Shoulder pain can make everyday activities feel difficult, from reaching into a cupboard to getting dressed, exercising or simply sleeping comfortably.

And when your shoulder hurts, it’s natural to wonder: “What caused this?” and “What should I do about it?”

Unfortunately, there are plenty of myths about shoulder pain that can make recovery more confusing than it needs to be.

You may have been told that your posture is to blame, that you need to completely immobilise your shoulder, or that clicking means something is damaged. The reality is often very different.

If you're dealing with shoulder pain, physiotherapy can help you understand your symptoms, rebuild strength and gradually return to the activities you enjoy.

Here are five common shoulder pain myths, and what you should know instead.

Myth 1: “Bad posture caused my shoulder pain.”

You’ve probably heard that sitting or standing with “bad posture” is the reason your shoulder hurts. Shoulder pain isn’t as simple as having a shoulder blade or posture that is “out of position.” While posture and shoulder blade (scapular) movement may be associated with shoulder symptoms, the relationship is complex and doesn't mean your shoulder is “out of place” or damaged (Fernández-Matías et al., 2025).

Research suggests that shoulder blade movement and position can differ between people with and without shoulder pain. But the relationship is complex, and it does not establish that a person’s posture or shoulder blade position is the cause of their pain (Barrett et al., 2016).

Our bodies naturally move and position themselves in different ways. Instead of constantly trying to hold your shoulders in a “perfect” position, shoulder rehabilitation often focuses on something much more useful: building your shoulder’s capacity to handle the individualised demands of your life.

Your shoulder doesn’t have to be perfectly positioned to be healthy.

Myth 2: “I have bursitis, so I need an injection.”

An injection from your doctor can provide short-term pain relief for some people and may sometimes create an opportunity to take part in rehabilitation. However, injections are not necessarily a long-term solution on their own (Hopewell et al., 2021). Exercise and progressive rehabilitation remain important for improving shoulder function and capacity (Hsieh et al., 2023).

However, an injection doesn’t necessarily address the underlying factors that contributed to your shoulder becoming painful or irritated.

That’s where physiotherapy and progressive rehabilitation can play an important role. Rather than focusing solely on reducing pain, treatment can also involve gradually improving your shoulder’s strength, movement and tolerance to load (Lazzarini et al., 2025).

In other words, an injection may sometimes be part of the solution, but it doesn't necessarily need to be the whole solution.

Myth 3: “I should rest until my shoulder pain completely disappears.”

When something hurts, resting seems like the obvious answer.

But prolonged rest and avoiding movement can reduce your shoulder’s capacity to handle load. Over time, this can leave you weaker and potentially more sensitive when you eventually start using your shoulder normally again.

This is why progressive exercise is a cornerstone of shoulder rehabilitation.

That doesn't mean you should push through severe pain or ignore your symptoms. Instead, the goal is to find an appropriate starting point and gradually increase the amount of movement and load your shoulder can tolerate.

Think of rehabilitation as training your shoulder to become more capable. The goal isn't simply to make your shoulder hurt less. It's to help it become stronger and more resilient.

Myth 4: “I should avoid lifting my arm overhead.”

If raising your arm hurts, you might naturally start avoiding overhead movements. You may stop reaching for things on high shelves, avoid certain exercises at the gym or change the way you perform everyday tasks.

While modifying an activity temporarily can sometimes be useful, permanently avoiding movements because you're afraid of causing damage can reduce your confidence and your physical capacity. This is where gradual exposure and progressive loading can be valuable (Wu et al., 2025).

Your rehabilitation should ultimately help you regain the ability to perform the movements that matter to you. Whether you want to return to the gym, swimming, work, sport or simply reach into a cupboard without thinking about your shoulder, your shoulder needs to be capable of handling those demands.

The goal isn't to avoid movement forever. It's to rebuild your confidence and capacity to move.

Myth 5: “My shoulder is clicking, so something must be damaged.”

Shoulder clicking, cracking and clunking can sound alarming.

