Comparison of Manual Therapy Technique to Therapeutic Exercise in the Treatment of Patients With Subacromial Impingement Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of manual therapy to therapeutic exercise on shoulder pain, disability, and range of motion (ROM) in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome (SAIS).

Methods

Sixty patients with SAIS were randomly assigned into the manual therapy (MT) and therapeutic exercise (TE) groups. Patients in the MT group were treated with joint mobilization, which was applied to the glenohumeral, acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular and scapulothoracic joints, and trigger point (TrP) inactivation using ischemic compression. Patients in the TE group performed therapeutic exercises. Shoulder pain, disability and active ROM (elevation, external rotation, and internal rotation) were assessed by the visual analog scale, the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index, and a goniometer, respectively. The outcomes were measured at baseline, after the intervention, and 1 month after the intervention.

Results

After the treatment, both groups had significant improvements in shoulder pain, disability, and ROM (P < .05). The MT group experienced a greater reduction in shoulder pain than the TE group (P < .001). However, in disability and ROM, both groups exhibited similar improvements in post-treatment and follow-up periods.

Conclusion

Both MT and TE were effective in improving shoulder pain, disability, and ROM in patients with SAIS. Greater improvement in shoulder pain was observed in the MT group.