Simple Shoulder Test..PO Day 131

In an attempt to standardize a patient's personal appraisal of their situation and their progress, the University of Washington developed the Simple Shoulder Test. The test consists of twelve questions relating to what a person in the 60 to 70 years old category can reasonably expect to be able to do, assuming they have no shoulder problem. The patient is asked to complete the test, answering only "yes" or "no", with no input from the therapist,  before treatment and again at the end of treatment.

This test has become very popular and has shown to be a good indicator of how the patient perceives their progress. It is easy to,personalize the test by modifying questions to suit the athletic experience of the patient or allow for regional differences.   "The Simple Shoulder Test provides a practical method for determining the pretreatment shoulder function as well as the shoulder function at various intervals after the treatment. Sequential SST's indicate the length of time required to achieve maximum functional benefit after treatment. The difference between the shoulder function before treatment and after the recovery period is the effectiveness of the treatment."


Here are the standard twelve questions of the SST:

Is your shoulder comfortable with your arm at rest by your side?

Does your shoulder allow you to sleep comfortably?

Can you reach the small of your back to tuck in your shirt with your hand?

Can you place your hand behind your head with the elbow straight out to the side?

Can you place a coin on a shelf at the level of your shoulder without bending your elbow?

Can you lift one pound (a full pint container) to the level of your shoulder without bending your elbow?

Can you lift eight pounds (a full gallon container) to the level of the top of your head without bending your elbow?

Can you carry 20 pounds at your side with the affected extremity?

Do you think you can toss a softball underhand 10 yards with the affected extremity?

Do you think you can throw a softball overhand 20 yards with the affected extremity?

Can you wash the back of your opposite shoulder with the affected extremity?

Would your shoulder allow you to work full-time at your usual job?

These are pretty tough for me at this stage.  Actually, at any stage. I don't think I could lift a full gallon of milk to the level of my head with my "good" arm without bending my elbow. And throwing a ball 20 yards? Not with any accuracy. I need a test for me!

http://youtu.be/NafbYJOH0Tw



Archive timeline: 2014: May and June - preparing for surgery, July - surgery and post op problems, August - recovery and physical therapy, September - thinking medically, Octobe