Maitland mobilisation improves all ranges of motion in non-traumatic shoulder injury: A randomised controlled trial.
Karishma C Lalwani-Mangtani, Álvaro Ramos-Luzardo, Ricardo Chirino and 2 others
PMID 42111624WHAT IT FOUND
Maitland mobilisation outperformed exercise-based therapy on pain, function and shoulder range of motion in 63 non-traumatic shoulders.
Both groups improved, but the gap between them was larger at the 2-week follow-up.
Key findings
01At the first post-treatment assessment, the Maitland group showed significantly greater improvements than the exercise group in flexion, external rotation, DASH and ASES scores.
02At follow-up, the Maitland group's advantage extended to nearly all measured variables, with the only exceptions being internal rotation and the SF-36 quality-of-life score.
03Both groups improved significantly on every measure, but the Maitland group's gains were broader and more sustained across pain, function and range of motion.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Participants ranged from 23 to 83 years old, so tissue response and recovery potential varied widely across the sample. Shoulder diagnoses were heterogeneous (rotator cuff tendinosis, bursitis, adhesive capsulitis, subacromial syndrome, bicipital tendinosis), so the result applies to non-traumatic shoulder pain as a group rather than to any single diagnosis. Follow-up was only 2 weeks after the last session, so nothing is known about whether the between-group advantage persists beyond that window. The same physiotherapist delivered all treatments and performed all assessments, so neither therapist nor patient could be blinded to group allocation. Single-centre study; the authors note that larger multicentre trials are needed to confirm the findings.
Declared interests
No specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that Maitland mobilisation alone beats exercise. Every patient in both groups received TENS, shortwave diathermy and therapeutic exercises in each session. The comparison is which additional technique to layer on top of that standard package, and the result applies to that specific combination.