A self-managed single exercise programme versus usual physiotherapy treatment for rotator cuff tendinopathy: a...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Rotator cuff tendinopathy is a common cause of shoulder pain and disability.
• Physiotherapy is a standard treatment, but self-management options are being explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical effectiveness of a self-managed single exercise program against usual physiotherapy for rotator cuff tendinopathy.

Main Methods:

• A multi-center, pragmatic, unblinded, parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted.
• Patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy received either a self-managed exercise program or usual physiotherapy.
• The primary outcome was the Shoulder Pain & Disability Index (SPADI) at three months.

Main Results:

• 60 patients completed the intention-to-treat analysis (27 self-managed, 33 usual physiotherapy).
• No significant difference in SPADI scores was found between the self-managed and usual physiotherapy groups at three, six, or twelve months.
• Mean difference in SPADI at three months was 3.2 (95% CI -6.0 to 12.4, P=0.49).

Conclusions:

• A self-management program based on a single exercise is comparable to usual physiotherapy for rotator cuff tendinopathy.
• The study did not find sufficient evidence to support the superiority of one intervention over the other in the short-, mid-, or long-term.