Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (rESWT) Treatment of Subacromial Shoulder Pain

Treatment of Subacromial Shoulder Pain

The purpose of this study is to determine whether rESWT (radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy) combined with supervised exercises will improve function and reduce pain in subacromial shoulder pain compared with supervised exercises alone.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Dysfunction or pain on abduction
• Pain on one of two isometric tests (abduction or external rotation)
• Positive Hawkins sign
• Normal passive glenohumeral range of motion

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous surgery on affected shoulder
• Instability
• Total rupture of the rotator cuff (evaluated clinically or by US)
• Clinical signs of a cervical syndrome
• Infection in the area
• Exclusion criteria cont.
• Patients considered unable to fill out questionnaires or to go through the treatment
• Use of anticoagulant drugs or bleeding disorder
• Pregnancy
• Previous experience of one of the study interventions
• Corticosteroid injection in the past 6 weeks.
• SPADI < 20