Effects of Scapular Therapeutic Exercise on Essential Biomechanical and Neurophysiological Parameters in Shoulder Pain Conditions With Scapular Impairments

Effects of Scapular Therapeutic Exercise on Essential Biomechanical and Neurophysiological Parameters in Shoulder Pain Conditions With Scapular Impairments

Shoulder pain is a prevalent and recurrent condition. After a period of shoulder pain, some adaptations could be found, as in scapular muscles and kinematics and/or in nervous system.

It seems important to assess several biomechanical and neurophysiological outcomes to better characterize shoulder pain conditions and to program an intervention plane.

Therapeutic exercise is one of the treatments used for shoulder pain, however there are still doubts and controversial findings regarding exercise focusing the scapular musculature. Thus, the present study aims to assess the effects of an intervention protocol based on scapular therapeutic exercise.

The study only started after approval of the protocol

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 to 65 years old
• Chronic (more than 3 months), continuously or intermittently, non-specific or associated with a diagnostic (except if mentioned in the exclusion criteria) shoulder pain of, at least, moderate intensity
• Presenting scapular alterations as scapular dyskinesis (identified at rest or during motion)

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of shoulder fracture, dislocation, tears, infection or neoplasm
• Shoulder surgery
• Cervical and/or thoracic pathologies or pain associated with active movements of these regions
• Neurological disease
• Body mass index out of the range 18,5-30 kg/m2 and muscular skinfold higher than 20mm
• Inability to perform the exercises
• Current practice of competitive/high-level exercise/sport focusing the upper limb