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. 2019 Mar;18(1):19-26.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2018.10.001. Epub 2019 May 7.

Immediate Effects of Spinal Manipulation on Shoulder Motion Range and Pain in Individuals With Shoulder Pain: A Randomized Trial

[Article in French]
Alyssa Conte da Silva  1 , Gilmar Moraes Santos  1 , Cláudia Mirian de Godoy Marques  1 , Jefferson Luiz Brum Marques  2
Affiliations

Immediate Effects of Spinal Manipulation on Shoulder Motion Range and Pain in Individuals With Shoulder Pain: A Randomized Trial

[Article in French]
Alyssa Conte da Silva et al. J Chiropr Med. 2019 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of thoracic spinal manipulation (SM) on shoulder pain and ranges of motion in individuals with shoulder pain.

Methods: The sample was composed of 60 individuals, randomly allocated into the manipulation group (n = 30), who received the SM, and the placebo group (n = 30) who received a placebo manipulation. Pain evaluation was performed using the visual analog scale, and evaluation of shoulder flexion and abduction ranges of motion was assessed using a goniometer pre- and post-intervention. The intervention was performed by either upper thoracic SM or a placebo manipulation.

Results: The manipulation group demonstrated increased flexion and abduction of the painful shoulder (P < .01) and increased abduction of the nonpainful shoulder (P = .03), but only the abduction of the painful shoulder reached the minimal detectable change. The placebo group showed a post-intervention increase in the flexion (P = .03) and abduction (P < .01) movement of the painful shoulder. Both groups presented a statistically significant reduction in post-intervention pain (P < .01), but not clinically significant.

Conclusion: Although the SM demonstrated a statistically significant difference for shoulder pain, this was not over the clinically meaningful change. Only the abduction of the painful shoulder reached the minimal detectable change.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Flowchart for admitting patients and group composition.
Fig 2
Fig 2
Spinal manipulation in the prone position.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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