The Effect of Shoulder Mobilization on Muscle Strength and Proprioception: a Randomized Double-blind Study

November 18, 2025 updated by: Acibadem University
This randomized, double-blind study examines the acute effects of shoulder mobilization on muscle strength and proprioception in healthy individuals. Forty-eight participants (aged 18-25) were randomly assigned to either a mobilization or sham intervention group. Muscle strength and proprioception were assessed before and after treatment. The mobilization group received passive shoulder joint glides, while the sham group underwent a placebo procedure. The study aims to determine whether mobilization affects strength and proprioception immediately.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Summary of the Study

This randomized, double-blind study investigates the acute effects of shoulder joint mobilization on muscle strength and proprioception in healthy individuals compared to a sham intervention.

Background:

The shoulder joint is highly mobile and prone to injury, with rehabilitation often including manual therapy techniques like joint mobilization. Mobilization may enhance joint stability, neuromuscular control, and proprioception by stimulating mechanoreceptors. However, its immediate effects on shoulder proprioception and strength remain unclear.

Methods:

Participants: 48 healthy university students (aged 18-25) randomly assigned to either the mobilization or sham group.

Assessments: Muscle strength (using a handheld dynamometer) and proprioception (laser pointer-assisted joint position reproduction test) were measured before and after the intervention.

Intervention: The mobilization group received passive shoulder joint glides, while the sham group underwent a placebo procedure without actual joint movement.

Conclusion:

This study aims to determine whether shoulder mobilization has immediate effects on proprioception and strength.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
48

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Istanbul
      • Ataşehir, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34752
        • Acıbadem University Kerem Aydınlar Campus

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Healthy university students aged 18-25 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals with orthopedic problems in the shoulder complex.
  • Those who have undergone previous shoulder surgery.
  • Participants with prior knowledge of joint mobilization techniques that could affect the sham intervention.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Mobilization Group
Participants receive passive shoulder joint mobilization targeting the glenohumeral joint.
Other: Joint mobilization
Participants receive passive shoulder joint mobilization on the dominant-side glenohumeral joint. The mobilization includes inferior, anterior, and posterior glide techniques, each performed for 1 minute at a frequency of 0.5 Hz, with a 30-second rest between each mobilization. The participant is positioned comfortably to support the joint's range of motion.
Other Names:
  • Shoulder joint mobilization
  • Shoulder joint glides
Sham Comparator: Sham Group
Participants undergo a placebo procedure where the practitioner mimics the mobilization technique without applying actual joint movement or distraction.
Other: Sham
In the sham intervention, the practitioner mimics the technique of shoulder mobilization but does not apply any actual movement or glide effect on the joint. The procedure is designed to closely resemble the real intervention in terms of duration, rhythm, and the practitioner's handling of the participant's shoulder. The practitioner will use superficial touch on the glenohumeral joint without applying any of the mobilizing forces necessary to move the joint.
Other Names:
  • Sham mobilization
  • Sham shoulder mobilization

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proprioception
Time Frame: Before the intervention

Laser pointer-assisted joint position reproduction test for shoulder:

A laser pointer is strapped 5 cm above the lateral epicondyle. Participants actively move their arm to a predefined position (90° flexion or abduction), and the laser projection is marked.

After lowering their arm and closing their eyes, they attempt to replicate the same position.

The difference between the initial and reproduced positions (in millimeters) is measured
Before the intervention
Proprioception
Time Frame: Immediately after intervention

Laser pointer-assisted joint position reproduction test for shoulder:

A laser pointer is strapped 5 cm above the lateral epicondyle. Participants actively move their arm to a predefined position (90° flexion or abduction), and the laser projection is marked.

After lowering their arm and closing their eyes, they attempt to replicate the same position.

The difference between the initial and reproduced positions (in millimeters) is measured
Immediately after intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Muscle Strength
Time Frame: Before the intervention
Hand-held dynamometer (Lafayette) Muscle strength will be measured using a hand-held dynamometer (Lafayette). The assessment will focus on the shoulder flexors, abductors, internal rotators, and external rotators. Three measurements for each muscle group will be taken, and the average value will be recorded in kilograms (kg).
Before the intervention
Muscle Strength
Time Frame: Immediately after intervention
Hand-held dynamometer (Lafayette) Muscle strength will be measured using a hand-held dynamometer (Lafayette). The assessment will focus on the shoulder flexors, abductors, internal rotators, and external rotators. Three measurements for each muscle group will be taken, and the average value will be recorded in kilograms (kg).
Immediately after intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Acibadem University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 28, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 28, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 4, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 9, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 18, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • ACU-FTR-AOA

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Demographic Data:

Age and gender,

Outcome Measures Data:

Muscle strength values recorded using the hand-held dynamometer for each muscle group (shoulder flexors, abductors, internal rotators, external rotators).

Proprioception data measured by the laser pointer-assisted joint position reproduction test, including the distance (in millimeters) between the initial and reproduced positions for both shoulder flexion and abduction.

Group Assignment Data:

Whether the participant was assigned to the mobilization group or the sham intervention group.

Intervention Data:

Details of the intervention received, including whether they underwent shoulder mobilization or placebo procedure.

Timing of Measurements:

Pre- and post-intervention data for both muscle strength and proprioception assessments.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

The IPD and supporting information will be made available starting from the date of publication of the study's results. The data will be accessible for 5 years from the publication date to allow for ample time for further analysis, replication studies, or meta-analysis by other researchers.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Who Can Access:

  • Researchers, academics, and institutional partners with a legitimate research purpose.
  • Regulatory agencies or health organizations.

What They Can Access:

  • Anonymized IPD (muscle strength, proprioception, demographics).
  • Supporting information (study protocol, SAP,)

How They Can Access:

  • Data will be shared upon contact with the study team.
  • Interested parties must request access, and data will be provided following review and approval.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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