Effectiveness of Scapular Stabilization Versus Non-Stabilization Stretching on Shoulder Range of Motion, a Randomized Clinical Trial.
Alan J Howell, Andrew Burchett, Nicholas Heebner and 4 others
PMID 35693853WHAT IT FOUND
Stabilized scapular stretching improved shoulder motion more than non-stabilized stretching in patients with shoulder pain.
Pain and function did not clearly differ between groups, though both improved after treatment.
Key findings
01Stabilized scapular stretching produced greater gains in shoulder flexion, horizontal adduction, and internal rotation than non-stabilized stretching.
02Both stretching groups improved Penn Shoulder Score, but stabilized stretching did not improve function more than non-stabilized stretching.
03Pain showed a group by time difference, but pairwise comparisons did not show a clear group difference.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 16 patients were studied, 8 in each group, although the planned sample was 12 in each group. The study was stopped as underpowered because stabilized stretching was already standard care in the clinic. The work was done in one privately owned physical therapy clinic by a therapist with over 30 years of experience who was interested in the technique. The treating physical therapist was not blind to group assignment, although an assistant recorded measurements to reduce bias. All patients received high voltage pulsed electrical stimulation before stretching, cryotherapy after stretching, and the same home exercise program, so the independent effect of scapular stabilization cannot be separated. Baseline horizontal adduction differed between groups. No long-term follow-up was performed after the third visit. Pain was relatively low at baseline, and the study measured only immediate changes across three sessions.
Declared interests
The authors reported no financial affiliation or involvement with any commercial organization with a direct financial interest, except disclosures in an attachment.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that scapular stabilization during stretching alone caused the improvements. Every patient also received high voltage pulsed electrical stimulation before stretching, cryotherapy after stretching, and the same home exercise program. Only 16 patients were studied.