Shoulder impingement
Shoulder impingement (also called subacromial impingement) is a common cause of shoulder pain, especially when lifting the arm. Read more about shoulder impingement →
If symptoms are sudden, severe or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111.
Where are you up to?
The NHS reports waiting times by specialty, not by individual condition, so this is the orthopaedics wait, updated August 2026. Enter a postcode to see the hospitals near you.
orthopaedics waiting times by hospital
| Trust | Location | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust | Reading | 5 weeks |
| Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust | Bath and North East Somerset | 12 weeks |
| Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Liverpool | 13 weeks |
| George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust | Nuneaton and Bedworth | 13 weeks |
| South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust | Warwick | 14 weeks |
| University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust | Birmingham | 15 weeks |
| South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Middlesbrough | 15 weeks |
| University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Camden | 16 weeks |
About shoulder impingement
Subacromial impingement is a common cause of shoulder pain. It happens when the tendons of the rotator cuff are pinched, or rub against the bone above them (the acromion), as you lift your arm, often because the space there is tight or the tendons are irritated and swollen. Typical signs are pain at the top and outer side of the shoulder, pain when lifting the arm to shoulder height or reaching overhead, and pain at night or when lying on that side.
How it is treated
Most people get better without an operation. The main treatments are easing off the activities that aggravate it, pain relief, and physiotherapy to strengthen the shoulder and improve how it moves. A steroid injection into the space under the acromion is sometimes used to settle the pain so the exercises are easier. An ultrasound or MRI scan can look at the tendons and check whether there is also a tear. Surgery to make more space under the acromion (a subacromial decompression) is offered less often than it once was, because research has shown it often helps no more than non-surgical care; a consultant would usually discuss it only if physiotherapy and other treatment have not helped.
After treatment
Many people improve over a few weeks to a few months with exercises and activity changes. Keeping the shoulder gently moving matters, because resting it completely can stiffen it, and continuing the exercises after the pain eases helps stop it coming back.
Sources: NHS: Shoulder pain, NHS: Arthroscopy. Last updated October 2026.
General information only, not medical advice. Wait or Pay is independent and is not the NHS. Your GP decides what care, if any, you need.