Enhancing the health of Canadians by fostering excellence in chiropractic care

Scope & Purpose

Does your patient have other conditions (e.g. physical or mental health conditions or co-morbidities)?

Examples include:

Physical conditions: neck pain, headache
Mental health conditions: depression, anxiety
Co-morbidities: diabetes, heart disease

Adults with shoulder pain

Conduct an appropriate clinical evaluation

Risk factors for serious pathologies?

No

Other conditions?

No

Offer information on nature, management, course of shoulder pain as a framework for initiation of a program of care

Is treatment required?

Yes

Are symptoms ≤3 months?

Yes

Management of Symptoms

Based on shared decision making between the patient and provider, any one of the following therapeutic interventions is recommended:

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Is the person recovered after 3 months?

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Refer to appropriate services

Go to appropriate clinical care pathways and

Discharge

Are symptoms >3 months?

Management of Symptoms

Based on shared decision making between the patient and provider, any one of the following therapeutic interventions is recommended:

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Yes

Discharge

Is the person recovered?

Yes

No

Literature search updated April 2015