Exercise Into Pain in Subacromial Shoulder Pain

Exercise Into Pain in Subacromial Shoulder Pain: a Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of the randomized clinical trial is to investigate if "exercising into pain" gives better results in term of clinical outcomes compared to a non-painful exercise program.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: exercising into pain; Other: exercising with no/slight pain

Detailed Description

Exercise therapy is the first choice of treatment in the treatment of subacromial shoulder pain (SSP). Guidelines suggest exercise therapy for at least three months and research underlines the importance of progressive loaded exercise therapy at high dosage. However, it is not clear which is the best type of exercise and if pain should be provoked or avoided during exercise. Recent research found that painful exercises are beneficial in short term on pain and function in patients with different kinds of chronic musculoskeletal pain. The aim is to investigate if one painful exercise can give better and faster results in the management of SSP than non-painful program.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 43
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Antwerp, Belgium
    • Physiotherapy private practices

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• shoulder pain for at least 3 months, elicited in the anterolateral shoulder region
• at least 3 out of 5 of the following tests positive: Neer test, Hawkins-Kennedy, Jobe, painful arc, external resistance test
• resting pain should be at 2/10 maximum on verbal numerical pain rating scale (NPRS)

Exclusion Criteria:

• bilateral shoulder pain
• corticosteroid injections 6 weeks prior to the study
• pregnancy, inability to understand spoken or written Dutch
• clinical signs of full-thickness rotator cuff tears (positive external and internal rotation lag tests and drop arm test)
• evidence of adhesive capsulitis
• previous cervical, thoracic or shoulder surgery; recent fractures or dislocations on the painful shoulder
• primary complaint of spinal pain or signs of central nervous system involvement or signs of cervical nerve root involvement; reproduction of shoulder pain with cervical rotation or axial compression
• primary diagnosis of acromioclavicular pathology, shoulder instability
• a radiologically confirmed fracture or previous medical imaging confirming the presence of calcification larger than 5 mm
• presence of competing pathologies (inflammatory arthritis, neurological disorders, fibromyalgia, malignancy, psychiatric illness, osteoporosis, hemophilia, rheumatic polymyalgia)
• more than 4h of training in sport overhead shoulder activities per week

