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NCT Number: NCT05613998

Physiotherapy Treatment of Shoulder Rotator Cuff Tendinopathies. Global Postural Reeducation or Aerobic Exercise?

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare in participant population (patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy of the shoulder) the effect of a Global Postural Reeducation (GPR) program vs. a nonspecific therapeutic (aerobic) exercise program

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Key information

Conditions

Rotator Cuff Tendinosis Arthralgia Joint Diseases Muscular Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Rotator Cuff Injuries Rupture Shoulder Injuries Shoulder Pain Signs and Symptoms Tendinopathy Tendon Injuries Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Francisco de Vitoria University

Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, 28223, Spain

About this study

Participants who meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly distributed between group 1 "Global Postural Reeducation (GPR)", group 2 "exercise", or group 3 "no physical therapy intervention".

Group 1 participants will receive a physical therapy treatment using the GPR method for 6 weeks consisting of 1 weekly session lasting 40 min performing "frog on the ground" and "sitting" poses. Patients in this group will also perform self-postures at home daily for 10 minutes.

Group 2 participants perform training for 6 weeks using non-specific aerobic exercise consisting of a daily 20-minutes walk at a speed of 4-5 km/h.

Group 3 participants will not receive any physical therapy treatment and will serve as a control group.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Shoulder pain with duration of at least 3 months
  • Positive painful arc test during abduction
  • At least one positive of the following tests: Hawkins-Kennedy test, Neer's sig, empty can test, drop arm or lift-off test

Exclusion criteria

  • Cervical radiculopathy
  • Moderate or severe degenerative arthropathy
  • Complete rotator cuff tear
  • History of shoulder or neck surgery
  • History of shoulder fractures or dislocation
  • Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis
  • Previous interventions with steroid injections or physiotherapy 2 months before the start of the program

Treatment and study plan

GPR Group

Other

6-week treatment using the Global Postural Reeducation (GPR) method. 1 weekly session (45 min) with "frog on the ground" and "sitting" postures + daily home self-postures (10 min)

Aerobic Exercice Group

Other

6-week nonspecific aerobic exercise treatment. Participants will take a daily walk (20 min)

Primary outcomes

  1. Changes in pain and disability after the treatment program

    Time frame: Baseline, one week after the last sessio, 3 months and 6 months after the last session

    Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI). Minimum value=0. Maximun value=100

  2. Changes in pain and disability after the treatment program

    Time frame: Baseline, one week after the last sessio, 3 months and 6 months after the last session

    The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (Quick-DASH). Minimum value=0. Maximun value=100

Secondary outcomes

  1. Changes in pain after the treatment program

    Time frame: Baseline, one week after the last sessio, 3 months and 6 months after the last session

    Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Minimum value=0 (no pain). Maximun value=10 (the worst pain imaginable)

  2. Changes in pressure pain sensitivity

    Time frame: Pre, Post inmediate, and follow-up at 3 and 6 months

    Pressure Pain Thresholds (PPH)

  3. Changes in Quality of Life

    Time frame: Baseline, one week after the last session, 3 months and 6 months after the last session

    Short-Form 12 Health Status Questionnaire. The response options form Likert-type scales that evaluate intensity or frequency.

    Two summary scores are reported from the SF-12 - a mental component score (MCS-12) and a physical component score (PCS-12). The scores may be reported as Z-scores (difference compared to the population average, measured in standard deviations). The United States population average PCS-12 and MCS-12 are both 50 points. The United States population standard deviation is 10 points. So each 10 increment of 10 points above or below 50, corresponds to one standard deviation away from the average.

  4. Changes in Range of Motion

    Time frame: Baseline, one week after the last sessio, 3 months and 6 months after the last session

    Goniometer

Other outcomes

  1. Changes in stifness (cervical plexus, radial nerve, supraespinatus and infraespinatus muscles)

    Time frame: Baseline, one week after the last sessio, 3 months and 6 months after the last session

    Ultrasound Shear-Wave elastography

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Universidad Francisco de Vitoria

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Global Postural Reeducation vs. Non-specific Therapeutic Exercise in the Treatment of Rotator Cuff Tendinopathies of the Shoulder

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2025
First posted
Nov 14, 2022
Registry last updated
Jan 22, 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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