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Published on: October 10, 2020
Changes in electromyographic activity of deltoid muscles in women with shoulder pain during a functional task
Juliana Buch Rufo1, Milene Eloise Callegari Ferreira1, Brenda Lima Camargo1
1Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG, Brazil.
Background:
Shoulder pain is one of the most common complaints of patients with musculoskeletal disorders in the shoulder and is usually caused by the Subacromial Impact Syndrome. Muscle imbalances can contribute to this syndrome leading to disorders that cause changes in muscle activity. The aim of this study was to determine whether pain causes changes in the electromyographic activity of the shoulder girdle muscles during an isometric task of arm elevation in the scapular plane.
Method:
This is a comparative observational study using a simple convenience sampling method, composed of 22 women aged (44 ± 10) who were divided into two groups: 11 women with shoulder pain and 11 women without shoulder pain. The muscle activity evaluation was performed using surface electromyography of the muscles: anterior deltoid, middle deltoid, upper trapezius and middle trapezius, during an isometric task of arm elevation in the scapular plane. Independent Samples t-Test was used to analyze and compare the normalized electromyography data.
Results:
Results revealed a significant increase in the activity of the anterior and middle deltoid muscles in women with shoulder pain compared to women without shoulder pain in the isometric task of arm elevation.
Conclusion:
It was concluded that the shoulder pain of the women evaluated caused changes in the activity of the anterior and middle deltoid muscles.

