Background and purpose: Shoulder pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal problems of the world's population. In particular, in water polo athletes, the frequency of injuries or pain to this joint is very high. The incidence of psychosocial factors in musculoskeletal pain is well recognized, even if they seem to be more present in chronic pain, rather than in acute pain.
Case description: The patient was a semi-professional water polo player with acute shoulder pain which occurred during a game. At first, the pain was very mild, but it progressively got worse after the visit to the casualty department where, even in the absence of any confirmed structural lesions, the patient is ordered to refrain from any active movements. The patient became worried, so his anxiety levels increased which worsened his symptoms. The physiotherapist opted for a "hands-off/hands-on approach".
Outcomes: Significative improvements were observed in all the considered outcome measures, the patient obtained complete recovery in a very short period of time and then he was able to return to his sport.
Discussions: Psychosocial factors such as anxiety, fear and catastrophizing can modulate pain responses in a subject without structural problems. Thus, counseling and education in pain science can be an effective therapeutic method, especially with conditions of acute, as well as chronic, pain.
Level of evidence: 4.
Keywords: Catastrophization; Cognitive neuroscience education; Sensitization; Shoulder pain; Water polo.
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