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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Skip the MRI — most shoulder pain gets better on its own. A new clinical review in JAMA Internal Medicine finds that for non-traumatic shoulder pain, watchful waiting, reassurance, and simple exercises beat aggressive imaging and intervention. About 95% of patients improve within a year, often without surgery, injections, or even multiple PT sessions.
For the millions of adults who develop shoulder pain each year, the instinct to order an MRI or pursue aggressive treatment may be doing more harm than good. A new clinical review published in JAMA Internal Medicine makes the case that most non-traumatic shoulder pain — affecting an estimated 16% of adults annually — can and should be managed conservatively, with education, activity modification, symptom relief, and watchful waiting.
The review recommends using the broader term "subacromial pain" rather than specific diagnoses like rotator cuff tendinopathy or impingement syndrome, which are inconsistently defined. Imaging frequently detects structural changes that are also present in pain-free individuals, making it an unreliable guide to treatment in the absence of red flags.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: Overdiagnosis and overtreatment of shoulder pain drive unnecessary costs, patient anxiety, and potential harm. Clinicians who lead with reassurance and conservative care can deliver better outcomes — and spare patients from procedures they don't need.
