An Introduction to Subacromial Sensitivity - Treatment & Management

Introduction:

Welcome to Embodia’s Orthopaedic Course on "Subacromial Shoulder Sensitivity - Management & Treatment," created by Bahram Jam, physiotherapist and founder of the Advanced Physical Therapy Education Institute (APTEI). 

This course presents a new approach to understanding shoulder pain conditions and their management. Bahram Jam will debunk old misconceptions and will delve into evidence-informed practices for improved patient outcomes.

A Brief History Of Shoulder Conditions:

When a patient presents with shoulder pain, they are often diagnosed as having:

• Rotator cuff impingement syndrome
• Subacromial impingement syndrome
• Rotator cuff tear
• Subacromial bursitis

But, are any of these terms accurate?

If impingement was really the cause of pain, then surgically 'opening up' the space should naturally resolve the condition.

In 1983, Dr. Charles Neer, the developer of acromioplasty described impingement as "the compression of the bursal side of the rotator cuff beneath the anterior acromion."

The Neer test became really popular in the 80s!

It's at that time when the diagnosis of rotator cuff impingement was popularized. In the 80s and 90s, the surgery became the primary treatment for the hypothesized condition.

Physiotherapy was thought of as something to do post-op but a waste of time when someone presented with "real impingement." After all, how could any physiotherapy treatment increase the space underneath the acromion?

Where We Are Now 

Fast forward to 2020 and it turns out that we were mostly inaccurate.

After decades of placebo-controlled studies, the latest systematic review found "there was high certainty evidence of no additional benefit of subacromial decompression surgery over placebo surgery in reducing pain at 1 year following surgery" (Lähdeoja et al 2020).

For decades surgeons believed that their approach to shoulder pain was effective and that physio was simply placebo… the evidence tells us otherwise! Funny how the tables have turned. 

Bahram Jam, PT, D.SC.PT, M.PHTY, B.SC.PT, FCAMT, has designed a brand new online course for this new line of thinking 'Shoulder Sensitivity & Adhesive Capsulitis'.

If you are interested in learning more about this new approach, you can join us for a free 60-minute introductory session 

Learning Objectives

In this online course with Bahram Jam, you will learn:

1. That the words used to “diagnose” your patients' shoulder pain may be of a greater predictor of recovery than the actual diagnosis, and how we can address this
2. Three reliable and validated tests for diagnosing subacromial sensitivity (SAS)
3. Clinical tests for determining the ideal movement/exercise for someone with SAS; all within 5 minutes