Anatomy

The Structure & Function of the Shoulder

What makes a shoulder both stable and flexible? What gets damaged? How does it do all the things we ask of it? How does it actually work?

The simple details will be dealt with here. All the more complex questions, and others, will be answered in the later section available only to paid subscribers.

Bruce Paulik’s first university degree was a major in Anatomy, with the shoulder being his special interest. So, before he was even a physiotherapy student, he had a solid understanding of shoulder anatomy and biomechanics. In this page he aims to give readers a solid understanding of the shoulder’s structure and function.

Understanding how the shoulder works is not just interesting anatomy. It is vital to understanding how to recover from shoulder pain.

You do not need to become an anatomist. You do not need to memorise every muscle and ligament. But if you understand the basic structure and function of the shoulder, your rehabilitation program will make far more sense.

Before we get into the detail about how the shoulder works, it would be helpful to view this short animated video, narrated by an orthopedic surgeon: