Shoulder pain is a very common musculoskeletal disorder. The lifetime prevalence of shoulder pain in India is as high as 67%.The prevalence & incidence of shoulder pain varies largely across age & population. It has been reported that it occurs most commonly in middle age adults, women are prone to develop shoulder pain according to the literature. However, some prevalence studies did not find any significant difference in shoulder pain among men and women. The most common source of shoulder pain is the rotator cuff, accounting for over two-thirds of cases and age, gender, diabetes & alcoholism are considered as various risk factors for shoulder pain. Common conditions that can result in chronic shoulder pain include rotator cuff disorders, adhesive capsulitis, shoulder instability, shoulder arthritis. According to a study, prevalence of rotator cuff impingement is 31%, also in 15.7% patients no specific diagnosis could be made. The factors that start an episode of shoulder pain are not necessarily the same as those that contribute to persistent and chronic pain.

Pain is a complex experience that includes multiple dimensions but a recent definition of pain by Moseley (2003) defines pain as “a multiple system output that is activated by an individual’s specific neural signature.” A cognitive based education known as pain neuroscience education is used to treat both the aspects of pain by helping patients gain an increased understanding of the biological processes underpinning their pain state and by focusing on neurophysiology, neurobiology and processing of pain. Studies that have used pain neuroscience education in the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain & low back pain have been shown to decrease the fear, pain catastrophization, limitation in the movement. 

Many treatment options are available to treat chronic shoulder pain, but these treatment approaches only focus on the physical aspect of pain rather than psychological aspect, as well as there are limited studies done to see the effectiveness of Pain Neuroscience Education on chronic shoulder pain whereas, further studies have been done to see the effectiveness of mirror therapy in patients with shoulder pain, which is also a part of pain neuroscience education.