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Insights on Treating Shoulder Pain in Your Patients

Written by FMS SFMA

Struggling with your shoulder pain patients? Not sure which treatment or special test is best?   When should you use exercise or manual therapy…..when should you refer to medical?

Practice guidelines have focused on treatments based on the medical diagnosis only and have fallen short when it comes to consideration of other factors such as thorax and cervical function. Additionally, numerous exercises are suggested but no clear guidance exists to help you focus your treatment approach.  So what type of exercise?  For which type of patient and who and how should you apply your manual therapy techniques?

Techniques such as shoulder taping and scapular control exercises are popular, but should we apply these for every patient with shoulder pain?  How do you decide?

Our new online  course will answer these questions.  This course covers the current best evidence to exam and treat patients with shoulder pain from a rehabilitation perspective. It is perfect for any rehabilitation professional who treats patients with shoulder pain. The course utilizes a newly developed category system to confirm you have chosen the best treatment approach for the patient in front of you. So rather than a one size fits all approach, this course will teach you how to quickly categorize your patient into one of 3 research-based categories, match the best evidence treatment to your patient today, and progress through a logical impairment and movement-based progression individualized to your patient.   

Watch your confusion disappear and your outcomes improve as you classify, treat, progress and discharge your patient’s with shoulder pain following this model. 

Here are the three categories to determine initial treatment: 

 
Once the category is identified and the initial treatment performed, the next step is to identify major movement impairment risk factors. To accomplish this, we utilize the Selective Functional Movement Assessment.

The SFMA is an individualized movement-based process that identifies the most prominent mobility and motor control impairments in your patient.  The SFMA Problems List is addressed in priority while keeping in mind your patients shoulder pain category. 

This process allows you to treat your patient’s shoulder pain from an evidence-based perspective while addressing major risk factors for musculoskeletal (MSK) health.  These can be done simultaneously. 

Working with overhead athletes? Baseball Pitchers? This course includes an update on the current best approach to arm care for these athletes and what risk factors can be mitigated to reduce risk of re-injury.

 
Lastly, we need to consider discharge testing to set our patients up for success. Using evidence-based screening and testing tools, you will capture your patients current MSK status to ensure your home exercise and fitness prescription is targeted at major risk factors to maximize your patient’s MSK health and overall long-term wellness.
 

Get started today with Clinical Overview:  Functional Movement Systems Approach into the Classification and Management of Patients with Shoulder Pain
 

Description: This online continuing education course is designed for rehabilitation-oriented healthcare providers who treat patients with shoulder pain and dysfunction. This course will serve to utilize the current best evidence for patients shoulder pain and integrate the regional interdependence model as evaluated through the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA). The course will cover primary shoulder diagnoses commonly seen in the rehabilitation setting. The course will be based around contemporary classification systems for shoulder pain and will include demonstration of evidenced-based exam items and most common treatment techniques (manual therapy and therapeutic exercise) for each primary condition covered including subacromial impingement, instability, labral lesions, rotator cuff pathology, and adhesive capsulitis relative to the shoulder. Clinical integration of SFMA findings and progressions to appropriate Functional Movement Systems discharge testing along with strategies to manage musculoskeletal health throughout the lifespan will be covered.

References

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