Please read the following information and then use the links at the bottom of the page if you are looking for further information or exercise.
Important Facts About Your Shoulder – Please Read
Here is a list of the main problems and concerns we would recommend you get checked out by a health professional before commencing self-management exercises. These are called Red Flags and may indicate a more serious problem that requires medical assessment.
Symptoms That Are Present After Trauma
If your symptoms are caused by a recent traumatic incident (e.g. a fall, football tackle) and you have any of the following symptoms:
Pain and weakness at time of injury or shortly afterwards leading to a sudden loss of shoulder movement/ arm function
Shoulder is significantly bruised and/ or swollen
Shoulder and/ or surrounding soft tissue looks abnormal/deformed
New lumps and bumps that appear after the trauma.
NOTE: If you have an underlying poor bone density (e.g. osteoporosis) smaller amounts of force can cause the problems listed above.
Symptoms Where No Trauma Was Involved
Sudden loss of active movement with or without pain
Pain and/ or stiffness in other joints at the same time as shoulder pain developed
Heat, redness and/ or swelling of joint
Fever and general feeling unwell at same time as shoulder pain developed
Experiencing chest pain and / or difficulty breathing
Unexplained lumps and bumps that appear or are changing/ growing
Constant pain which does not change with rest or activity
Significant worsening night pain with or without night sweats
Unexplained weight loss and/or previous history cancer
Increasing numbers of joints that are painful and/or stiff
Any unexplained tingling, numbness and pins and needles into shoulder and/or arm
Note: Special attention should be taken if you have a history of long-term steroid/ immunosuppressive drug use, recent joint replacement, recent steroid injection, rheumatoid arthritis or other joint disease including recent infection, Intravenous drug use or alcohol misuse.
Shoulder Pain- Information and Exercises
Please make sure you have read through the important information above about shoulder pain before proceeding.
Below are some exercises to help you get your shoulder moving better. You may need to build these exercises up gradually.
You may be uncomfortable when you start doing these exercises – make sure the level of discomfort feels acceptable to you and that it doesn’t take too long to settle once you are finished.
The exercises should get easier the more consistently you manage to practice them and this may allow you to progress to more difficult exercises.
These are self help exercises:
Try to enjoy the exercises and work at a pace and level that feels safe
Please use a common sense approach when deciding which ones to try
The exercises listed are not designed as an alternative to professional advice.
Please read the following information and then use the links at the bottom of the page if you are looking for further information or exercise.
Here are the main problems and concerns we would recommend you get checked out by a health professional before commencing self-management exercises. These are called Red Flags and may indicate a more serious problem that requires medical assessment.
Symptoms That Are Present After Trauma
If symptoms are caused by a traumatic incident to your head and/ or neck (e.g. a fall or severe whiplash) please have this checked out by a health professional before commencing with an exercise program.
Note: If you have a known diagnosis of osteoporosis (low bone density) a small amount of force may cause problems that require medical assessment.
Symptoms Where No Trauma Was Involved
If you feel any of these signs appear rapidly or over a longer period of time please have these checked out by a health professional.
Severe restriction in the movement of your neck and/ or head
Changes in your balance and the way you are walking e.g. tripping, falling
Weakness and/ or altered sensation into both arms and/ or legs at the same time
Problems with coordination of upper and/ or lower limbs e.g. writing, getting dressed, walking
Electric shocks sensations into both arms and legs on forward bending of your head or looking down
Significant changes to bowel, bladder habits and/or sexual function required immediate medical assessment. Warning: Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES): This a rare but extremely serious spinal condition that requires immediate assessment. For further information on CES:
New problems with talking, dizziness, swallowing or eyesight
Fever or generally feeling unwell at same time as neck symptoms developed
Constant pain which does not change with rest or activity
Significant pain and/ or sweats at night
A previous history of cancer and/ or unexplained weight loss
Unexplained lumps or bumps that are changing/growing
Increasing number of joints that are painful and/or stiff
Severe headaches and/ or jaw pain.
