Peripheral Nerve Stimulation(PNS) for Subacromial Impingement Syndrome(SIS)

Shoulder pain accounts for 16% of all musculoskeletal complaints in the healthy adult population. Subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) is the most common cause of shoulder pain. Many patients with chronic pain from subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) will fail treatment efforts and have longstanding pain. This project will evaluate the efficacy of a novel approach to treatment, percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation, for participants with chronic shoulder pain due to subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Shoulder Impingement Syndrome; Shoulder Pain; Pain, Shoulder; Shoulder Bursitis; Shoulder Tendinitis
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Contracting Producing Peripheral Nerve Stimulation; Other: Physical Therapy; Device: Non Contracting Producing Peripheral Nerve Stimulation

Detailed Description

The medical and socioeconomic impact of subacute and chronic shoulder pain is high, resulting in 12 million visits to physicians and over $7 billion in direct costs in the United States. The most common cause is subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS), which accounts for 30% of all shoulder pain. Approximately 35% of patients who present with subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) are refractory to conservative management. For patients who have failed conservative management, there are no established treatments to reduce the pain. The long-term goal is to develop a therapeutic intervention to reduce pain related to subacromial impingement syndrome(SIS). A pilot trial of 3-week percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) for participants with chronic shoulder pain due to subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) that was refractory to conservative treatment that showed 60% of participants had successful treatment of pain that lasted at least 3 months. Thus, the primary objective of this 2 site randomized control trial (RCT) is to confirm the findings of this preliminary trial and determine the efficacy of peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) for chronic subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS). The secondary objectives of this multisite randomized control trial (RCT) is to explore mechanisms of peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) for the treatment of subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS), and to determine which characteristics can predict successful treatment with peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS). In order to accomplish these objectives, this trial is a multi-site, placebo controlled, double-blinded randomized control trial (RCT) to compare the efficacy of peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) to sham peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS). Measures of pain, pain interference with activities of daily living (ADLs), capacity for activities of daily living (ADLs), Quality of life (QoL), and measures of central sensitization (pain thresholds, secondary hyperalgesia, and temporal summation) will be measured. Participants will be followed for a total of 24 weeks after treatment has concluded.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 116
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Ohio
    • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44109
      • MetroHealth Medical Center
  • Texas
    • Dallas, Texas, United States, 75390
      • Univerity of Texas Southwestern

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 21 years to 100 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Shoulder pain of >3 months
2. Age>=21
3. Worst pain in the last week>=4 (0-10 scale)
4. Ability to check skin and perform dressing changes, independently or with assistance
5. Stable dose of pain medication (Not taking more than than 1 opioid or 1 non-opioid analgesic)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Current shoulder joint or overlying skin infection, or current bacterial infection requiring antibiotics
2. Other chronic pain syndrome (Pain in another area of the body 15 or more days in the last 30 (more than half of the time) or taking daily analgesics for another pain syndrome)
3. Prior shoulder surgery to ipsilateral shoulder joint (glenohumeral, rotator cuff, acromioclavicular (AC) Joint, etc.)
4. Corticosteroid injection in the ipsilateral shoulder or any other pain relieving treatment in last 12 weeks
5. Uncontrolled bleeding disorder
6. Medical instability based on physician opinion after review of medical information
7. Pregnancy
8. Neurological condition affecting ipsilateral upper limb (such as central neurologic injury/illness, radiculopathy, diabetic amyotrophy, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, etc.)
9. Current Worker's compensation claim for the ipsilateral shoulder
10. Shoulder instability, severe glenohumeral osteoarthritis(OA) based on patient symptoms and physical examination
11. Ipsilateral shoulder injury due to severe trauma (Fall from greater than standing height; Motor vehicle crashes; Struck by vehicle or other fast-moving projectile (e.g., bullet, baseball, etc.); Assault (i.e., injuries intentionally inflicted by another person))
12. Current osseus fracture in ipsilateral arm
13. Ipsilateral upper limb amputation other than a single digit (digits 2-5, partial or full)
14. Surgical indication for shoulder treatment based on physician opinion
15. Compromised immune system (immunodeficiency or immunosuppression)
16. Current use of a Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) system, implanted active cardiac implant (e.g. pacemaker or defibrillator), any other implantable neuro-stimulator whose stimulus current pathway may overlap with that of the SPRINT System
17. Patients who have a tape or adhesive allergy
18. Contraindication to Magnetic resonance imaging (metal in body, claustrophobia, body habitus, etc) - exclude from Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) only

