Chronic Shoulder Pain

Case Description: Pt. is a 65 y/o female with a 10+ year hx of L shoulder pain that had developed prior to PT to include not only the shoulder, but also paresthesia affecting the entire UE.  She had been avoiding use of the L arm whenever possible and was fearful surgery was her only option for recovery.    

Objective Measures: The patient was seen for 12 visits over a 6 wk period.

Tests and Measures	Initial Evaluation	Day of Discharge from Physical Therapy
VAS for Pain	2-8/10	0/10
QuickDASH Scale	63.6 % disability	0% disability
L shoulder ROM	Full FLEX/ABD (painful arc of movement). Functional IR limited to back pocket	No longer demonstrates a painful arc and can fasten bra strap with ease using functional IR
Paresthesia	Constant numbness/tingling	100% improved
Daily Tasks	Avoiding lifting, carrying, and reaching with L, sleep interrupted, unable to fasten a bra	Back to gardening/sewing without issue and sleep is no longer interrupted.  Can perform overhead tasks with ease

Patient Comments at Discharge: “Pain in the L shoulder is now almost a distant memory.  I have better range of motion and can slip my arm in to a jacket sleeve without pain! No matter how busy the office/gym/clinic was, I never felt rushed through an appointment.”

Sincerely,

Luke Vander Zouwen, DPT
Full Potential Physical Therapy