Note: Special attention should be taken if you have a history of long-term steroid/ immunosuppressive drug use, recent joint replacement, dental surgery or steroid injection. Previous spinal surgery. Rheumatoid arthritis or other joint disease, recent infection, previous history of tuberculosis, intravenous drug use or alcohol misuse.
Please make sure you have read through the important information above about neck pain before proceeding.
Here are some specific exercises to help you get your neck moving better. You may need to build these exercises up gradually.
You may be uncomfortable when you start doing these exercises – make sure the level of discomfort feels acceptable to you and that it doesn’t take too long to settle once you are finished.
The exercises should get easier the more consistently you manage to practice them and this may allow you to progress to more difficult exercises.
These are self help exercises:
Try to enjoy the exercises and work at a pace and level that feels safe.
Please use a common sense approach when deciding which ones to try.
The exercises listed are not designed as an alternative to professional advice.
Your general health and wellbeing are essential to enjoying life and can have a big impact on your MSK condition, on how it developed and also in helping you to manage it and prevent it from coming back.
The NHSGGC Health Improvement site below is a good place to start if you are looking for something in particular, including advice about smoking, weight, literacy and physical activity. These resources are updated regularly.
The Health and Wellbeing directory allows you to search by topic, for example ‘alcohol’ and has a huge range of resources. For more of a national perspective, try NHS Inform. In addition, we have gathered some resources on a range of topics that may be helpful for you.
The aim of this website is to provide support to healthcare professionals, especially midwives and health visitors, when interpreting the result of a haemoglobinopathy screening.
Haemoglobinopathies are a large group of inherited blood disorders, which affect haemoglobin (an oxygen carrying substance found in red blood cells). Some haemoglobinopathies can cause life-threatening symptoms, while others do not cause medical problems or even signs of the condition. Mild haemoglobinopathies may go undetected and require no medical treatment.
Carriers of haemoglobinopathies are not expected to present with any health problems. However, it is important that they are aware of their carrier status as it has reproduction implications.
Geographical mapping of uptake rates for NHSGGC Adult Screening Programmes is available at data-zone level. Maps are available at HSCP level for AAA, Bowel, Breast, Cervical and DES screening programmes.
Data zones are groups of 2001 Census output areas and have populations of between 500 and 1,000 household residents. Where possible, they have been made to respect physical boundaries and natural communities. They have a regular shape and, as far as possible, contain households with similar social characteristics.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening: Uptake data at datazone level from 1st April 2022 – 31st March 2023:
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Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening
All men aged 65 who live in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area will be invited to take part in abdominal aortic aneurysm screening. If you are over 65 you can self refer.
Using an ultrasound scan, we look for aneurysms in the stomach so that we can monitor or treat them.
Here’s to the half a million Scots who did their bowel cancer screening test last year.
It’s the best way to catch it early and, if you do, you’re 14 times more likely to survive. So if you’re aged between 50 and 74, do your test and join the bowel movement.
This animation is also available in the following languages:
For more information about bowel screening please visit NHSinform
Patient Information
Bowel Screening test
Bowel screening information leaflets in different languages are available on the NHS Health Scotland website.
Having a Colonoscopy
If your bowel screening result came back positive, you will be referred to your local Health Board for a colonoscopy. Information about having a colonoscopy is available in the following languages:
(Please note: These leaflets are currently under review)
This page is intended for professionals involved in the delivery of bowel screening across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Highland – Argyll & Bute sector.
Please note: These policies are currently under reviewand will be updated in due course.
The current clinical policies for bowel screening are:
If you want to get in touch with our helpful staff at the breast screening centre to change your appointment or want to know when you are due an appointment, phone them on Tel: 0141 800 8800
Breast Screening Centre Stock Exchange 77 Nelson Mandela Place Glasgow G2 1QT
Tel: 0141 800 8800
For more information about breast screening, please visitNHSinform Website
The HPV virus is very common and causes 99% of cervical cancers. You can catch it through intimate sexual contact with another person who already has it. Because it is so common, most people will get infected at some point in their life. People are often infected without knowing it as there are usually no symptoms. In most women the virus does not cause cervical cancer.
For more information about cervical screening visit NHSinform website
HPV vaccine for secondary school pupils
The HPV (cervical cancer) vaccine is offered to girls and boys of secondary school age to protect them against the two types of HPV that cause cervical cancer.
From January 2023, the immunisation schedule for HPV has changed – only one dose of the vaccine is required.
The UK guidelines suggest that the average adult should undertake 150 minutes of physical activity per week.
More than half (54%) of all Greater Glasgow and Clyde residents are not active enough to gain these health benefits.
See Chapter 5. Section 5.3.1 of the Director of Public Health Report 2015-17 for more background information on levels of physical activity in Glasgow and Clyde.
To help with this, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have a Physical Activity Team who work with a range of partners to try to increase physical activity levels. Part of our remit is to work with our six Local Authority partners and to part fund the delivery of three core physical activity programmes; Health Walks, Live Active and Vitality, which are available and promoted throughout the GGC area.
The Public Health – Health Services is responsible for co-ordinating and monitoring screening programmes across Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Argyll & Bute (part of NHS Highland).
Screening can find conditions early, before you get any symptoms. The earlier the condition is found, the better your chance of dealing with it. If a condition is found early, it is less likely to become severe and you are less likely to need major treatment.
Contact us
Dr Bea Von Wissmann, Interim Head of Health Services & Equalities
This booklet gives you information about hip arthroscopy. It will explain what will happen when you come into hospital, what to expect before you go home and when you are at home. The success of the operation is a team effort including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists but most importantly you.
Please note that your aftercare and rehabilitation will vary depending on what you have done to your hip during the operation and also on your surgeon’s wishes.
A hip arthroscopy is a surgical procedure where we look inside the hip joint using a small camera on the end of a flexible tube (an arthroscope). This allows the surgeon to see any problems in the hip joint. The surgeon can then use small instruments to treat some of these problems if appropriate. Hip arthroscopy can help with the following problems:
You will have a general anaesthetic which means you will be asleep. The operation usually takes 1 to 2 hours. We use a special table to access your hip joint. This moves the joint a little further apart and allows space to insert the arthroscope. The surgeon will make 2 to 4 small cuts around your hip area. They will insert the arthroscope and any instruments needed to treat your hip through these cuts.
The Wound:
Sometimes we stitch the cuts but not always. We will cover them with a sterile dressing. Usually the nursing staff change this dressing if you stay in overnight, however if it is dry and intact they may leave it. We will give you dressings to take home with you. The nursing staff will discuss this with you on the ward.
Pain Control:
We will inject some local anaesthetic into the joint and around your cuts to help reduce the pain when you wake up. We will also give you pain killers. It is important to let a member of staff know if you are sore so they can give you something to help.
Discharge (Going Home):
Most patients go home the day after their operation but some people go home the same day. This depends what time you are back on the ward and how you are feeling.
After a hip arthroscopy it is likely that you will have some muscle bruising and swelling around the hip and thigh. As with any surgical procedure there is a small risk of other complications. These may include:
Difficulty passing urine or having a bowel movement after the operation.
Problems with the anaesthetic or development of an acute medical problem (clarify).
Wound Infections: If you notice a change in the area around your wounds and they become red, very hot and swollen, or if you develop any discharge from your wounds please see your GP as soon as possible?
Blood clots in your calf are known as a DVT (deep vein thrombosis):
• You may go home on aspirin to help prevent this however the best way to reduce the risk is to do the exercises in this booklet regularly and by moving around.
• If you experience pain and tenderness in your calf and it becomes hot and swollen please see your GP.
5. Blood clots in your lung known as a PE (pulmonary embolis):
• If you experience a sudden shortness of breath which is unusual for you please see your GP.
6. Damage or bruising to a minor nerve leading to numbness or tingling in your thigh, groin or genitalia.
7. Damage to the major blood vessels or nerves around the joint or the joint itself.
You will normally see a physiotherapist before you go home. They will show you some exercises to help keep the muscles around your hip strong and to get the hip moving. These exercises are shown in this booklet.
