Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the experiencie with a health education program in Primary Care in patients with chronic shoulder pain of musculoskeletal origin, on pain and disability and establish the protocol in primary care. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental longitudinal descriptive observational study. LOCATION: Arroyo de la Vega Health Center, Alcobendas, Madrid. PARTICIPANTS: Patients referred by their Primary Care Physician to the Primary Care Physiotherapy Unit for shoulder pain of musculoskeletal origin. INTERVENTION: 7 group sessions of health education and therapeutic exercise. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Pain intensity was assessed through the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the disability of the upper limb with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire and the level of disability and shoulder pain with the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) questionnaire. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found in the reduction of pain and disability (P<.01), in addition, drug use and recurrences were reduced. CONCLUSIONS: The shoulder physiotherapy protocol with health education was effective in reducing pain and disability in patients with chronic shoulder pain of musculoskeletal origin in Primary Care.