Comparison of a retraction exercise and passive scapular lifting for acute scapular medial pain.
Won-Gyu Yoo
PMID 29410597WHAT IT FOUND
In this case, acute scapular medial pain stayed 5/10 and six times a month after two weeks of band retraction.
After two weeks of passive scapular lifting, it was 2/10 and about once a month.
Key findings
01After the first 2-week exercise period, the participant's pain frequency and 10-point pain score were unchanged.
02After the second 2-week exercise period, pain frequency decreased to about once a month and the 10-point pain score decreased to 2/10.
03This report describes a single participant, so the changes cannot show that either exercise produced the result.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only a single participant was studied, so the findings cannot show that either exercise works. The exercises were given in sequence, so the later change cannot be separated from time, order, or expectation. Pain was evaluated only after each session, and the paper does not describe randomization, blinding, or a control group. The discussion states that passive lifting offers effective control, but that is an interpretation from a single participant, not a tested comparison.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea, funded by the Ministry of Education.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that passive scapular lifting relieves acute scapular medial pain. This report describes a single participant, the exercises were given in sequence, and pain was evaluated after each period.