adjunct for persistent shoulder pain. It sits alongside the core rehabilitation plan when the evidence and your response justify it, never as the whole treatment.
Build strength that stops it returning
Reformer-based work develops the scapular and postural control that protects the shoulder from recurrence. The stronger and more varied your movement, the better the shoulder copes with overhead training, lifting and long working weeks.
Why it happens
What causes shoulder pain?
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Rotator-cuff related shoulder pain from repetitive overhead loading or a sudden training spike
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Subacromial impingement, where the cuff tendons are irritated in the space beneath the acromion
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Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), often spontaneous and more common between 40 and 60
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Sustained desk postures with a rounded-shoulder pattern that stiffens the shoulders
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Scapular and postural control issues that amplify shoulder loading
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Stress, poor sleep and low mood, all well-evidenced amplifiers of musculoskeletal pain
At your first appointment we work out what is really holding you back, then agree the plan with you before you leave.
Your initial visit runs 45–60 minutes: a detailed history, then a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. We explain what we find in plain English and agree a working diagnosis together.
Treatment starts the same day, and you leave with the first exercises of a plan built around your goal.
Better than yesterday. Kaizen means continuous improvement: small, repeatable gains, built session by session, until you are back to what you love and no longer need us.
- One team across five London clinics: Soho, Liverpool Street, Marylebone, Canary Wharf and Wimbledon Village, plus online appointments.
- Rated 5.0 on Google across 218 reviews.
- Founded in 2022 by David Thomas and Gus Hadonou. You see the same physiotherapist at every visit, so each session builds on the last.
Fees and insurance
Book online through Jane and self-refer, with no GP letter needed. If you are using private health insurance, check your policy first: some insurers ask for a GP referral before your first session.
- Initial assessment and treatment: £155 for a full 45–60 minutes
- Follow-up treatment: £93, with your plan progressed at each visit
- Massage (sports, pregnancy and Swedish): £75 for 30 minutes, £130 for 60 minutes, £160 for 90 minutes
- Lomi Lomi massage: £170 for 90 minutes, £220 for 2 hours
- Performance MOT & Screening: £300 for a 90-minute screen with force-plate testing and a written report
- Recognised by Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Cigna, WPA and Allianz
Your journey
with Kaizen
Everything starts with a proper assessment. We find what is driving the problem, treat it, and build the strength that keeps it fixed, so you finish performing, not just pain-free.
Treatment
Hands-on care to settle symptoms and restore movement: manual therapy, with acupuncture, shockwave or soft-tissue work where they genuinely help. The first home exercises go with you the same day.
Rebuild
Progressive exercise that returns strength, control and load tolerance, from Reformer Pilates to strength and conditioning. Each follow-up reassesses against your baseline, so progress is measured rather than guessed.
Perform
Criteria-based milestones return you to work, sport and training. Discharge happens by mutual agreement once you can manage independently, with a Performance MOT available to catch the next weak link early.
We specialise in:
- Musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy
- Western medical acupuncture (AACP)
- Physiotherapy-led Reformer Pilates
- Specialist hand therapy and splinting
- Shockwave therapy for stubborn tendons
- Strength and conditioning for rehabilitation
- Running and gait analysis
- Performance MOT and movement screening
Treatment approach
How do we treat shoulder pain?
Physiotherapy
Assessment, manual therapy, and progressive loading exercise is the NICE-aligned first-line approach for the common non-traumatic shoulder problems, rebuilding strength and load tolerance.
See treatment detail →Acupuncture
Offered by our AACP-registered physiotherapists as an adjunct to help manage persistent shoulder pain alongside the core rehabilitation plan, never as a stand-alone treatment.
See treatment detail →Reformer Pilates
Reformer-based work develops the scapular and postural control that protects the shoulder from recurrence, complementing the active rehabilitation our physiotherapists prescribe.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Frequently asked
questions
When should I worry about shoulder pain?
Seek urgent care if shoulder pain follows significant trauma, the shoulder looks out of place, or you suddenly cannot lift the arm. Go to A&E for severe pain after a fall, or if you feel generally unwell with fever. Otherwise, most common shoulder problems settle well with physiotherapy and self-management.
Do I need a scan for my shoulder pain?
Usually not as a first step. NICE advises against routine imaging for early shoulder pain, because scans often show changes that are common in pain-free people and rarely alter treatment. Imaging becomes appropriate after significant trauma, with genuine red flags, or when symptoms fail to improve with rehabilitation over several weeks.
How long does frozen shoulder take to get better?
Frozen shoulder typically passes through three phases: freezing (painful), frozen (stiff) and thawing (resolution), which together can last well over a year. Physiotherapy helps throughout, managing pain, maintaining movement and supporting the thawing phase. We avoid aggressive stretching while it is most painful and build mobility gradually as symptoms settle. Timelines vary between individuals.
Will I need surgery for a rotator cuff problem?
Usually not. NICE CKS on shoulder pain and current evidence support progressive loading rehabilitation as first-line care for rotator-cuff related pain and impingement, and many people do well with it and avoid surgery altogether. If symptoms fail to improve with rehabilitation over several weeks, we discuss imaging or a surgical opinion with you.
Related What We Treat
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Kaizen Physiotherapy & Performance • 111 Charing Cross Road, Soho, London WC2H 0DT
Book OnlineAppointments typically available within 1–2 weeks