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Contraction Producing Peripheral Nerve Stimulation; This group will receive: 1) muscle contraction producing peripheral nerve stimulation treatment (which will produce muscle contraction) for three weeks (6 hours daily); and, 2) physical therapy.	Device: Contracting Producing Peripheral Nerve Stimulation; The stimulation system includes an external stimulator, percutaneous lead and pad. The stimulator snaps onto the pad. The pad has an embedded power source but also serves as the anode. The 1-channel stimulator outputs a biphasic current waveform with current pulse parameter ranges suitable for Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS). The percutaneous lead is inserted using an introducer (like a hypodermic needle) which is withdrawn and the lead is retained in the muscle by a barb at its tip. After a 1-week stabilization period, stimulation is initiated (6 hrs/day). The duty cycle and daily dose remain constant, but stimulus parameters may be adjusted by the research staff as deemed appropriate. The treatment period is 3 weeks after which the lead will be removed.; Other Names: Intramuscular Peripheral Nerve Stimulation; Intramuscular Electrical Nerve Stimulation; SMARTPATCH System; Other: Physical Therapy; All participants receive eight 1.0 hr. sessions of physical therapy (PT) over a 4-wk period from a therapist blinded to Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) treatment assignment. Each participant also performs home exercises. The primary objective of physical therapy (PT) and the home exercise program is to prevent re-injury by educating and training participants in the biomechanics and proper use of the shoulder and upper limb. During each in-lab session, participants are trained in the implementation of these exercises, which are individually adjusted and progressed with increasing external loads by using weights and elastic rubber bands.
Active Comparator: Non Contracting Producing Peripheral Nerve Stimulation; This group will receive: 1) non contraction producing peripheral nerve stimulation treatment (which will not produce muscle contraction) for three weeks (6 hours daily); and, 2) physical therapy.	Other: Physical Therapy; All participants receive eight 1.0 hr. sessions of physical therapy (PT) over a 4-wk period from a therapist blinded to Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) treatment assignment. Each participant also performs home exercises. The primary objective of physical therapy (PT) and the home exercise program is to prevent re-injury by educating and training participants in the biomechanics and proper use of the shoulder and upper limb. During each in-lab session, participants are trained in the implementation of these exercises, which are individually adjusted and progressed with increasing external loads by using weights and elastic rubber bands.; Device: Non Contracting Producing Peripheral Nerve Stimulation; The stimulation system includes an external stimulator, percutaneous lead and pad. The stimulator snaps onto the pad. The pad has an embedded power source but also serves as the anode. The 1-channel stimulator outputs a biphasic current waveform with current pulse parameter ranges suitable for Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS). The percutaneous lead is inserted using an introducer (like a hypodermic needle) which is withdrawn and the lead is retained in the muscle by a barb at its tip. After a 1-week stabilization period, stimulation is initiated (6 hrs/day). The duty cycle and daily dose remain constant, but stimulus parameters may be adjusted by the research staff as deemed appropriate. The treatment period is 3 weeks after which the lead will be removed.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in - Short Form (SF) Question 3 (BPI-SF3)	The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)has excellent psychometrics. The developers of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) recommend Brief Pain Inventory (BPI )3, the "pain worst" rating, as the primary response metric. The question asks participants to rate their worst pain in the prior 24-hours OR prior 7-day on a 0 to 10 Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), where "0" indicates "No pain" and "10" indicates "Pain as bad as you can imagine."	Prior 7-days] ; Baseline (week 1), End of Treatment(week 9), 12 weeks post treatment, 24 weeks post treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Activities of Daily Living(ADL( Capacity - Functional Impairment Test-Hand and Neck/Shoulder/Arm (FIT-HaNSA)	The Functional Impairment Test-Hand and Neck/Shoulder/Arm (FIT-HaNSA) is a laboratory based objective measure of ADL capacity. The Functional Impairment Test-Hand and Neck/Shoulder/Arm (FIT-HaNSA) is a timed test that provides a brief measure of functional ability of the upper limb while performing multi-level tasks that require grip/manipulation of the hand, elbow/shoulder reaching, sustained overhead work, and sustained positioning with an emphasis on assessing the limitations in functional capacity attributable to shoulder and neck disorders.The assessor measures the amount of time that the participant is able to perform each task using a stop watch. The task is completed 3 times- waist level, shoulder level, and eye level. Each task is continued for a maximum of 300 seconds or until a stopping criteria is reached. An overall summary score is calculated by averaging the time for the 3 tasks. Higher numbers indicate higher capacity (range 0-300 seconds).	Baseline (week 1), End of Treatment(week 5), 12 weeks post treatment, 24 weeks post treatment
Change in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Performance -Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI)	The Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) is a self-administered questionnaire that consists of two dimensions, one for pain and the other for functional activities. The questions ask severity of pain based on an 0-10 numerical Rating Scale where 0 = no pain and 10 = the worst pain imaginable. In addition, it asks how much difficulty the participant has on a numerical rating scale where 0 = no difficulty and 10 = so difficult it requires help. Total disability score: _____/ 80 x 100 = %. Total SPADI score: _____ 130 x 100 = % Higher numbers indicate a higher level of disability (range 0-100%).	Baseline (week 1), End of Treatment(week 5), 12 weeks post treatment, 24 weeks post treatment
Change in Quality of Life - Short Form - 12(QoL - SF 12)	Quality of life - Short form - 12 (QoL - SF 12) is a health related Quality of life (QoL) measure that assesses physical functioning, role limitation because of physical health problems, bodily pain, social functioning, general mental health, role. Scoring: Two summary scores are a mental component score (MCS-12) and a physical component score (PCS-12). The score ranges from 0 - 100 with higher scores indicating better health.	Baseline (week 1), End of Treatment(week 5), 12 weeks post treatment, 24 weeks post treatment

