Assessment and management of shoulder pain at primary care level

• Published in: South African family practice Vol. 63; no. 1; pp. e1 - e4
• Main Authors: Kauta, Ntambue, De Vries, Elma, Du Plessis, Jean-Pierre, Grey, Ben, Anley, Cameron, Vrettos, Basil, Dachs, Robert, Roche, Stephen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: South Africa African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS 08.03.2021; AOSIS
• Subjects: Care and treatment; CPD; Diagnosis; Family medicine; guidelines; Pain; primary care; referred shoulder pain; Shoulder pain; shoulder stiffness; spontaneous shoulder pain; Surgeons; traumatic shoulder pain; South Africa; traumatic shoulder pain; spontaneous shoulder pain; guidelines; primary care; referred shoulder pain; shoulder pain; shoulder stiffness
• ISSN: 2078-6190; 2078-6204
• DOI: 10.4102/safp.v63i1.5279

Most patients with shoulder pain will initially visit their community health centre, private general practitioner or family physician, with various levels of experience in the assessment and management of shoulder conditions. Shoulder conditions will range from early, simple ailments that can be treated in the primary care setting, to post-traumatic injuries and complex pathologies requiring the expertise of an orthopaedic surgeon or a fellowship-trained shoulder surgeon. Correct assessment of the patient's shoulder condition at the index consultation is a prerequisite for appropriate management. This article sets out straightforward guidelines to help general practitioners confidently identify the patient's source of shoulder pain and initiate an appropriate management plan at primary care level. Criteria for urgent and elective referral for specialist care are also outlined.