Shoulder pain and reflex sympathetic dystrophy

Shoulder pain has become one of the commonest clinical problems in modern North American society. The pathogenetic mechanisms vary widely, and often times, speculations about the underlying pathology have not been substantiated by investigative studies. In the past year, progress in our knowledge about shoulder pain has not been significant. We discuss the topic by dividing shoulder pain into four categories: 1) shoulder pain of local origin; 2) pain referred to the shoulder; 3) shoulder and neck pain; and 4) shoulder pain and reflex sympathetic dystrophy. It appears that a thorough history taking, an understanding of the psychosocial background of the patient, and a complete physical are equally important in the clinical evaluation of painful shoulders.