Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Clinical Review

Shoulder pain: diagnosis and management in primary care

BMJ 2005; 331 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.331.7525.1124 (Published 10 November 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;331:1124

Rapid Response:

musculo skeletal medicine

This study was rather biased. There was no discussion on the value of
the role of musculoskeletal medicine. Every year doctors trained in
musculoskeletal medicine or medical osteopathy do thousands of successful
manipulations to those with chronic shoulder pain and obviate the need for
surgery.This is better for the patient , less traumatic and less
expensive.

Physiotherapy is very limited in prognosis however pain specialist
physiotherapists do have a good role to play here as do pain clinics in
the management of chronic pain.

Surgery should always be the last resport as like with back pain it does not
always lead to a significant improvement and in some cases can make
symptoms--including movement restriction.

Competing interests:
None declared

Competing interests: No competing interests

13 November 2005
Fenella Lemonsky
Chronic pain patient and communication skills trainer to NHS staff
Barnet