A comparative study of exercise therapy and physiotherapy in improving shoulder pain, posture, muscle strength, flexibility and range of motion in patients with shoulder overuse syndrome

Objectives: To determine the effect of exercise therapy on pain, posture, flexibility, shoulder mobility in patients with shoulder overuse syndrome in comparison with conventional physiotherapy.

Method: The study was designed as a randomized clinical trial in 69 patients with shoulder overuse syndrome who were randomly assigned in two groups of exercise therapy (ET) (n=33) and physiotherapy (PT) (n=35). All participants received 18 sessions of exercise therapy or conventional physiotherapy. Pain, shoulders' range of abduction and external rotation, shoulder protraction, scapular rotation and symmetry as well as postural assessment including the forward shoulder and head, mid thoracic curvature and Pectoralis minor length were evaluated. All measurements were done pre and post intervention.
Results: Our findings indicate an increase in abduction and external rotation range, improvement the forward shoulder and increase in the shoulder flexibility of the involved shoulder in both groups but significant difference was observed in exercise therapy group. Pain reduction was showed in both groups and there was no significant difference between them. Protraction of the shoulder, forward head posture and mid thoracic curvature revealed a significant improvement in exercise therapy group.An apparent changes occurred in scapular rotation and symmetry in both groups but no significant differences were observed between them.
Conclusions:The findings of this study indicated in pain reduction, increasing of abduction and external rotation range, improvement of head , shoulder, scapula and mid thoracic posture and also increasing in involved shoulder flexibility after 6 weeks exercise therapy.
Keywords: Shoulder Overuse Syndromes, Posture, Exercise Therapy, Physiotherapy, Randomized Clinical Trial.