N/A
N=12
Exercise Into Pain in Chronic Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain: a Prospective Single-Group Feasibility Study
Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
Bottom Line
View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04154345 ↗Enrolled (actual)
12
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
Jun 2025
Primary outcome: Primary: Rate of Adherence (Physiotherapy Session) — 7 Participants
Study Design & Population
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- N/A
- Interventions
- Exercise therapy (exercising into pain) (Other)
- Age
- Adult, Older Adult · 18+ yrs
- Sex
- All
- Sponsor
- Universiteit Antwerpen
- Primary completion
- May 2020
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Rate of Adherence (Physiotherapy Session) |
7 | — |
| PRIMARY Rate of Adherence (Adherence Home Exercises) |
4 | — |
| PRIMARY Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) |
29.3 | — |
| SECONDARY Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ-PA) |
1.5 | — |
| SECONDARY Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ-W) |
3 | — |
| SECONDARY Fear of Pain Questionnaire (FPQ-9) |
— | — |
| SECONDARY Passive Range of Motion (ROM) in External Rotation |
4 | — |
| SECONDARY Passive ROM in Internal Rotation |
1 | — |
| SECONDARY Passive ROM in Scaption |
27 | — |
| SECONDARY Active ROM in External Rotation |
6 | — |
| SECONDARY Active ROM in Internal Rotation |
-4 | — |
| SECONDARY Active ROM in Scaption |
24 | — |
| SECONDARY Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) in External Rotation |
14.55 | — |
| SECONDARY MVC in Internal Rotation |
26.64 | — |
| SECONDARY MVC in Scaption |
6.54 | — |
Summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate a) the feasibility of applying a painful exercise program in the treatment of subacromial shoulder pain and b) the time needed to collect clinical outcomes for a future randomized controlled trial.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- Age 18-65 years
- Shoulder pain for at least 3 months
- Pain in the antero-lateral shoulder region
- At least 3 out of 5 of the following tests positive: Neer test, Hawkins-Kennedy, Jobe, painful arc between 60° and 120°, external resistance test
- Resting pain should be at 2/10 maximum on verbal NRS scale
- All types of occupations were included: students, workers (including overhead workers or heavy duty workers), people on sick leave and retired people
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 (50% or more than 30° loss of passive external rotation)
- Previous cervical, thoracic or shoulder surgery; recent fractures or dislocations on the painful shoulder
- Symptoms of cervical radiculopathy as primary complaint (tingling, radiating pain in the arm associated with neck complaints)
- Primary diagnosis of acromioclavicular pathology, shoulder instability
- A radiologically confirmed fracture or presence of calcification larger than 5 mm
- Presence of competing pathologies (inflammatory arthritis, neurological disorders, fibromyalgia, malignancy)
- More than 4h of training in sport overhead shoulder activities per week
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04154345). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.