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Shoulder Pain

Lee A Mancini, CSN, CSCS*D, MD, CAQSM, Nicholas R Martin, MD and Michael J Maddaleni, CAQSM, MD Reviewed 05/2023
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Shoulder pain commonly affects patients of all ages.

  • Causes include acute trauma, overuse during sports, infection, and activities of everyday living.

  • Age plays an important role in de...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Pain characteristics location:

    • Superior: AC pathology, trapezius strain

    • Lateral: RTC pathology, deltoid pathology

    • Anterior: proximal biceps tendinosis, labrum pathology

    • Diffuse pain: RTC ...

TREATMENT

  • Treatment is based on underlying diagnosis.

  • In general, conservative therapy includes activity modification, analgesics, and/or anti-inflammatory medicines in association with appropriate reh...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Limit overhead activity to reduce impingement symptoms. 

PATIENT EDUCATION

Refer to specific diagnosis for shoulder pain. 

PROGNOSIS

Shoulder pain generally has a fav...

REFERENCES

1
Greenberg  DL. Evaluation and treatment of shoulder pain. Med Clin North Am.  2014;98(3):487–504. [View Abstract on OvidMedline]
2
Daniels EW...

ADDITIONAL READING

Littlewood  C, Ashton  J, Chance-Larsen  K, et al. Exercise for rotator cuff tendinopathy: a systematic review. Physiotherapy.  2012;98(2):101–109. [View A...

CODES

ICD10

  • M25.519 Pain in unspecified shoulder

SNOMED

  • 45326000 Shoulder pain

  • 267949000 Shoulder joint pain

  • 20793008 Scapulalgia

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • RTC disorders (tendinopathy, tears) are the most common cause of shoulder pain in individuals >30 years of age.

  • Shoulder instability (acute dislocation/subluxation or chronic instabi...

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