When to seek urgent help:

The majority of people with shoulder and elbow pain can manage or resolve their symptoms with exercises and advice and in some cases may require physiotherapy treatment.

Resources and information provided on this page will help you with routine issues and offer advice and exercises for some conditions. You can also self-refer for Physiotherapy and get advice from a clinician HERE.

However, rarely, shoulder and elbow pain symptoms can be caused by something more serious and it is important for you to know when to seek help.

• The pain you are experiencing is getting worse rather than better despite following the self-management guidance above
• Symptoms have not been significantly helped by a trial of medication as expected
• You feel unwell and suffer symptoms such as fever, night sweats or weight loss
• You experience pain at night, possibly worse than during the day, that prevents you from sleeping due to increasing pain and/or difficulty lying flat.
• You experience a change in your ability to walk including balance problems or weakness/heaviness in your limbs
• You develop a hot and swollen joint for no apparent reason
• New onset severe headache
• Difficulty with speech, swallow, double vision, feeling dizzy or experiencing a drop attack/falling to the floor without cause
• Facial drooping or inability to move the arm