In today’s video, we’re going to be demonstrating a secondary test for capsulitis. This one involves looking at the range of motion going up the patient’s back. Now, in a normal person, the range of motion should be roughly normal, and for the first demonstration we’ll demonstrate what that looks like.
[To patient:] Would you turn around- okay with your right side, please go up your back as far as you can. Okay now relax-other side.
And it goes to the exact same spot. [To patient]: Now relax. Every human is different, some people may be able to get their hands way up to here. Others may be only able to get it down to here, and that doesn’t mean they have capsulitis. Capsulitis would look something like this. [To patient]: Please demonstrate “Up your Back” with your right side please. It comes right to here. Now relax, other side. Okay, she has a four or five inch difference on internal rotation at the side. This is abnormal in most circumstances, and indicates shoulder tightness or capsulitis. This test is often used when someone cannot do the crank test, which I had demonstrated in a previous video, because they have had a previous dislocation, or an ongoing shoulder dislocation problem.