Subacromial Shoulder Pain & Physiotherapy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
“Do first contact physiotherapists (FCP) offer a biomedical diagnosis to patients with Sub-acromial Shoulder pain (SSP) and does this affect patient expectations of treatment? A Qualitative Exploratory study.”
IRAS ID
313597
Contact name
Matthew Richardson
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 29 days
Research summary
This study aims to explore the beliefs and expectations of patients with a diagnosis of sub-acromial shoulder pain (SSP) prior to attending for outpatient physiotherapy. Patients will be eligible for the study if they are referred from primary care by a First Contact Practitioner Physiotherapist (FCP). Previous research has highlighted that patients diagnosed with SSP often believe their pain is caused by impingement wherein tendons in their shoulder are being compressed by bone within the shoulder. Believing the body is fragile, damaged or in need of protection can lead to unhelpful movement and activity avoidance. As a result ongoing pain coupled with anxiety and poor understanding of the problem may lead patients to believe they need injections or surgery to fix their shoulder pain.
Exercise is often recommended as the main treatment for SSP, however there is reason to believe that if patients have a poor understanding of their shoulder pain they may have low expectations of physiotherapy treatment which can lead to costly orthopaedic intervention.
Previous papers have recruited patients referred by medical professionals therefore patients understanding of their shoulder pain could be attributed to what they were told by the medical professional. However there has been a shift in practice wherein FCP’s are now responsible for initial assessment and diagnosis for patients.
Through a structured interview process this study aims to explore patients’ thoughts and beliefs towards the cause of their shoulder pain and analyse their expectations of physiotherapy treatment.
REC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/PR/1253
Date of REC Opinion
12 Oct 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion