Oxford Shoulder Academy: Learning, Collaboration, and a Shared Vision

The Oxford Shoulder Academy (OSA) began as something simple—three hometown friends from different corners of the manual therapy and athletic training worlds who shared a passion for helping others. In 2017, what started as a casual conversation about the difficulty of treating frozen shoulder sparked an unexpected journey. The three of us, two sports massage therapists and one athletic trainer, lived over three hours away from each other, yet found ourselves drawn to the same troubling realization: frozen shoulder was exceptionally challenging to treat, and each of us felt unprepared for the complexities it presented. One friend even confessed that she was hesitant to treat her frozen shoulder client due to the severe pain and discomfort the client was experiencing.

This hesitation led us to reach out to each other to share insights, experiences, and knowledge from our own work settings, and from other professionals we knew. What began as independent inquiries quickly evolved into a joint endeavor as we traded research, feedback, and treatment methods, piecing together what we could find on frozen shoulder. Our initial goal was simple—learn all that we could about the best approaches to treating this difficult condition. In the process, we discovered that through virtual collaboration, we could create a powerful and positive learning experience. Without any formal decision or planning, our journey evolved naturally into an ongoing project. Over about six months, without meeting up in person even once, we educated each other on frozen shoulder, exchanging ideas on manual therapy, massage, and rehabilitation techniques that proved tremendously effective in our respective practices.

Through this experience, we not only improved our clinical outcomes but also discovered the potential for virtual learning and collaboration. We recognized that we each held invaluable experience, and that by sharing it, we had transformed our practice. We realized that we could harness this same model of knowledge-sharing for other therapists, offering both free and paid resources that would allow them to tap into a network of collective wisdom. With three decades of experience among us, we felt a shared commitment to developing a resource that could give back to the profession we loved. Thus, we decided to launch a website focused on the area that had started our journey: the shoulder.

In 2018, the Oxford Shoulder Academy website launched, featuring resources tailored for manual and massage therapists wanting to deepen their understanding of shoulder dysfunction. Initially, it gained traction through social media, with Facebook posts shared among friends and early supporters. But it was during the COVID pandemic, when therapists and clients alike found themselves unable to attend in-person sessions, that we saw a dramatic increase in demand for our content. Our combination of free and affordable resources proved invaluable to therapists eager to continue learning despite lockdowns. We were inspired and humbled to see such an enthusiastic response.

In 2021, we expanded our reach by partnering with Niel Asher Education and the NAT Global Campus. This partnership enabled us to co-produce and promote a range of continuing education (CE) courses, adding more depth and expertise to our offerings. We saw a natural alignment with NAT, as they, too, shared our dedication to high-quality, accessible education. Together, we were able to reach a wider audience, helping countless therapists elevate their practice with specialized courses focused on the shoulder and upper body.

In 2022, we decided to test the waters with live workshops. The response was overwhelming, as attendees were eager for hands-on learning and live demonstrations. We held workshops in both the US and UK, collaborating with partners and delivering valuable in-person education. The feedback was fantastic, confirming that there was a strong desire for live events. However, scaling these workshops posed logistical challenges; the costs were high, making it difficult to offer them at a price accessible to everyone. Although we’re open to the possibility of future live events, for now, we’re committed to focusing on our online resources, ensuring that they are high quality, affordable, and readily available to therapists everywhere.

Our journey has shown us the power of community. The loyalty and gratitude of our customers have been constant motivators, and we genuinely feel that the Oxford Shoulder Academy is not just a website, but a community of like-minded professionals dedicated to learning and supporting each other. It’s rewarding to know that we’re part of a shared journey with therapists from around the world, all working to improve shoulder health and upper body function for their clients.

Today, the Oxford Shoulder Academy stands for collaboration, lifelong learning, and an unwavering commitment to the manual therapy profession. Every day, we’re learning more about shoulder dysfunction and using that knowledge to create accessible resources that therapists can rely on. Our work with clients continues, and we’re grateful to be able to blend our hands-on practice with running a resource that’s valued by so many. It’s a journey that began with three friends and a simple goal—to make a difference in the treatment of frozen shoulder—and has grown into a global community dedicated to sharing, learning, and advancing the field of manual therapy.