Comparison of Manual Therapy Versus Radial Shock Waves in the Shoulder Pain Treatment

Subacromial syndrome represents the third leading cause of pain in the general population. There is no clear pathophysiological explanation, nor a specific treatment. Manual therapy stands out as one of the reference treatments for this disease, however, it is complex to develop a specific protocol. On the other hand, shock waves have still not received adequate attention in the treatment of this pathology. The aim of this study will focus on using manual treatment using ischemic pressure, joint mobilizations and myofascial techniques in comparison to shock wave therapy to determine which is more effective. This study will be a randomized, single-blind clinical trial with third-party evaluation. In it 88 subjects suffering from subacromial syndrome will participate. 44 patients will receive treatment through manual therapy over 6 weeks and other 44 patients through low-med energy radial shock waves for 6 weeks. All subjects will complete their treatment with a 12-week home-based therapeutic exercise program. The main endpoint of the study will be pain measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS) in motion. Pain will also be assessed using the VAS scale at rest and overnight. The Spadi Spanish version questionnaire will be used, shoulder strength will be measured using a handheld dynamometer and the ranges of motion will be measured. Data will be measured before and one year after treatment.

NCT Number	NCT06587399
Lead Sponsor	University of Alcala
Conditions	Shoulder Impingement, Shoulder Pain
Enrollment	88 participants
Start Date	2024-09-30
Primary Completion	2026-09-15 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-09-15 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-06-03