We will give you elbow crutches to help you walk after the operation. You may be able to take as much weight as you feel able to through your hip (fully weight bearing) but we will often advise you to take some weight off the hip by leaning through the elbow crutches (partial weight bearing). This will depend on what treatment you have done and on your consultant’s wishes. For example if you have a simple labral tidy up you will usually be able to fully weight bear. However if you have a more extensive procedure such as microfracture on your joint surface we will normally advise you to take minimal weight through your hip for 4-6 weeks. The physiotherapist will advise you how much weight to take through your hip and how long you will need to use your elbow crutches.
We will show you how to go up and down stairs before you go home.
Your physiotherapist is likely to refer you to your local physiotherapy department for ongoing rehabilitation and in some places they may refer you for hydrotherapy (rehabilitation in water). This will depend on where you stay and on your consultant’s wishes.
1. Ankle pumps: Pull your ankles backwards and forwards and circle them around. This increases the blood flow in your legs and helps prevent clots forming.
2. Static Quads: Point your toes to the ceiling. Press the back of our knee against the bed tightening up the muscle at the front of your thigh. Hold for 5 seconds then relax. Repeat 10 times.
3. Static Gluts: Squeeze your bottom muscles together. Hold for 5 seconds then relax. Repeat 10 times.
4. Static Hamstrings. Dig your heel into the bed as if trying to bend your knee. Hold for 5 seconds then relax. Repeat 10 times.
5. Hip Flexion: Bend your hip and knee up and down. You might find this easier at first if you hook a scarf around your foot and use this to help pull your leg up. Do 2 sets of 10.
Following some procedures this movement may be restricted for 4-6 weeks. Your physiotherapist will advise you if this is the case.
6. Hip Abduction: Bring your leg out to the side then back in again. You might find this easier at first if you hook a scarf around your foot and use this to help pull your leg out to the side and back in. Do 2 sets of 10.
It is important to do these exercises regularly. We advise you to try and do them 4 times a day or even a set of 10 every hour or two.
If a handrail is available then always use it as well as one crutch. Your physiotherapist will teach you how to carry your other crutch up the stairs as you will need it when you get to the top.
Going up stairs:
1. Place your un-operated leg up onto the step
2. Lift your operated leg onto the same step
3. Bring the crutch up onto the same step
Going down the stairs:
1. Place your crutch down onto the step below
2. Step down with your operated leg
3. Bring your un-operated leg down onto the same step
This may help with pain and swelling around the hip or thigh area. Wrap an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas in a towel and rest this on your hip or thigh area. Do not leave on for any longer than 20 minutes at a time.
Pain Relief:
We will usually give you a 7 day supply of pain killers to take home with you and can get more from your GP if necessary once these run out. If you experience more pain when you go home and do not feel the pain killers are helping, please see your GP.
Wound Care:
If you have stitches you will need to visit your practice nurse 10-12 days after your operation to have these removed. The nursing staff will discuss your wound care with you before going home.
Rehabilitation:
It is important to do the exercises in this booklet regularly to prevent your hip becoming stiff and weak. Most patients are referred for physiotherapy locally once they are home. The length of time you need to go to physiotherapy will depend on the treatment that you have and also on what activities you plan on getting back to. You are likely to attend physiotherapy for at least 3 months.
Driving: You can begin driving when you are allowed to be fully weight bearing, walking without crutches and feel comfortable to do so. Only return to driving when able to comfortably and safely change gear and carry out an emergency stop. This will vary depending on what treatment you have and on your consultant’s wishes.
Work: This will depend on your job and on what treatment you have done. People in manual jobs or jobs involving a lot of walking are likely to need longer off than those who have jobs involving mainly sitting. Please discuss this with your consultant while in the hospital or in the clinic
Sport: Your physiotherapist will advise you about returning to sport. Again this will depend on what treatment you have done and on the sport you wish to return to.
We will see you back at the clinic 4-6 weeks after your operation. You may then have a further appointment about 12 weeks after the operation. If you need further appointments we will arrange these.
