The shoulder is one of the most misunderstood joints in rehab. With dozens of overlapping pathologies—impingement, labral tears, tendinopathies, nerve entrapments—it’s no wonder most evaluations feel like a coin flip.

In this free webinar, Dr. Sean Harris (PT, DPT, PhD) presents a bucket-based diagnostic framework that simplifies clinical reasoning and streamlines treatment selection. You’ll learn how to classify every patient into a clear category and tailor your interventions accordingly.

What You'll Learn:

  • A 3-bucket system: Mechanical, Contractile, and Neurogenic shoulder pain

  • How to differentiate rotator cuff tears, tendinopathy, and labral pathology

  • Signs of axillary or suprascapular nerve involvement (and when to refer)

  • Interpreting passive vs active range of motion for diagnosis

  • Clinical patterns for adhesive capsulitis, instability, and SLAP tears

  • When to use manual therapy, strengthening, or neurodynamics

  • Objective markers that guide referral for imaging or surgery

Course curriculum

    1. How to use this course

    2. Before we begin...

    3. Welcome!

    1. Lesson 1 - Anatomy

    2. Lesson 2 - Shoulder Pain Differentials

    3. Lesson 3 - Sean's Categorization

    4. Lesson 4 - Let's Practice!

    5. Lesson 5 - Interventions

    1. Course Evaluation Form

    2. Thank You!

About this course

  • Free
  • 10 lessons
  • 1 hour of video content

Why This Webinar?

Most shoulder patients are misclassified. A rotator cuff tear gets labeled “impingement.” A nerve entrapment gets misread as a tendon issue. And patients get stuck in months of ineffective rehab.

In this webinar, you’ll learn how to:

  • Identify the real source of symptoms—not just the painful movement

  • Use ROM and resisted tests more strategically

  • Avoid misdiagnosing SLAP tears, thoracic outlet syndrome, and neuropathies

  • Choose interventions based on tissue type and irritability—not guesswork

  • Build patient confidence with diagnostic clarity and better outcomes

Who This Webinar Is For:

  • Physical Therapists and PTAs treating shoulder and upper quarter pain

  • DPT students and residents looking for clinical reasoning frameworks

  • Sports rehab clinicians treating throwers, lifters, or overhead athletes

  • Clinicians confused by overlapping pathologies like rotator cuff + nerve pain

  • Anyone who’s tired of defaulting to “do some band work” for every shoulder case

What You'll Gain:

  • A reproducible classification system for all types of shoulder pain

  • Confidence in differentiating rotator cuff, labrum, and neural issues

  • A strategy to simplify your special test use—based on relevance

  • High-value treatments that adapt to irritability, not protocol

  • A path to better outcomes without over-reliance on imaging or referral

Discover your potential, starting today

Enroll today