Surgical widening of the subacromial space for the treatment of lower shoulder pain

A suspected cause of pain below the shoulder blade is insufficient space between the shoulder blade and the shoulder joint, leading to increased pressure on the muscles, tendons and bursae. One possible treatment is surgical widening of the subacromial space. This operation, which is usually performed on an outpatient basis, widens the space available in the shoulder and reduces the pressure. New studies indicate that physiotherapy or other conventional treatments can achieve the same effect, hence this report. As well as the medical aspects, it also investigates the legal, social, ethical and organisational problems associated with alternative procedures.