Rethinking treatment of common shoulder pain - Australian review
A clinical review published in JAMA Internal Medicine advises against routine imaging for common shoulder pain, suggesting that conservative care is often more effective. Experts warn that over-diagnosis through scans can lead to unnecessary anxiety and aggressive treatments for structural changes that may not be the source of pain.
Why it matters
This guidance promotes a shift toward evidence-based, conservative medical practices, potentially reducing healthcare costs and patient over-treatment.
Experts say that shoulder imaging can over-diagnose common problems, and that asymptomatic structural changes in this area are common, especially with ageing, reports Medscape . In fact, conservative care is frequently the prescription, rather than MRIs or aggressive intervention, according to a recent clinical review published in JAMA Internal Medicine .
When a patient arrives at the office of Lauren Simon, MD, MPH, expecting to receive a scan for newly developed shoulder pain, instead, Simon reaches for a pen and begins taking a history.
“In the absence of trauma or red flags, I explain to patients that imaging is not indicated at this time,” said Simon, a professor of family medicine and director of primary care sports medicine at Loma Linda University in California.
“Then we discuss conservative care like analgesics and therapeutic exercises, and perhaps activity modification with a plan to reassess their pain.”
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