4 board-style questions on shoulder pain in the PulseMD family medicine question bank — physician-reviewed, written against current guidelines with the reference cited on each question. Two free samples below; the full set with answers, explanations, and spaced review is free to start.
A 55-year-old right-hand-dominant woman presents with a 3-month history of progressive right shoulder pain. She reports difficulty reaching overhead to get items from shelves and pain when lying on the affected side at night. Physical examination reveals a painful arc of motion between 60 and 120 degrees of abduction, a positive Neer impingement sign, a positive Hawkins-Kennedy test, and weakness with resisted external rotation. Passive range of motion is full in all directions. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A 53-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes presents with progressive right shoulder stiffness over the past 4 months. She reports difficulty reaching behind her back to fasten her bra and cannot raise her arm to wash her hair. She denies trauma. On examination, both active AND passive range of motion are significantly restricted: external rotation is 15 degrees (normal 60-90 degrees), forward flexion is 100 degrees (normal 180 degrees), and internal rotation is limited to the buttock level. Shoulder X-ray is normal. What is the most likely diagnosis, and what is the most appropriate initial management?
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