But a noisy shoulder doesn't automatically mean something is wrong.

Painless shoulder clicks and other noises are common. If your shoulder clicks but you don't have pain, weakness or other concerning symptoms, the noise itself isn't necessarily something you need to worry about. Your joints can make noises for many different reasons, and a sound doesn't automatically indicate tissue damage. In many cases, shoulder clicking occurs because tendons or muscles move over bony structures during arm movement (Zhang et al., 2024).

Noise does not mean damage.

Your shoulder isn't necessarily “wearing out” or “breaking” just because it makes a noise.

What should you do if you have shoulder pain?

One of the most important things to understand about shoulder pain is that your shoulder is adaptable, not fragile.

Instead of being afraid of movement or trying to protect your shoulder from every possible load, effective shoulder rehabilitation focuses on gradually building your capacity.

That might involve:

• Understanding what is contributing to your symptoms
• Building confidence in your shoulder again
• Gradually increasing the amount of load your shoulder can handle
• Reintroducing movements you've been avoiding

When should you see a physiotherapist for shoulder pain?

If your shoulder pain is affecting your sleep, work, exercise or everyday activities, it may be time to get some guidance. The same goes if you've stopped doing things because you're worried about making your shoulder worse.

A physiotherapist can assess your shoulder, help you understand what's happening and develop a rehabilitation plan based on your goals and current capacity.

The aim isn't just to get you out of pain. It's to help you feel strong, capable and confident using your shoulder again.

Ready to feel strong again?

If shoulder pain is stopping you from doing the things you enjoy, you don't have to navigate your recovery alone. We're here to help you understand your shoulder, build your strength and get back to doing what you love.

Book an assessment with our physiotherapy team and let's get you moving with confidence again.

References:

Barrett, E., O'Keeffe, M., O'Sullivan, K., Lewis, J., & McCreesh, K. (2016). Is thoracic spine posture associated with shoulder pain, range of motion and function? A systematic review. Manual Therapy, 26, 38–46.

Fernández-Matías, R., Ballesteros-Frutos, J., Gallardo-Zamora, P., Requejo-Salinas, N., Caballero-Pozo, I., Ludewig, P., & Lluch-Girbés, E. (2025). Scapular kinematics variability in individuals with and without rotator cuff-related shoulder pain: A systematic review with multilevel meta-regression. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 29(6), 101261.

Hopewell, S., Keene, D. J., Heine, P., Marian, I. R., Dritsaki, M., Cureton, L., Dutton, S. J., Dakin, H., Carr, A., Hamilton, W., Hansen, Z., Jaggi, A., Littlewood, C., Barker, K., Gray, A., & Lamb, S. E. (2021). Progressive exercise compared with best-practice advice, with or without corticosteroid injection, for rotator cuff disorders: the GRASP factorial RCT. Health Technology Assessment, 25(48), 1–158.

Hsieh, L. F., Kuo, Y. C., Huang, Y. H., Liu, Y. F., & Hsieh, T. L. (2023). Comparison of corticosteroid injection, physiotherapy and combined treatment for patients with chronic subacromial bursitis: A randomised controlled trial. Clinical Rehabilitation, 37(9), 1189–1200.

Lazzarini, S. G., Buraschi, R., Pollet, J., Bettariga, F., Pancera, S., & Pedersini, P. (2025). Effectiveness of additional or standalone corticosteroid injections compared to physical therapist interventions in rotator cuff tendinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Physical Therapy, 105(3), pzaf006.

Wu, D., Wen, Z., Ke, H., Zhang, J., Zhong, S., Teng, J., Xu, L., Li, J., Shao, Y., & Zeng, C. (2025). Specific modes of exercise to improve rotator cuff-related shoulder pain: systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 13, 1560597.

Zhang, D., Dyer, G. S. M., & Earp, B. E. (2024). The significance of subjective mechanical symptoms in rotator cuff pathology. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 33(11), 2441–2447.