How prevalent is it among chiropractic patients to seek care for shoulder pain? To find out researchers in Australia mailed 1037 surveys to New South Wales-based chiropractors. A total of 192 surveys were returned completed.Results revealed that “the prevalence of shoulder pain symptoms as reported by the practitioners was 12% of the total weekly patients, with the major cause of symptoms related to overuse (32%). The most prevalent working diagnosis of shoulder pain was shoulder impingement syndrome (13%), followed by impingement syndrome with rotator cuff tendinosis (17%), impingement syndrome without rotator cuff tendinosis (14%), and chiropractic shoulder subluxation (12%). Shoulder pain is managed with a combination of manipulation, mainly diversified technique (81%), peripheral joint manipulation (82%), and various soft tissue strategies used by 92% of practitioners. Rehabilitation strategies were also used by 89% of practitioners with a main emphasis placed on rotator cuff strengthening.”

JMPT – February 2009;23:107-17.

www.mosby.com/jmpt