SPADI (Shoulder Pain and Disability Index)
The Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI; Roach and colleagues 1991), a PATIENT-REPORTED measure of shoulder pain and function.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- PAIN subscale. Pain at its worst 0 to 10
- 10 points
- PAIN subscale. Lying on the involved side 0 to 10
- 10 points
- PAIN subscale. Reaching to a high shelf 0 to 10
- 10 points
- PAIN subscale. Touching the back of the neck 0 to 10
- 10 points
- PAIN subscale. Pushing with the involved arm 0 to 10
- 10 points
- DISABILITY subscale. Washing hair 0 to 10
- 0 points
- DISABILITY subscale. Washing back 0 to 10
- 0 points
- DISABILITY subscale. Putting on a pullover 0 to 10
- 0 points
- DISABILITY subscale. Putting on a button-down shirt 0 to 10
- 0 points
- DISABILITY subscale. Putting on pants 0 to 10
- 0 points
The other 3 values
- DISABILITY subscale. Placing an object on a high shelf 0 to 10
- 0 points
- DISABILITY subscale. Carrying 10 pounds 0 to 10
- 0 points
- DISABILITY subscale. Reaching a back pocket 0 to 10
- 0 points
Result: SPADI 50 percent.
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- Total
- The MEAN of the two subscale percentages. NOT the sum of all 13 items over 130.
- Pain subscale
- Sum out of 50, as a percentage.
- Disability subscale
- Sum out of 80, as a percentage.
- Weighting
- 5 pain items carry half the total, 8 disability items the other half: one pain item = 1.6 disability items.
- Missing data
- Published rules DISAGREE (drop-from-denominator vs mean-imputation), so only complete forms are scored.
- MDC
- 13 points at 90% confidence, applying to a CHANGE between two scores, not to one score.
- Scope
- Self-reported. Measures neither range of motion nor strength; does not diagnose the cause.
What you enter
- PAIN subscale.
- PAIN subscale.
- PAIN subscale.
- PAIN subscale.
- PAIN subscale.
- DISABILITY subscale.
- DISABILITY subscale.
- DISABILITY subscale.
- DISABILITY subscale.
- DISABILITY subscale.
The other 3 fields
- PAIN subscale. Pain at its worst 0 to 10, where No pain at all (0) to worst pain imaginable (10).
- PAIN subscale. Lying on the involved side 0 to 10, where No pain at all (0) to worst pain imaginable (10).
- PAIN subscale. Reaching to a high shelf 0 to 10, where No pain at all (0) to worst pain imaginable (10).
- PAIN subscale. Touching the back of the neck 0 to 10, where No pain at all (0) to worst pain imaginable (10).
- PAIN subscale. Pushing with the involved arm 0 to 10, where No pain at all (0) to worst pain imaginable (10).
- DISABILITY subscale. Washing hair 0 to 10, where No difficulty (0) to so difficult it requires help (10).
- DISABILITY subscale. Washing back 0 to 10, where No difficulty (0) to so difficult it requires help (10).
- DISABILITY subscale. Putting on a pullover 0 to 10, where No difficulty (0) to so difficult it requires help (10).
- DISABILITY subscale. Putting on a button-down shirt 0 to 10, where No difficulty (0) to so difficult it requires help (10).
- DISABILITY subscale. Putting on pants 0 to 10, where No difficulty (0) to so difficult it requires help (10).
- DISABILITY subscale. Placing an object on a high shelf 0 to 10, where No difficulty (0) to so difficult it requires help (10).
- DISABILITY subscale. Carrying 10 pounds 0 to 10, where No difficulty (0) to so difficult it requires help (10).
- DISABILITY subscale. Reaching a back pocket 0 to 10, where No difficulty (0) to so difficult it requires help (10).
How this is calculated
- Structure
- 13 items, each 0-10: 5 pain and 8 disability. Higher is worse.
Roach KE, Budiman-Mak E, Songsiridej N, Lertratanakul Y. Development of a shoulder pain and disability index. Arthritis Care Res. 1991;4(4):143-149. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.