Natasha Kianipour
Founder & Physiotherapist
Speaks English
- Clinical Pilates
- IMS / dry needling
- Manual therapy
- Strength training
You've started reaching with the other arm.
It catches when you reach behind you, or up to a high shelf, or when you roll onto it at night. You've stopped noticing all the small ways you've adapted — until someone asks you to lift something and you hesitate.
Shoulders are where people wait longest before getting help, because they can work around it. They also respond very well when someone works out which of the several possible things is actually going on.
95–100% covered by extended health benefits
Does this sound familiar?
- A sharp catch reaching up, out or behind you
- You can't sleep on that side any more
- It's stiff and getting stiffer — you're losing range, not just comfort
- It aches down the outside of your arm, sometimes to the elbow
- It started after a day of overhead work, painting, or a fall on it
- It's been months and nothing you've tried has moved it
When this isn't a physio problem. Shoulder or arm pain that comes on with chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating or nausea can be a heart problem. That is a 911 call, not a booking. A shoulder that has visibly dropped or deformed after a fall needs urgent care first.
Why shoulders are easy to get wrong
"Shoulder pain" covers several quite different problems — an irritated rotator cuff tendon, a stiffening capsule, a shoulder blade that isn't moving with the arm, a neck that's referring pain downward — and they need different treatment. Rest helps one and worsens another. That's why generic advice so often fails here.
The shoulder also depends on things around it: the upper back, the shoulder blade, how you sit and breathe. A shoulder that hurts every time you reach is very often a shoulder doing work the rest of you should be sharing.
What we'd actually do
- 1
Work out which shoulder problem this is
A thorough examination of the shoulder, shoulder blade, neck and upper back. Different problems, different plans — this is the step that gets skipped.
- 2
Restore movement and settle the pain
Hands-on treatment, dry needling where useful, and specific mobility work. For a stiff shoulder this stage is patient and deliberate; for an irritated one it's about load, not rest.
- 3
Make it strong enough not to come back
Progressive strength for the rotator cuff and the shoulder blade, often on the reformer and tower where we can control the angle precisely.
How long it takes
An irritated tendon usually shifts within four to six sessions. A genuinely frozen shoulder is a longer road — months, not weeks — and we'll be honest about that at the first visit rather than let you find out slowly.
Who you'd see
Danielle Boothe
Physiotherapist
Speaks English
- Women's health
- Posture & movement
- Geriatric rehab
- Manual therapy
Twincy Rajawadha
Physiotherapist
Speaks English · Hindi
- Clinical Pilates
- Neck pain & TMJ
- Post-operative rehab
- Manual therapy
What patients say
I started seeing Jaspreet at Joybody last year after a fall. She is very knowledgeable, patient and thorough. She explains everything well and tailors the treatment to my needs. The clinic is also a very calming and welcoming environment. I highly recommend booking with Jaspreet as I've seen real progress thanks to her guidance!
I had an amazing experience with my Physiotherapist, Jaspreet. She made me feel completely safe, calm, and comfortable despite my fear of needles, which I truly appreciated. Thanks to her care and expertise, my back pain from weightlifting…
Frequently asked questions
-
Do I have a rotator cuff tear?
Possibly, and it may not matter as much as it sounds. Many people over 40 have cuff changes on imaging with no pain at all. What we assess is how your shoulder works and what's driving the pain — and most tendon-related shoulder pain improves with the right loading programme, tear or no tear.
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Is it frozen shoulder?
If you're losing range in every direction and it's getting steadily stiffer, it might be. Frozen shoulder has a recognisable pattern and we'll tell you plainly if that's what we're seeing, along with what the realistic timeline looks like.
-
Should I stop using it?
Almost never completely. Shoulders that stop moving stiffen. We'll show you what to keep doing and what to change.
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Is it covered?
As physiotherapy — typically 95–100% under extended health benefits.