A look around before you arrive
A short video walkthrough of the Shoulder Clinic, made so that patients attending a first consultation can get their bearings beforehand.
Where we are
The Shoulder Clinic is located at Brisbane Private Hospital in Spring Hill, Brisbane.
What the walkthrough covers
The video takes you through the front reception, the physiotherapy room, the research office and the main consultation room, so that none of it is unfamiliar when you arrive.
Having the physiotherapy room on site is practical: assessment and the start of a rehabilitation programme can happen in the same visit rather than requiring a separate appointment elsewhere. The research office reflects the clinic's involvement in shoulder research alongside clinical work.
What happens at a shoulder consultation
A first appointment usually follows a familiar sequence. You will be asked about the history of the problem: how it started, what makes it worse, whether it wakes you at night, and what you can no longer do that you would like to. That account does a lot of the diagnostic work, because different shoulder conditions tend to produce different patterns of pain and restriction.
An examination follows. The shoulder is looked at and compared with the other side, moved through its range both by you and by the examiner, and tested with specific manoeuvres that load particular structures. The neck is usually examined as well, since pain felt in the shoulder can originate there. Any imaging you have brought is then reviewed alongside those findings, which is why bringing the actual scans and the reports matters rather than the report alone.
The discussion that follows covers what the problem appears to be, what the options are, and what each would involve. Many shoulder conditions are managed without surgery, and a rehabilitation programme is often the first step. Individual results vary, and any plan is made for the particular person and the demands they place on the shoulder.
Before your first appointment
Our consultation page explains what happens during an appointment, and the consultation FAQs cover what to bring, including your referral, imaging and reports. Directions are shown in our post on how to get to my rooms.