Shoulder and Scapular Function Before and After a Scapular Therapeutic Exercise Program for Chronic Shoulder Pain and...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Scapular adaptations are linked to shoulder pain, but intervention outcomes are inconsistent.
• Scapular dyskinesis may influence shoulder pain and function.
• Evaluating specific scapular exercise programs is crucial for understanding their impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess scapula-related outcomes before and after a personalized scapular therapeutic exercise program.
• To investigate changes in self-reported and performance-based measures in adults with chronic shoulder pain.

Main Methods:

• Eighteen adult volunteers with chronic shoulder pain underwent an 8-week personalized scapular therapeutic exercise program.
• The program included neuromotor control, strengthening, and stretching exercises tailored to individual conditions.
• Outcomes measured included shoulder pain/function, psychosocial factors, scapular muscle activity, stiffness, and 3D motion during a functional task.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions in shoulder pain and pain catastrophizing, alongside improvements in shoulder function.
• Positive changes in scapular winging, increased downward rotation and depression, and decreased global movement smoothness.
• Alterations in serratus anterior, trapezius, and levator scapulae muscle activity, with decreased middle trapezius stiffness.

Conclusions:

• A personalized scapular therapeutic exercise program can yield significant improvements in both subjective and objective outcomes for chronic shoulder pain.
• The program effectively modulated scapular kinematics and muscle activation patterns.
• Further validation through randomized controlled trials is recommended to confirm these findings.