Investigation of the Effects of Kettlebell Training

NCT07289893 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: 30.01.2024
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 38
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

Kettlebell exercises are seen as one of the approaches that can be used conservatively in individuals with shoulder pain. However, it is still unknown what results it has on its therapeutic effects. These findings highlight the need for higher quality studies evaluating the effects of kettlebell use and exercises for shoulder pain. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 8 weeks of kettlebell training on shoulder pain, function, and performance. The hypotheses of our study are as follows:

• H1: In individuals with Rotator Cuff-Related Shoulder Pain, the improvement in shoulder-related pain perception is greater with Kettlebell training compared to the standard rehabilitation program.
• H2: In individuals with Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain, shoulder function improvement is greater with Kettlebell training compared to the standard rehabilitation program.
• H3: In individuals with Rotator Cuff-Related Shoulder Pain, shoulder performance improvement is greater with Kettlebell training than with the standard rehabilitation program.

Conditions

Shoulder Pain; Rotator Cuff Injuries

Keywords

Kettlebell Exercises

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI)

  It is a self-report questionnaire that measures pain and disability in the shoulder. It consists of 13 items in 2 subscales: pain (5 items) and disability (8 items). Items for both subscales are measured with visual analog scales ranging from 0 (no pain or difficulty) to 10 (worst pain imaginable or difficult enough to require assistance).

  0th and 8th Week

• Seated Single-Arm Shot-Put Test

  Participants are placed in a position that does not restrict arm movement on the test side. In this position, they are instructed to hold a 3 kg ball in their hands at shoulder level with pain. Thus, from this initial positioning the participant pushes the ball as far as possible without noticing any compensation with the body. The evaluator administers the test independently and requests 3 applications at the participant's maximum capacity, with verbal stimulation and 1 minute rest between repetitions, and the average of these 3 applications is calculated.

  0th and 8th Week

• Upper Extremity Y Balance Test

  For testing; The mechanism is established by combining 1.5 meter (m) lines in the medial, inferolateral and superolateral directions at appropriate angles. For the test, participants are asked to come into a push-up position and reach in all three directions with their free hands. Maximum reach distance will be recorded in centimeters (cm). In order to normalize the reach distances according to the limb length, the maximum values in each direction are summed, divided by 3 times the limb length and multiplied by 100.

  0th and 8th Week

• Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test

  Individuals will be positioned in a push-up position with their bodies aligned in a straight line when viewed from the side, with a distance of 90 cm between their hands. Athletes will be asked to touch the dominant hand to the dorsum of the other hand within 15 seconds, and the total number of repetitions is recorded. The tests are repeated three times with a 45-second rest between tests and the average of the results is recorded.

  0th and 8th Week

• Evaluation of Shoulder Isometric Muscle Strength

  Values resulting from isometric contraction will be recorded in kg. Muscle strength measurements will be evaluated bilaterally, in three repetitions, for 5 seconds. The average value of the triplicate results obtained will be recorded.

  0th and 8th Week

• Evaluation of Hand Grip Strength

  Measurements were made while the individuals were standing, with the elbow and wrist in full extension. Measurements are repeated three times at 5-second intervals on the dominant and non-dominant hands (first right, then left and right again, etc.) and recorded in kilograms, and then their average is taken.

  0th and 8th Week

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Global Rating of Change (GROC)

  0th and 8th Week

Study Arms (2)

Exercise Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Kettlebell Exercise Group

Other: Kettlebell Exercise

Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Standard Rehabilitation Group

Other: Standard Exercise

Interventions

Kettlebell Exercise OTHER

8-week Kettlebell Exercises compare with 8-week Standard Rehabilitation Program

Exercise Group

Standard Exercise OTHER

8-week Standard Rehabilitation Program compare with 8-week Kettlebell Exercises

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Individuals who are willing to participate and have been doing licensed/unlicensed amateur or professional sports for at least 3 years,
• Individuals with Tegner Activity Scale ≥ 5,
• A history of shoulder pain of at least 6 weeks,
• At least 3 points measured using the 0 to 10 point Numerical Pain Scale (NPS),
• Shoulder pain that worsens with resisted shoulder flexion, abduction or external rotation,
• Rotator cuff tendinopathies,
• Tears smaller than 1 cm,
• Secondary shoulder instability without major trauma (due to rotator cuff muscle weakness, etc.)

You may not qualify if:

• History of fracture and/or surgery in the shoulder area,
• Adhesive capsulitis,
• Those with passive joint range of motion deficit,
• Individuals with a positive Apprehension Test and/or Sulcus Sign test and multidirectional shoulder instability,
• Numbness or tingling in the upper extremity with cervical compression test or upper extremity compression test,
• Systemic or neurological disease,
• Corticosteroid injection within 3 months before the intervention,
• Physical therapy in the 6 months before the intervention,
• Those with a history of dislocation and subluxation,
• Those who are pregnant,
• Those who did not participate in the study for 2 consecutive sessions

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hacettepe University: lead

Study Sites (2)

Hacettepe University

Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)

NOT YET RECRUITING

Fenerbahce University

Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Shoulder Pain; Rotator Cuff Injuries

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Arthralgia; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Rupture; Wounds and Injuries; Shoulder Injuries; Tendon Injuries

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: QUADRUPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Prof

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 4, 2025
• First Posted: December 17, 2025
• Study Start: November 25, 2024
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2025
• Study Completion: April 1, 2026
• Last Updated: December 17, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (2)