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

NCT05814978 | Completed

• 3 other identifiers: CE0108CSFRH/BD/140874/2018UIDB/05210/2020
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief 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.

Conditions

Shoulder Pain

Keywords

Shoulder pain; Scapular muscles; Scapular kinematics; Therapeutic exercise

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (8)

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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 Outcomes (5)

• Change in muscle stiffness

  Baseline and one week after intervention

• Change in pressure pain threshold

  Baseline and one week after intervention

• Change in pain-related fear

  Baseline and one week after intervention

• Change in pain catastrophization

  Baseline and one week after intervention

• Self-impression of change

  One week after intervention

Study Arms (1)

Experimental Scapular Therapeutic Exercise Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Patients in this group will perform therapeutic exercises, recommended for subjects with shoulder pain and focusing the neuromuscular control, stretching and/or strengthening of the scapular muscles

Other: Experimental Scapular Therapeutic Exercise Group

Interventions

Experimental Scapular Therapeutic Exercise Group OTHER

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.

Experimental Scapular Therapeutic Exercise Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• to 65 years old

You may not qualify if:

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

Sponsors & Collaborators

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

Study Sites (1)

Center for Rehabilitation Research, School of Health, Polytechnic of Porto

Porto, 4200 - 072, Portugal

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Shoulder Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Arthralgia; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Ana Melo

  Polytechnic Institute of Porto

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator - PhD grant student

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 17, 2023
• First Posted: April 18, 2023
• Study Start: April 20, 2023
• Primary Completion: August 31, 2023
• Study Completion: August 31, 2023
• Last Updated: July 30, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PT (1)