Shoulder
Shoulder
Hands-on physical therapy for a shoulder that is stiff or sore when you reach, lift or sleep.
The shoulder is a joint, a shoulder blade and a good deal of muscle, and when one part stops moving well the others take up the slack. Lien looks at all of it, along with your neck and upper back, then works on what is stuck and builds back what is weak.
Is this for you
This care is for you if…
Reaching is the hard part
Overhead shelves, a seat belt, a coat sleeve or the back of a truck cab.
Lifting or throwing has changed
It feels weaker, or it catches partway through the movement.
Sleeping on one side is out
You wake when you roll onto that shoulder and cannot get comfortable.
A doctor has looked at it
You have been told it needs movement and strength work, or you are recovering after a procedure and your surgeon has sent you.
A visit
What a visit looks like
- 01
Step 1: About an hour, with Lien
The first visit is about an hour, and Lien treats every visit herself.
- 02
Step 2: An exam of shoulder, blade and neck
How the joint moves, how the shoulder blade sits and what your neck and upper back are doing.
- 03
Step 3: Care, then something to take home
Hands-on work, a few strengthening movements and advice about what to do at work and in bed.
Our part
What we do
Manual therapy
Hands-on work on the shoulder, shoulder blade and upper back, at a pressure you set.
Soft tissue work
Joint mobilization
Pressure you control
Movement and strength
A short set of movements that build the shoulder back up, changed as you improve.
Two or three at a time
Built around what you lift
Dry needling, where state law allows
For some people, and only if you agree after Lien explains it. It is never a first step.
Offered where state law allows
Explained, with its risks, first
The practical part
Visits, who treats you, and paying
What decides how many visits
It depends on what we find, how long the shoulder has bothered you, what your work and weekends ask of it and how you respond. Lien tells you what decides it and checks in as you go. We do not promise a number of visits.
Who treats you
Lien Doan, a physical therapist licensed in South Dakota, treats every visit herself. She does not hand you to an assistant.
About LienHow it is paid for
We bill many kinds of plans, or you can pay on the day. You get a written estimate before your first visit if you pay without insurance.
How fees work
When to see a doctor first
Call 911 for chest pain, trouble breathing, or pain, pressure or tightness spreading from the chest into the arm or jaw. See a physician first after a fall or injury where the shoulder looks out of place, or for sudden weakness, numbness, fever or a hot, swollen joint. Lien will tell you if she thinks you should be seen by a doctor before you start.
- Chest pain, trouble breathing, a sudden severe headache or pain, new weakness or numbness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or a fall with a head injury needs emergency care now. Call 911.
Questions about this care
Will I need surgery?
Lien can tell you what she finds and what physical therapy can and cannot do. Whether you need surgery is a decision for you and your surgeon.
Can I come after a procedure?
Yes, with your surgeon's go-ahead and any limits they have set. Bring their instructions to your first visit.
Do I need an image first?
Not always. Lien tells you if she thinks you should see a physician for an image before you start.
Ready to book a first visit?
Choose a time online, or call and talk to Sherry first.