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Occurrence of Adverse events	Related adverse events are documented as Safety data.	Baseline (week 1), End of Treatment(week 5), 12 weeks post treatment, 24 weeks post treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: MetroHealth Medical Center
• Collaborators: University of Texas
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Richard D Wilson, MD, MetroHealth Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Arroll B, Goodyear-Smith F. Corticosteroid injections for painful shoulder: a meta-analysis. Br J Gen Pract. 2005 Mar;55(512):224-8.
• Johansson K, Oberg B, Adolfsson L, Foldevi M. A combination of systematic review and clinicians' beliefs in interventions for subacromial pain. Br J Gen Pract. 2002 Feb;52(475):145-52.
• van der Windt DA, Koes BW, de Jong BA, Bouter LM. Shoulder disorders in general practice: incidence, patient characteristics, and management. Ann Rheum Dis. 1995 Dec;54(12):959-64. doi: 10.1136/ard.54.12.959.
• Urwin M, Symmons D, Allison T, Brammah T, Busby H, Roxby M, Simmons A, Williams G. Estimating the burden of musculoskeletal disorders in the community: the comparative prevalence of symptoms at different anatomical sites, and the relation to social deprivation. Ann Rheum Dis. 1998 Nov;57(11):649-55. doi: 10.1136/ard.57.11.649.
• Johnson MP, Crossley KL, O'neil ME, Al-Zakwani IS. Estimates of Direct Health Care Expenditures Among Individuals With Shoulder Dysfunction in the United States J Ortho Sports Phys Ther 2005;35(1,A4).
• Cadogan A, Laslett M, Hing WA, McNair PJ, Coates MH. A prospective study of shoulder pain in primary care: prevalence of imaged pathology and response to guided diagnostic blocks. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2011 May 28;12:119. doi: 10.1186/1471-2474-12-119.
• Crawshaw DP, Helliwell PS, Hensor EM, Hay EM, Aldous SJ, Conaghan PG. Exercise therapy after corticosteroid injection for moderate to severe shoulder pain: large pragmatic randomised trial. BMJ. 2010 Jun 28;340:c3037. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c3037.
• Cummins CA, Sasso LM, Nicholson D. Impingement syndrome: temporal outcomes of nonoperative treatment. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2009 Mar-Apr;18(2):172-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2008.09.005. Epub 2008 Dec 18.
• Litaker D, Pioro M, El Bilbeisi H, Brems J. Returning to the bedside: using the history and physical examination to identify rotator cuff tears. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2000 Dec;48(12):1633-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2000.tb03875.x.
• Morrison DS, Frogameni AD, Woodworth P. Non-operative treatment of subacromial impingement syndrome. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1997 May;79(5):732-7. doi: 10.2106/00004623-199705000-00013.
• Cleland T, Jain NB, Chae J, Hansen KM, Hisel TZ, Gunzler DD, Whitehair VC, Kim CH, Wilson RD. The protocol for a multisite, double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of axillary nerve stimulation for chronic shoulder pain. Trials. 2020 Mar 6;21(1):248. doi: 10.1186/s13063-020-4174-x.

Helpful Links

• Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)Center
• Metrohealth clinic trials

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 1, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 21, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): June 21, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 20, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 21, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): November 26, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 17, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 2, 2025
• Last Verified: June 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: stimulation; Sprint; peripheral nerve stimulation
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Shoulder Injuries; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Wounds and Injuries; Pathologic Processes; Joint Diseases; Disease; Rupture; Tendon Injuries; Arthralgia; Rotator Cuff Injuries; Syndrome; Bursitis; Shoulder Pain; Shoulder Impingement Syndrome; Tendinopathy
• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB17-00643

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No