STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective cohort study with a follow-up period of 6 months. OBJECTIVE: To describe the interventions applied by physical therapists in treating patients with complaints of the arm, neck, and/or shoulder. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Complaints of the arm, neck, and/or shoulder occur frequently and are usually treated within primary care. Many patients with these complaints are treated with physical therapy. METHODS: During a 1-year period, the participating physiotherapists included new consulters with musculoskeletal complaints of the upper extremity. The patients completed a questionnaire at baseline, and the physical therapists completed a treatment record for up to 6 months. RESULTS: Of the 624 patients included in the cohort, physical therapists provided treatment data of 619 patients. The main treatment consisted of exercise therapy (93%) and massage (87%), or a combination of both. More patients with specific complaints received physical methods, and patients with nonspecific complaints were treated with manipulation techniques. CONCLUSIONS: The primary treatment of complaints the of arm, neck, and/or shoulder in physiotherapy practice consists of exercise therapy and massage therapy, mostly being a combination of both. Future studies should focus on the effectiveness of exercise therapies, combined or not combined with massage, for patients with complaints of the arm, neck, and/or shoulder.
STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective cohort study with a follow-up period of 6 months. OBJECTIVE: To describe the interventions applied by physical therapists in treating patients with complaints of the arm, neck, and/or shoulder. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Complaints of the arm, neck, and/or shoulder occur frequently and are usually treated within primary care. Many patients with these complaints are treated with physical therapy. METHODS: During a 1-year period, the participating physiotherapists included new consulters with musculoskeletal complaints of the upper extremity. The patients completed a questionnaire at baseline, and the physical therapists completed a treatment record for up to 6 months. RESULTS: Of the 624 patients included in the cohort, physical therapists provided treatment data of 619 patients. The main treatment consisted of exercise therapy (93%) and massage (87%), or a combination of both. More patients with specific complaints received physical methods, and patients with nonspecific complaints were treated with manipulation techniques. CONCLUSIONS: The primary treatment of complaints the of arm, neck, and/or shoulder in physiotherapy practice consists of exercise therapy and massage therapy, mostly being a combination of both. Future studies should focus on the effectiveness of exercise therapies, combined or not combined with massage, for patients with complaints of the arm, neck, and/or shoulder.
Authors: Anita Feleus; Sita M A Bierma-Zeinstra; Harald S Miedema; Jan A N Verhaar; Bart W Koes Journal: Eur Spine J Date: 2008-07-08 Impact factor: 3.134