Conservative treatment for shoulder pain: prognostic indicators of outcome.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the long-term clinical outcome and to identify factors that predict that outcome, after conservative treatment of patients who have shoulder pain with or without accompanying stiffness.


METHODS
Cohort study.


METHODS
Outpatient clinic.


METHODS
Eighty-two subjects who had participated in a randomized controlled trial that compared the short-term effectiveness of conservative treatment for chronic, unilateral shoulder pain of mechanical origin with and without accompanying stiffness, and who were available for longer term follow-up 6 months after the cessation of formal treatment.


METHODS
Conservative treatment consisting of various combinations of exercise therapy, passive joint mobilization, electrophysical modalities, and corticosteroid injections.


METHODS
Pain intensity, functional limitation, perceived change in symptoms, active range of motion, muscle force, and clinical and demographic variables.


RESULTS
Patients showed significant improvement in all outcome measurements in the long-term whether or not their shoulder pain was accompanied by stiffness. Long-term outcome was not predicted by hand dominance, clinical history of the shoulder condition, severity of the shoulder problem, or shoulder mechanics.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with chronic shoulder pain, with or without accompanying stiffness, can expect significant decreases in shoulder pain and improvements in shoulder function in the long term after conservative treatment.
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Lidcombe, Australia. K.Ginn@fhs.usyd.edu.au
Karen A
KA
Ginn
Milton L
ML
Cohen
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000367:Age Factors; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents