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NCT Number: NCT07316946

Effects of Neuromuscular Taping on Shoulder Pain and Function in Pitchers: A Clinical Trial

Effects of Neuromuscular Taping on Shoulder Pain and Function in Pitchers: A Clinical Trial

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Key information

Conditions

Shoulder Pain Arthralgia Joint Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

About this study

Randomized clinical trial 2 arms

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • age over 18 years
  • compete in a sport that involves overhead movement patterns
  • train at least 2 hours per week
  • shoulder pain lasting more than six weeks
  • shoulder pain related to sports activity
  • understand Spanish fluently enough to complete the questionnaire assessment.

Exclusion criteria

  • presence of red flags that could suggest fractures, dislocations, or complete tendon ruptures, among others
  • neurological pathologies
  • other severe pathologies such as inflammatory arthritis, frozen shoulder
  • having received corticosteroid injections or physiotherapy treatment in the last six months
  • presence of previous surgeries
  • pregnancy
  • cognitive deficits that could limit the comprehension of the questionnaires or the physical evaluation
  • skin problems that would be a contraindication for any type of bandage.

Treatment and study plan

experimental group

Other

The experimental group will receive a multilayer neuromuscular taping application using kinesiotape, consisting of the placement of two longitudinal strips in the direction of the lower trapezius, applied with tension close to 100% of the tape's elastic capacity. During the application, participants will be asked to activate the scapular depressor and retractor muscles.

Additionally, two other longitudinal strips will be applied from the anterior portion of the humeral head toward the scapular spine, also with tension close to 100%. During this application, participants will be asked to activate the rotator cuff through a posteroanterior push of the humeral head.

Placebo Group

Other

The placebo group will receive the same taping, with an identical arrangement of the strips, but without applying any tension (0%) to them. In addition, participants will not receive any instructions regarding muscle activation during the application. This placebo taping model has been used in previous studies, supporting its methodological validity.

Primary outcomes

  1. Actual Pain Intensity

    Time frame: Baseline, after 30 minutes of the intervention and 72 hours after intervencion

    Pain intensity will be assessed using a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS), ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Participants will be asked to rate the intensity of pain experienced at the time of measurement

  2. Pain Intensity during the arm elevation

    Time frame: Baseline, 30 minutes after intervention and 72 hours after intervention

    Pain intensity will be assessed using a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS), ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Participants will be asked to rate the intensity of pain experienced during arm elevation.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Static Scapular Position

    Time frame: Baseline, 30 minutes after intervention and 72 hours after intervention

    Scapular position will be measured using an anterior/posterior scale. This static position will be recorded while standing, using a digital clinometer installed on a smartphone (Clinometer app). The inclinometer will be positioned directly over the scapular spine in the direction of the infraglenoid fossa.

  2. Range of Motion

    Time frame: Baseline, 30 minutes after intervention and 72 hours after intervention

    Pain-free ROM during shoulder flexion, adduction, internal rotation, and external rotation will be measured following the protocol described by Shin et al.Participants will be instructed to flex the affected arm as far as possible, keeping the thumb pointing toward the ceiling. For adduction measurement, the patient will be placed in the side-lying position, and the evaluator will manually stabilize the scapula against the patient's thorax, allowing the arm to hang horizontally in adduction. For internal and external rotation, participants will be positioned supine with the shoulder abducted to 90°, the elbow flexed to 90°, and the forearm in a neutral position. A rolled towel will be placed under the humerus to maintain shoulder alignment. Participants will be asked to rotate their arm until pain onset or until scapular movement is observed. Three attempts of each movement will be recorded, and the mean range of motion (ROM) will be used for statistical analysis.

  3. Functional Capacity

    Time frame: Baseline, 30 minutes after intervention and 72 hours after intervention

    Functional capacity will be assessed using the SPADI questionnaire. The SPADI is a patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess shoulder pain and functional disability. It consists of 13 items divided into two domains: pain and disability. The total score will be calculated by summing both domains and converting the result to a scale of 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate greater pain and disability.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Sandra Jiménez-del-Barrio

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jan 5, 2026
Registry last updated
Jan 5, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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