Although imaging tests have given us the ability to take a closer look inside a person’s body to get a better idea of what’s going on in their shoulder, trained doctors can oftentimes get a thorough understanding of an expected issue during the initial stages of patient interaction. We typically go through a standard questionnaire during intake or as we’re meeting the patient for the first time, and their answers can sometimes tell us more than we’d ever be able to see on an imaging test alone. In today’s blog, we want to touch on some of the questions we typically ask during the initial patient evaluation so that you can be better prepared for this interaction.
Shoulder Pain Intake Questions
We know that you’re dealing with shoulder pain, but there’s likely more to the story than just pain. We work to get to the bottom of your shoulder issue through a series of questions that help us better understand what you’re experiencing. Here’s a look at a number of the questions we typically ask:
- Which shoulder hurts? – Left, right or both.
- Did this injury occur at work, and if so, are you considering pursuing workers’ compensation?
- How did this injury occur? – Fall, assault, pulling, reaching, lifting, repetitive motion, overuse, throwing, shoveling, etc.
- How would you rate your pain level? – Mild, moderate or severe.
- How would you describe your pain? – Burning, aching, sharp, shooting, throbbing, stabbing, electric, tingling.
- When do you feel pain? – Morning, afternoon, night, with activity, continuous, at rest.
- Where is your discomfort located in the shoulder? – Front, top, back, upper arm, side, collarbone, underarm, etc.
- How would you rate your pain on a scale of 0-10?
- What activities make pain worse? – Daily activities, exercise, lifting, sudden movements, therapy exercises, reaching in specific directions, athletics.
- What activities help pain alleviate? – Rest, ice, heat, injections, physical therapy, medications, exercise.
- Have you seen another physician for this problem, and if so, who?
- Have you previously undergone imaging tests for this issue?
- Have you ever had a shoulder injection for this issue?
- Have you ever undergone a surgical procedure on your shoulder in the past?
These may seem like a lot of questions, but you and your doctor can cover them all in 5-10 minutes, especially if you know what type of questions to expect ahead of time. All of this information gives your doctor specific insight into what might be going on in your shoulder and will make it much easier to move forward with the right diagnostic test to further examine the issue.
Dr. Holloway and his team pride themselves on being thorough and ensuring they give each patient the time they deserve when it comes to their shoulder issue, and these baseline questions prove incredibly helpful at driving the diagnostic stage forward. If you’d like to get help for a shoulder issue that you’re currently facing, pick up the phone and connect with Dr. Holloway and his team today by calling (865) 410-7887.
