Shoulder Pain Provocation Tests

• Shoulder Special Tests - Pain Provocation Tests:

  • to establish whether pain source within the subacromial space:
  • Hawkins Kennedy test - if theres no symptoms, can progress into more horizontal flexion
  • Neers test

  
• Shoulder Special Tests - Pain Provocation Tests:

  • at least 3 out of 5 should be positive/present:
  • painful arc - pain at 60 to 120 degrees and at around 170 to 180 degrees of abduction
  • pain on resisted lateral rotation
  • empty can test
  • hawkins kennedy test
  • neers test
• Shoulder Special Tests - Pain Provocation Tests:

  • Acromioclavicular pain test cluster
  • all 3 positive/present:
  • tenderness on acromioclavicular joint palpation
  • high arc of pain
  • positive cross arm test
  • level of sensitivity/reliability of these tests are low, so all 3 of the tests need to be positive