Shoulder Pain Management
Treatment
When it comes to treating your patients’ shoulder problems, there are a number of options available. As your patients’ primary care physician, you can counsel patients on the best solution for his/her situation so he/she can get back into the swing of things.
Most patients with chronic shoulder pain may initially be treated conservatively with some combination of rest and limited overhead activity, use of a sling, anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injection or strengthening exercise and physical therapy. But, if your patient does not respond to conservative measures despite adequate time with the appropriate treatment regimen (3 to 6 months maximum), then referral to an orthopaedic shoulder specialist may be appropriate.
Content in this section is adapted and/or repurposed with permission from:
Lotke, PA, Abboud, JA, Ende, J. Lippincott’s Primary Care Orthopaedics. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008:section 8.
Authors: Abboud, JA, Ricchetti, ET, Tjoumakaris, FP, Yagnik, GP.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins <http://lww.com>
© DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., 2010. All Rights Reserved. This site is published by DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., which is solely responsible for its content. It is intended for medical professionals in the US only.
Important Note: This web site is intended to provide general information about the diagnosis and treatment of shoulder pain. It is not intended to be a recommendation from DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. for any specific medical evaluation or treatment. It is the responsibility of each physician to determine an appropriate medical plan for an individual patient, based on the patient’s history, symptoms, physical examination, and medical tests.