Pain Program Overview

Shoulder pain accounts for 16% of all musculoskeletal complaints in the healthy adult population and results in 12 million visits to physician offices per year. Subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS), shown below, is the most common cause of shoulder pain. Conservative treatments include rest, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, and corticosteroid injections. Approximately 65% respond to conservative management; when this fails, patients are often referred for surgical subacromial decompression. Unfortunately, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown surgery to be no better than conservative therapy. Presently, there are no established practice guidelines for the management of chronic SIS in healthy adult’s refractory to conservative management.

Narrative