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: exercising into pain; The participants will train during 12 with progressive loaded exercises, three times per week. There are 9 sessions of supervised physiotherapy treatment, lasting 30 minutes, while the rest of the sessions is conducted as home exercises. There are 4 strengthening exercises, including 2 in closed kinetic chain exercises and 2 executed with the elastic band or with dumbbell/weight. One exercise will be performed with pain ranging between 4 and 7 on a NPRS (Numeric Pain Rating Scale) and the rest of the exercises will be performed with no/slight pain, ranging between 0 and 2 on NPRS. At week 9, patients will continue to exercise with pain between 0 and 2 in all exercises. 10/15 minutes of manual therapy (posterior capsular release) will be applied during the physiotherapy session.	Other: exercising into pain; the intervention consists in 4 strength exercises: one will be performed into pain (ranging between 4 and 7 on NPRS scale) and the rest between 0 adn 2 on a NPRS scale
Active Comparator: exercising with no/slight pain; The participants will train during 12 weeks with progressive loaded exercises, three times per week. There are 9 sessions of supervised physiotherapy treatment, lasting 30 minutes, while the rest of the sessions is conducted as home exercises. There are 4 strengthening exercises, including 2 in closed kinetic chain exercises and 2 executed with the elastic band or with dumbbell/weight. All the exercises will be performed with no/slight pain, ranging between 0 and 2 on NPRS. 10/15 minutes of manual therapy (posterior capsular release) will be applied during the physiotherapy session.	Other: exercising with no/slight pain; the intervention consists in 4 strength exercises and all of them will be performed in no pain/slight pain (between 0 and 2 on NPRS scale)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI)	There are 13 items, divided in two subscales: pain (5 items) and function (8 items). Each item is scored from 0 (no pain/no difficulty) to 10 (worst imaginable pain/so difficult it requires help) on a NPRS. The final score is a percentage derived from an average of the two subscales, where higher score means worse outcome.	Change from baseline to 12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI)	There are 13 items, divided in two subscales: pain (5 items) and function (8 items). Each item is scored from 0 (no pain/no difficulty) to 10 (worst imaginable pain/so difficult it requires help) on a NPRS. The final score is a percentage derived from an average of the two subscales, where higher score means worse outcome.	Change from baseline to 6 months
Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)	It measures pain at rest, during activity, during night, in the past 24 hours. It is measured on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0=no pain, 100=worst imaginable pain.	Change from baseline to 6 months
Health-Related Quality of Life	It is measured with: 1) EQ-5D-5L (EuroQol-5 dimentions-5 levels) index: score range from less than 0 (0=value of health state equivalent to dead; negative values indicate state worse than dead) to 1 (the value of full health), with higher scores indicating higher health; 2) EQ-5D VAS (EuroQol-5 dimentions-Visual Analogue Scale), from 0 to 100 score, with 0=lowest health-related quality of life, 100=best health-related quality of life)	Change from baseline to 12 weeks
Health-Related Quality of Life	It is measured with: 1) EQ-5D-5L (EuroQol-5 dimentions-5 levels) index: score range from less than 0 (0=value of health state equivalent to dead; negative values indicate state worse than dead) to 1 (the value of full health), with higher scores indicating higher health; 2) EQ-5D VAS (EuroQol-5 dimentions-Visual Analogue Scale), from 0 to 100 score, with 0=lowest health-related quality of life, 100=best health-related quality of life)	Change from baseline to 6 months
Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ)	It consists of 16 items and it has 2 subscales: Physical Activity (FABQ-PA, range: 0-24) and Work (FABQ-W, range: 0-42) higher scores mean more fear avoidance beliefs affecting physical activity and/or work.	Change from baseline to 12 weeks
Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ)	It consists of 16 items and it has 2 subscales: Physical Activity (FABQ-PA, range: 0-24) and Work (FABQ-W, range: 0-42) higher scores mean more fear avoidance beliefs affecting physical activity and/or work.	Change from baseline to 6 months
Fear of Pain Questionnaire (FPQ-9)	It is a shortened version of the Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III. The total score ranges between 9 and 45; higher scores mean more fear and anxiety associated with pain.	Change from baseline to 12 weeks
Fear of Pain Questionnaire (FPQ-9)	It is a shortened version of the Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III. The total score ranges between 9 and 45; higher scores mean more fear and anxiety associated with pain.	Change from baseline to 6 months
Range of Movement (ROM) in internal rotation, external rotation, scaption	It is measured with the inclinometer. The unit of measure is degrees.	Change from baseline to 12 weeks
Range of Movement (ROM) in internal rotation, external rotation, scaption	It is measured with the inclinometer. The unit of measure is degrees.	Change from baseline to 6 months
Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) in internal rotation, external rotation, scaption	It is measured with the Hand-Held Dynamometer. The unit of measure is Newtons.	Change from baseline to 12 weeks
Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) in internal rotation, external rotation, scaption	It is measured with the Hand-Held Dynamometer. The unit of measure is Newtons.	Change from baseline to 6 months
Scapular Dyskinesis	It is measured with visual observation at rest and during movement (loaded and unloaded, in abduction and in flexion); the presence of winging, tilting or abnormal scapular movement determines the judgement about scapular dyskinesis (yes/no) at rest and during movement	Change from baseline to 12 weeks
Scapular Dyskinesis	It is measured with visual observation at rest and during movement (loaded and unloaded, in abduction and in flexion); the presence of winging, tilting or abnormal scapular movement determines the judgement about scapular dyskinesis (yes/no) at rest and during movement	Change from baseline to 6 months
Scapular Correction	it is measured with the reduction of symptoms during 2 tests: 2) the scapular assistance test (SAT); if the pain reduces after the SAT, the test is considered positive; 3) scapular retraction test (SRT); if the pain reduces after the SRT, the test is considered positive.	Change from baseline to 12 weeks
Scapular Correction	it is measured with the reduction of symptoms during 2 tests: 2) the scapular assistance test (SAT); if the pain reduces after the SAT, the test is considered positive; 3) scapular retraction test (SRT); if the pain reduces after the SRT, the test is considered positive.	Change from baseline to 6 months
Acromiohumeral Distance	it is measured with the Ultrasound at 0 and 60 degrees of elevation in the scapular plane (in millimeters)	Change from baseline to 12 weeks
Acromiohumeral Distance	it is measured with the Ultrasound at 0 and 60 degrees of elevation in the scapular plane (in millimeters)	Change from baseline to 6 months
Coracohumeral distance	it is measured with the Ultrasound at 0 and 60 degrees of elevation in the scapular plane (in millimeters)	Change from baseline to 12 weeks
Coracohumeral distance	it is measured with the Ultrasound at 0 and 60 degrees of elevation in the scapular plane (in millimeters)	Change from baseline to 6 months
Supraspinatus Tendon Thickness	it is measured with the Ultrasound in Crass position (in millimeters)	Change from baseline to 12 weeks
Supraspinatus Tendon Thickness	it is measured with the Ultrasound in Crass position (in millimeters)	Change from baseline to 6 months
Subscapularis Tendon Thickness	it is measured with the Ultrasound in maximal external rotation (in millimeters)	Change from baseline to 12 weeks
Subscapularis Tendon Thickness	it is measured with the Ultrasound in maximal external rotation (in millimeters)	Change from baseline to 6 months
Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)	It measures pain during activity, during night, in the past 24 hours. It is measured on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0=no pain, 100=worst imaginable pain.	Change from baseline to 12 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Global perceived effect (GPE)	It is measured on a 7-Likert Scale, ranging from 1 (way much better) to 7 (way much worse); higher scores mean worst global perceived effect.	12 weeks
Adherence	It is analysed in terms of attendance to the physiotherapist-led sessions and adherence to the home-exercise protocol. Good level of adherence is defined by: attendance of 7/9 (80%) of physiotherapist led-sessions and 22/27 (80%) days of home-exercises completed.	12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universiteit Antwerpen
• Collaborators: University of Southern Denmark; University of Malaga; Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Filip Struyf, Professor, Universiteit Antwerpen

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 30, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 15, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): December 15, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 20, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 11, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): September 17, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 2, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 1, 2024
• Last Verified: August 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: exercise therapy; shoulder pain; subacromial impingement syndrome
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Wounds and Injuries; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Shoulder Injuries; Arthralgia; Shoulder Impingement Syndrome; Shoulder Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: 18/34/379 (RCT)

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No