A full hour, one-on-one
Every visit is an hour with a Doctor of Physical Therapy. No aides, no rushed table time, no bouncing between machines.
Sound familiar?
You’ve tried some things but it still hurts.
Maybe you’ve rested it, stretched it, foam rolled it, had an injection, or already tried physical therapy. Some of it may have helped for a while.
Then you went back to pressing overhead, reaching for the top shelf, swinging a club, or sleeping on that side, and it started bothering you again. Now you’re somewhere between managing it and slowly doing less, without a clear sense of what actually needs to change.
That’s the part we care about.
Who we help
If any of this sounds like you
These are some of the patterns we see most often.
Pain reaching overhead Reaching for a shelf or behind your back feels pinchy or limited +
We look at shoulder motion, strength, and how the shoulder blade contributes rather than assuming every painful reach is the same problem.
Pain with pressing or lifting Bench press, push-ups, or lifting away from your body hurts +
Gym-related shoulder pain often depends on range, load, fatigue, and training history. We find what the shoulder can tolerate now and build from there.
Shoulder pain at night It wakes you up or makes lying on that side difficult +
Night pain can occur with several shoulder conditions. We look at daytime symptoms, motion, strength, and recent changes to understand the full pattern.
A stiff shoulder Reaching, dressing, or rotating the arm has become noticeably limited +
When motion is restricted in several directions, forcing more stretching is not always the answer. We assess the pattern and progress mobility at the right intensity.
Returning to an overhead sport Throwing, serving, or swimming still does not feel strong or natural +
Overhead sport requires strength, speed, control, and repeated tolerance. We rebuild those qualities and test them as the demands increase.
Recovery after shoulder surgery You have motion back, but strength and confidence are still behind +
After a repair or stabilization procedure, we progress from protected healing to the strength, control, and workload needed for daily life, lifting, and sport.
Shoulder pain may show up during the same movement for very different reasons. We assess what is limited, what is sensitive, and what the shoulder needs to do again.
What’s different
The process only works if the care supports it
A plan is only as good as the care running it. These three things are how we deliver it.
Benchmarks before progressions
You move forward by clearing the standards tied to your goals, not simply because another week passed on the calendar.
Always in your pocket
Your plan, your progressions, and a line to your clinician live in the EVO app, so you are never guessing between sessions.
First, we understand
We measure before we build
Where it hurts matters. It just does not tell us enough. Before we build your plan, we look at how your shoulder and shoulder blade move, how much load they can handle, how well you control them, and what you need it to do in real life.
Shoulder mobility
Strength & capacity
Balance & control
Daily demands
Your goals
These measures give us a starting point. We return to them throughout rehab to decide what needs work, when to progress, and whether your shoulder is ready for the demands you want back.
How our approach is supported by current guidelines +
A shoulder can feel better before it is ready to press, pull, throw, swim, or work overhead. Current guidelines support the same core principles we work from: assess the full demand, load with a purpose, and earn the return.
Assess the full demand
Symptoms, range of motion, strength, movement, training history, and your goals all matter.
Load with a purpose
Exercise should be selected and progressed for the individual rather than copied from a generic rotator-cuff sheet.
Earn the return
Function, confidence, and tolerance for repeated or overhead work matter before a full return to lifting or sport.
That is the logic behind EVO’s 10-step process: establish the starting point, build the qualities that are missing, and earn the next level through measurable progress.
- Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy Clinical Practice Guideline, 2025 · Desmeules et al., JOSPT
- How Shoulder Exercise Is Prescribed, 2024 · Lafrance et al., JOSPT
- Subacromial Decompression at 10 Years, 2025 · Kanto et al., BMJ
Then comes the plan
We build for the demands of your life
Your assessment shows where you start. The demands of your life show where you finish, whether that is sleeping on that side, working overhead through a full day, or getting back to pressing and pulling real weight. The ten steps are the path between, each one building the fitness needed to get you there.
01
Regulate
Calm pain and irritation so the shoulder can move.
02
Restore
Get the shoulder motion you need back.
03
Activate
Rebuild the cuff and shoulder-blade muscle.
04
Coordinate
Use that strength in real movement.
05
Endure
Repeat good movement without breaking down.
06
Strengthen
Build meaningful upper-body and full-body strength.
07
Absorb
Control landing, impact, and deceleration.
08
Produce
Build force, speed, and power.
09
Integrate
Handle fatigue, change, and the unexpected.
10
Perform
Return to life or sport—and stay there.
The people in your corner
A Doctor of Physical Therapy, every session
Dr. TJ Martino, PT, DPT, CSCS
Founder · Physical Therapist
TJ started as a strength coach before earning his doctorate in physical therapy. For more than 15 years, he has worked with active adults, runners, lifters, and professional and Olympic athletes.
That background shapes how we approach shoulder pain at EVO. We look beyond where it hurts to understand what you need to move, train, and get back to the things that matter to you.
In their words
What progress can look like
★★★★★
“He has helped me through injuries that I had been battling with other PTs for years. His approach is about fixing the root of the problem for a sustainable long-term solution. I love that I’m no longer in pain.”
Lindsay D.
Years of recurring injuries
★★★★★
“I went to several traditional PT places, but EVO’s route was the best for me. They found the root cause of my injury cycle. A few months later, I’m finally back to living life pain-free.”
Grace M.
Recurring injuries
★★★★★
“His treatment lets me keep a vigorous work schedule and still train safely. He coordinates with my trainer so my program is right for me and I can hit my goals.”
Joanne Z.
Patient & member
★★★★★ 5.0 on Google
Read more reviews on Google →
From our team
More on shoulder pain
Straight answers
The questions people ask first
Do I need a referral to start physical therapy for shoulder pain? +
In most cases, no. New Jersey allows direct access to physical therapy, which means you can usually begin without seeing another provider first. Some insurance plans have their own requirements, and we will help you understand those before you start.
How long does shoulder rehabilitation usually take? +
It depends on what is contributing to the symptoms, how long it has been going on, and what you are trying to return to. We do not put everyone on the same timeline. Your evaluation establishes the starting point, and measured checkpoints show when you are ready to progress.
My MRI shows a rotator cuff tear. Do I need surgery? +
Not always. Cuff changes show up on imaging in plenty of people without pain, and many shoulders respond well to progressive rehabilitation. Some tears do need surgery. The evaluation, your goals, and how the shoulder responds to loading help make that call.
Do you treat shoulders after a cuff repair or other surgery? +
Yes. We work within the surgeon’s precautions and then progressively rebuild mobility, strength, walking capacity, and the activities you want to return to.
I have a frozen shoulder. Will physical therapy help? +
It can. Frozen shoulder moves through stages, and the right approach depends on which stage you are in. We restore motion as the shoulder allows it and rebuild strength as it thaws, rather than forcing range it is not ready for.
What to expect
Getting started with us is simple
1
A conversation
A complimentary discovery call to hear what is going on, what you have tried, and whether we are the right fit.
2
An evaluation
A full 60-to-90-minute assessment to establish your starting point and what needs attention first.
3
Your plan, in motion
One-on-one treatment and a progressive plan built around the demands of your life.
On the house
The free six-week Shoulder Reset
A six-week program inside the EVO Health App, with guided sessions and a real clinician to message when you get stuck. Start on your own, at your own pace. Tell us where to send it.
- ✓A clear place to start without another generic PDF
- ✓Day-by-day guidance inside the EVO Health App
- ✓A real EVO clinician available when you need help
