NCT04777370

Combined Effects of Manual Therapy on the Shoulder

Are There Differences in Range of Motion, Glenohumeral Translation, and Rotator Cuff Activity Following Shoulder Mobilization, Stretching, or Thoracic Manipulation?

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Hartford · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Interventions including glenohumeral mobilization, sleeper stretches, and thoracic manipulation have been proposed for individuals with loss of shoulder range of motion (ROM). However, the effect of these interventions on shoulder ROM, joint translation, and muscular activity have not been studied in combination.

Detailed description

Forty individuals with a loss of internal rotation (IR) ROM will be recruited and randomized to one of two interventions at the first session: either posterior glenohumeral mobilization or internal rotation "sleeper" stretching. At the second visit, all participants will undergo a thoracic manipulation (T3-4 segment) followed by a repeat of either the sleeper stretch or glenohumeral mobilization.

Conditions

• Range of Motion
• Manual Therapies
• Shoulder Joint Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	posterior glide mobilization	The participant will be positioned supine on a plinth, with their scapula stabilized against a firm wedge on the table, and the shoulder joint in the resting position (approx. 55 degrees abduction, 30 degrees horizontal adduction, and slight external rotation). With the extremity held in the same position, the researcher will then apply a grade III (into tissue stretch) PG mobilization. This will consist of five 30-second bouts of sustained gr III posterior glide mobilizations.
OTHER	Sleeper stretch	All participants randomized to the stretching group will perform five 30-second holds of the sleeper stretch. This is performed by lying on the side to be stretched, elevating the upper arm to 90° on the support surface with the elbow bent 90°, then passively internally rotating the shoulder with force provided by with the opposite arm.
OTHER	thoracic manipulation	Individuals will then undergo a single supine grade V thrust manipulation. All manipulations will take place at the T3-4 segment. If a cavitation ("pop") is not heard or felt by either the subject or examiner, a second thrust will be performed.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-03-31
• Primary completion: 2021-06-30
• Completion: 2021-06-30
• First posted: 2021-03-02
• Last updated: 2021-07-07

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States