The Effectiveness of Massage Therapy in Patients With Shoulder Pain

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of massage therapy based on tensegrity principle in pain reduction and its influence on the range of motion of the shoulder complex in shoulder pain. .

Eesearch questions:

• Does the normalization of the tension of the tissues involved in the intercostal nerve entrapment mechanism reduce pain in the shoulder area?
• Does the normalization of the tension of the tissues involved in the intercostal nerve entrapment mechanism increase the range of motion of the shoulder complex?
• Does the intercostal nerve entrapment affect the pressure sensitivity of the muscles including the shoulder complex?89
• What potential mechanisms may be induced by tensegrity massage in diseases of the shoulder complex?

Patients with symptoms of shoulder pain will be recruited for the study by general practitioners.

The following parameters related to the function of shoulder will be assessed:

• The active range of flexion, abduction and extension-adduction-rotation (hand behind back) of the upper limb were assessed.
• Pain sensations by the visual analogue scale-VAS
• The functional status of the shoulder complex by the UCLA scale (The University of California at Los Angeles Shoulder Score).
• Pain treshold by an algometer, the pressure

The study will rely on the palpation assessment and the massage methodology described in the recommendations of the Polish Society of Physiotherapy, Polish Society of Family Medicine and College of Family Physicians in Poland.

Inclusion criteria

• age over 40 years,
• written consent to participate in the study,
• pain in the shoulder girdle area lasting at least 3 months,
• no medical contraindication of massage therapy;

Exclusion criteria

• Injuries, congenital defects in the chest area, cancer, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack in the last 5 years,
• Presence of inflammatory conditions in the respiratory, digestive, and genitourinary systems