Webinar Jo Gibson: Integrating the Chain for Gain in Shoulder Pain!

Webinar: Integrating the Chain for Gain in Shoulder Pain

Jo Gibson – Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist

There is increasing interest in the role of the kinetic chain in shoulder performance, injury development, and rehabilitation. The shoulder rarely functions in isolation. Everyday activities such as reaching, lifting, or throwing involve coordinated interaction between the lower limbs, trunk, and upper limb to efficiently transfer force through the body.

Despite advances in shoulder rehabilitation, clinicians frequently encounter patients who do not respond fully to local shoulder interventions. Emerging research suggests that altered movement patterns, deficits in proprioception, and changes in muscle coordination can influence how load is transferred through the shoulder complex.

In particular, the kinetic chain plays a key role in both performance and injury risk, especially in activities that require overhead function. Research indicates that up to 80% of force during throwing movements originates from the lower extremities and trunk, emphasising the importance of proximal-to-distal force transmission.

Disruptions within this system — such as reduced trunk control, hip weakness, impaired balance, or altered movement strategies — may increase mechanical load on the shoulder and influence rehabilitation outcomes.

This webinar explores the current scientific evidence surrounding the kinetic chain and shoulder pain, and translates these insights into practical clinical strategies. Participants will learn how to recognise kinetic chain contributions to shoulder dysfunction and how to integrate whole-body movement strategies into shoulder rehabilitation programmes.

Special attention is given to how movement patterns, motor control, and sensorimotor integration influence rehabilitation outcomes and how clinicians can use these principles to improve efficiency of shoulder loading and reduce stress on local tissues.

Through clinical examples and practical demonstrations, this session provides physiotherapists with a clear framework for assessing and integrating the kinetic chain within shoulder rehabilitation.

Learning Goals

After completing this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Critically analyse the current scientific evidence regarding the role of the kinetic chain in shoulder performance, injury mechanisms, and rehabilitation strategies.
2. Evaluate movement patterns and inter-segmental coordination within the kinetic chain to identify factors that may influence shoulder loading and dysfunction.
3. Integrate kinetic chain principles into clinical reasoning, linking impairments in the lower extremity, trunk, and cervical region to shoulder pain presentations.
4. Design evidence-informed rehabilitation strategies that incorporate whole-body movement patterns to optimise force transfer and reduce mechanical stress on the shoulder complex.
5. Justify clinical decision-making regarding assessment and rehabilitation of shoulder disorders using current scientific literature and biomechanical principles.

Accreditation