Effects of Nunchaku Exercise for Improving Frozen Shoulder

NCT07486193 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: FS_nun_1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate if nunchaku exercise works to treat adhesive capsulitis, or frozen shoulder in middle-aged or older adults. It will also learn about the adherence of this exercise intervention. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does practicing nunchaku exercises help reduce shoulder pain and improve shoulder movement?
• Do people stick with nunchaku exercises better, and spend more time practicing on their own, compared with standard exercises for alleviating frozen-shoulder? Researchers will compare nunchaku exercise to standard exercises for alleviating frozen-shoulder to see if nunchaku exercise works to alleviate frozen shoulder. Participants will:
• Join small group exercise classes for 12 weeks, doing either nunchaku based exercises or standard exercises designed to help relieve frozen shoulder.
• Have their shoulder pain and movement checked three times:
• before training
• after 6 weeks of training,
• after finishing the 12 week program, and
• 12 weeks after the program ends.
• Keep a record of their home practice time.

Conditions

Adhesive Capsulitis

Keywords

Frozen Shoulder; Nunchaku exercise; adhesive capsulitis

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI)

  SPADI will be used to assess shoulder pain and functional limitations during daily living activities. SPADI, comprising 5 items to assess pain and 8 to assess disability, is widely used to evaluate the negative impact of frozen shoulder. Its Chinese version has been validated in China with good internal consistency and reliability

  From enrollment to the end of follow-up period at 24 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Visual Analog Scale for Pain (VAS)

  From enrollment to the end of follow-up period at 24 weeks

• Constant-Murley Score (CMS)

  From enrollment to the end of follow-up period at 24 weeks

• Pain-free Range of Motion (ROM)

  From enrollment to the end of follow-up period at 24 weeks

• Enjoyment of intervention

  From mid-intervention at 6 weeks to to the end of follow-up period at 24 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Shoulder Mobilization and Stretching Exercise (SMSE)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Behavioral: Shoulder Mobilization and Stretching Exercise (SMSE)

Nunchaku Exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Nunchaku Exercise

Interventions

Shoulder Mobilization and Stretching Exercise (SMSE) BEHAVIORAL

Participants in this group will be offered a 12-week rehabilitation program consisting of two 60-minute sessions per week. This program has been designed by a registered physiotherapist in accordance with the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong's self-care guidelines. Each session includes joint mobilization exercises, end-range stretching using a towel or stick, and muscle-strengthening and stabilizing exercises. The training will be conducted in small groups by trained exercise instructors, and you will be encouraged to continue practicing these exercises independently at home between sessions.

Shoulder Mobilization and Stretching Exercise (SMSE)

Nunchaku Exercise BEHAVIORAL

Participants randomized to the Nunchaku Exercise group will participate in a 12-week training program consisting of two 60-minute sessions per week. To prioritize safety and minimize the risk of injury, you will use a soft towel with a knot at each end to simulate nunchaku movements (Figure 1). The training focuses on the level one syllabus of the standard nunchaku system, which involves rhythmic multi-angle movements, such as figure-eight trajectories and alternating hand transfers. Classes will be conducted in small groups by certified coaches from the Hong Kong Nunchaku Association, and you will be encouraged to perform these exercises independently at home between sessions.

Nunchaku Exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 45 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Ethnic Chinese;
• Age 45 years or above;
• Diagnosed with Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder) and currently in the thawing stage.

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of secondary causes of shoulder stiffness, including recent trauma, post-surgical stiffness, or structural lesions such as full-thickness rotator cuff tears or severe glenohumeral arthritis;
• Receipt of recent shoulder treatments known to influence short-term outcomes, including corticosteroid injections within the past three months, hydrodilatation, manipulation under anesthesia, arthroscopic capsular release within the past six months, or structured shoulder physiotherapy within the past three months;
• Presence of somatic conditions that limit their ability to participate safely in exercise (e.g., inability to walk without an assistive device).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chinese University of Hong Kong: lead

Study Sites (1)

Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Bursitis

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases

Central Study Contacts

Angus Pak-Hung Yu, PhD

CONTACT

(852) 39435253; phayu@cuhk.edu.hk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Because of the nature of the exercise interventions, blinding participants and instructors to group assignments is not feasible. To reduce bias, outcome assessments will be conducted by research staff and registered physiotherapists who are independent of the enrolment process and remain unaware of group assignments. During assessments, participants will be instructed not to disclose their group allocation.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Research Assistant Professor

Model Details: This study is a two-arm, parallel-group, assessor-blinded, single-center, randomized controlled trial. Individuals who express interest will be invited to a semi-structured interview to determine eligibility. A medical doctor will confirm the diagnosis and stage of adhesive capsulitis. Informed consent will be obtained prior to any outcome assessments. Following baseline assessments, eligible participants will be randomized to either the shoulder mobilization and stretching exercise group (SMSE) or the nunchaku exercise group (NE) for a 12-week intervention. Outcome assessments will be conducted at four time points: baseline (week 0), mid-intervention (week 6), post-intervention (week 12), and follow-up (week 24), the latter occurring 12 weeks after completion of the intervention.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 17, 2026
• First Posted: March 20, 2026
• Study Start: April 14, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Last Updated: April 17, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Locations

HK (1)