Injection or Exercise for Shoulder Pain? A 12-Month Primary Care Trial

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who see adults with non-traumatic shoulder pain referred from primary care. Physical therapist assistants deliver the treatment described here under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist, who performs the evaluation and sets the plan of care.

Target audience: licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in outpatient orthopedic, primary care, and community practice settings.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

Versloot AHC, Schiphof D, Ottenheijm RPG, van der Windt DA, de Graaf M, van Ochten JM, Bindels PJE, Koes BW, Runhaar J. Effectiveness of a corticosteroid injection versus exercise therapy for shoulder pain in general practice (SIX-Shoulder Study): a randomized controlled trial. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice. 2026;82:103497. Trial registration NL-OMON52854. Published under a CC BY license.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe the design, the participants and the two treatments compared in the primary care shoulder pain trial this course is based on.
2. State the outcomes reported at twelve months for a single corticosteroid injection compared with physiotherapist-led exercise therapy.
3. Explain the physical therapist assistant's role in delivering the exercise program under the physical therapist's plan of care.

Test Reviewer, PT, DPT is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 1.0 contact hour (60 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

This site holds no state approvals. Whether a state accepts this course is set out in that state’s acceptance statement.