Adam Barnett

Examination of the Shoulder

Shoulder pain is the second most common musculoskeletal condition seen in primary care. Specialists, general practitioners and medical students should be able to perform a thorough examination of the shoulder. This article describes techniques for shoulder examination in a simple ‘look, feel, move’ format and considers each method from a critical point of view. It is based on a review of the literature, textbook accounts and the author’s personal experience. Word count: 6241.