CPD Articles

Assessment and management of shoulder pain at primary care level

Ntambue Kauta, Elma de Vries, Jean-Pierre du Plessis, Ben Grey, Cameron Anley, Basil Vrettos, Robert Dachs, Stephen Roche
South African Family Practice | Vol 63, No 1 : Part 1| a5279 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v63i1.5279 | © 2021 NTAMBUE KAUTA, Elma Devries, Jean-Pierre Du Plessis, Ben Grey, Cameron Anley, Robert Dachs, BASIL VRETTOS, Stephen Roche | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 09 February 2021 | Published: 08 March 2021

About the author(s)

Ntambue Kauta, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Elma de Vries, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; and, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Jean-Pierre du Plessis, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Ben Grey, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Cameron Anley, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Basil Vrettos, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Robert Dachs, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Stephen Roche, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract

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.

Keywords

shoulder pain; shoulder stiffness; primary care; guidelines; traumatic shoulder pain; spontaneous shoulder pain; referred shoulder pain

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