Shoulder Pain Relief in San Francisco — Body Alignment That Fixes It

Rotator cuff pain, impingement, and frozen shoulder are almost always alignment problems — not structural failures. We fix the source.

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San Francisco in-person · Virtual from anywhere · HSA/FSA accepted

Why Most Shoulder Pain Treatments Don't Last

They treat the joint — not the positioning problem driving it.

Cortisone Injections

Injections reduce inflammation temporarily, but the biomechanical problem that created the inflammation is still there. Pain returns once the steroid wears off — and repeated injections weaken the tendon over time.

Result: Temporary relief. Recurring pain. Possible tendon damage.

Rotator Cuff Strengthening

Strengthening exercises are prescribed assuming the problem is weakness. But when the shoulder blade is poorly positioned, strengthening into misalignment just makes the impingement worse.

Result: Months of exercises. Pain persists or worsens.

Surgery

Most shoulder surgeries address the symptom — a compressed tendon or inflamed bursa — without changing the positioning problem that caused the compression. Pain often returns post-surgery.

Result: Long recovery. No guarantee. The pattern recurs.

The Structural Cause of Most Shoulder Pain

It starts with shoulder blade position — and it's fixable.

Forward Shoulder Posture

When the shoulders round forward — from desk work, driving, phone use — the pec minor muscle shortens and pulls the shoulder blade into a tilted position. This closes the subacromial space and pinches the rotator cuff tendons with every arm movement.

Scapular Mechanics

Healthy shoulder function depends on the shoulder blade rotating upward as you raise your arm. When the muscles that control this rotation are imbalanced, the scapula doesn't move correctly — impingement follows. Restoring scapular mechanics often resolves shoulder pain within a few sessions.

Thoracic Spine Restriction

A stiff upper back forces the shoulders forward to compensate. Before any shoulder work can hold, the thoracic spine needs to move freely. This is a step most shoulder treatments skip entirely.

Your Individual Pattern

Shoulder pain isn't one pattern — it's many. The Amari Method assesses your specific compensation: which muscles are overworking, which structures are compressed, and exactly what needs to change to give you lasting relief.

What Happens in Your First Session

Assessment, correction, and tools — all in 60 minutes.

Structural Assessment

Dr. Garrett evaluates your shoulder blade position, thoracic mobility, chest flexibility, and arm movement patterns — pinpointing the exact structural problem driving your pain.

Pattern Correction

Targeted movements restore proper shoulder blade positioning and open the thoracic spine. Most clients feel the shoulder release — and often regain pain-free range of motion — during the session.

Your Personal Toolkit

You leave with 3–5 specific tools — chest release techniques, scapular exercises, and movement patterns — to maintain your improvement and prevent the pattern from returning.

Immediate Understanding

You'll leave knowing exactly why your shoulder hurts, what has been maintaining the problem, and precisely what to do about it. No guesswork.

In-Person (San Francisco) or Virtual — Same Results

Virtual shoulder sessions are as effective as in-person work. Dr. Garrett guides your corrective movements in real time via live video.

Frequently Asked Questions — Shoulder Pain

Can shoulder impingement be fixed without surgery?
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In most cases, yes. Impingement is a positioning problem — the shoulder blade isn't sitting correctly, so the rotator cuff gets pinched. When you restore correct scapular mechanics and open up the thoracic spine, the impingement resolves without needing to operate on the joint itself. Many clients who were told they needed surgery have avoided it entirely.
Why does my shoulder hurt when I raise my arm?
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Overhead pain is usually subacromial impingement — the rotator cuff tendons getting pinched as you lift your arm. This happens when the shoulder blade isn't rotating upward to create space. The cause is typically tight pec minor and weak serratus anterior controlling scapular movement. Correcting this pattern restores pain-free overhead movement.
How do you treat frozen shoulder?
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Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) involves stiffness and pain from restriction in the shoulder joint capsule. The Amari Method works on the alignment patterns that led to and maintain the restriction — thoracic spine mobility, shoulder positioning, and the overactive muscles that keep the capsule compressed. This approach can significantly accelerate recovery compared to waiting it out.
Is virtual as effective as in-person for shoulder pain?
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Yes. Shoulder alignment work is highly teachable via video — Dr. Garrett can observe your posture and movement, identify your compensation pattern, and guide your corrective movements in real time. The tools you learn are movement-based, so they translate perfectly to a virtual setting.
I've had a cortisone injection that worked for a while. Why did the pain come back?
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The injection reduced inflammation — but it didn't change the mechanical problem causing the inflammation. The shoulder blade was still in the wrong position, the pec minor was still tight, and the thoracic spine was still stiff. Once the anti-inflammatory effect wore off, the same mechanical stress recreated the same inflammation. The pattern needs to change, not just the chemical environment.

"My orthopedic surgeon told me I had rotator cuff impingement and recommended surgery if PT didn't work after 6 months. PT didn't work. Dr. Garrett fixed the problem in 4 sessions. That was 8 months ago. I'm back to climbing and completely pain-free."

— James K., San Francisco

Ready to Fix Your Shoulder for Good?

Take the free 2-minute assessment to find out what's actually causing your shoulder pain and whether the Amari Method is right for you.

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