Effects of Scapular Therapeutic Exercise on Essential Biomechanical and Neurophysiological Parameters in Shoulder Pain Conditions With Scapular Impairments

Shoulder Pain Clinical Trial

Official title:

Effects of Scapular Therapeutic Exercise on Essential Biomechanical and Neurophysiological Parameters in Shoulder Pain Conditions With Scapular Impairments

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05814978
• Other study ID #: CE0108C
• Secondary ID: SFRH/BD/140874/2
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 27, 2023
• Est. completion date: August 31, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: January 2024
• Source: Polytechnic Institute of Porto
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Shoulder pain is a prevalent and recurrent condition. After a period of shoulder pain, some adaptations could be found, as in scapular muscles and kinematics and/or in nervous system.

It seems important to assess several biomechanical and neurophysiological outcomes to better characterize shoulder pain conditions and to program an intervention plane.

Therapeutic exercise is one of the treatments used for shoulder pain, however there are still doubts and controversial findings regarding exercise focusing the scapular musculature. Thus, the present study aims to assess the effects of an intervention protocol based on scapular therapeutic exercise.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 20
• Est. completion date: August 31, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: August 31, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 65 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 to 65 years old

• Chronic (more than 3 months), continuously or intermittently, non-specific or associated with a diagnostic (except if mentioned in the exclusion criteria) shoulder pain of, at least, moderate intensity

• Presenting scapular alterations as scapular dyskinesis (identified at rest or during motion)

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of shoulder fracture, dislocation, tears, infection or neoplasm

• Shoulder surgery

• Cervical and/or thoracic pathologies or pain associated with active movements of these regions

• Neurological disease

• Body mass index out of the range 18,5-30 kg/m2 and muscular skinfold higher than 20mm

• Inability to perform the exercises

• Current practice of competitive/high-level exercise/sport focusing the upper limb

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Shoulder Pain

Intervention

Other:
• Experimental Scapular Therapeutic Exercise Group
All subjects will perform a program of scapular therapeutic exercises including: neuromuscular control/strength - scapular therapeutic exercises that leads to, at least, moderate muscular activity levels; and stretching exercises. The intervention period will be of 8 weeks, considering in-person and/or home sessions.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Portugal	Center for Rehabilitation Research, School of Health, Polytechnic of Porto	Porto

Sponsors (6)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Polytechnic Institute of Porto	Center for Interdisciplinary Applied Research in Health, Health School of the Setubal, Polytechnic Institute, Center for Rehabilitation Research - Human Movement System (Re)habilitation Area, Porto Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Health of Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Universidade do Porto

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Portugal, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in shoulder pain	The intensity of pain will be measured with a self-reported 11-point scale (Numerical Rating Pain Scale), with scores ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (maximum pain)	Baseline and one week after intervention
Primary	Change in shoulder function	Shoulder functional status will be measured with a self-reported 13 items scale (SPADI), which ranges from 0 (fully functional) to 100 (maximum degree of disability).	Baseline and one week after intervention
Primary	Change in scapular muscles activity levels	Scapular muscles activity levels, during shoulder analytical movements and during a functional task, will be recorded superficially by a wireless electromyographic signal detector system	Baseline and one week after intervention
Primary	Change in scapular muscles ratio	Ratio between scapular muscles activity levels, during shoulder analytical movements and during a functional task, will be calculated considered the superficially eletromyographic data measured by a wireless electromyographic signal detector system.	Baseline and one week after intervention
Primary	Change in kinematics	Scapular kinematics and scapulohumeral rhythm, during shoulder analytical movements and during a functional task, will be measured by inertial sensors and described in degrees (°)	Baseline and one week after intervention
Primary	Change in movement quality through time variables	Movement quality will be assessed considering time to peak acceleration and task completion time, calculated according to the data recorded with inertial sensors	Baseline and one week after intervention
Primary	Change in movement quality through trunk compensation	Movement quality will be also assessed considering the trunk motion, calculated according to the data recorded with inertial sensors	Baseline and one week after intervention
Primary	Change in movement quality through smoothness	Smoothness will be calculated by jerk logarithm of data recorded with inertial sensors	Baseline and one week after intervention
Secondary	Change in muscle stiffness	Scapular muscles stiffness will be assessed by myotonometry (using a digital palpation device)	Baseline and one week after intervention
Secondary	Change in pressure pain threshold	An assessment point in the shoulder area will be assessed by the application of a mechanical pressure by an algometer	Baseline and one week after intervention
Secondary	Change in pain-related fear	Assessed with self-reported scales - Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, which ranges from 13 (best) to 52 (worst)	Baseline and one week after intervention
Secondary	Change in pain catastrophization	Assessed with a self-reported scale - Pain Catastrophizing Scale, which ranges from 0 (better) to 52 (worst)	Baseline and one week after intervention
Secondary	Self-impression of change	The patient's individual perspective about his/her condition and changes felt considering the intervention received will be assessed by a self-reported scale - Patient global impression of change scale, which range from 0 [no change (or condition has got worse)] to 7 (a great deal better, and a considerable improvement that has made all the difference)	One week after intervention