Abstract
Introduction: Thoracic kyphosis commonly occurs in subacromial impingement syndrome. This pilot study investigated the effect of thoracic joint mobilization and extension exercise on improving thoracic alignment and shoulder function. Methods: In total, 30 patients with subacromial impingement syndrome were recruited and randomly assigned to three groups, the joint mobilization group (n = 10), exercise group (n = 10), and combination group (n = 10). After four weeks of treatment, the measured outcomes included thoracic kyphosis using a manual inclinometer; pectoralis major (PM) and upper trapezius (UT) muscle tone and stiffness using the MyotonPRO®; affected side passive range of motion (ROM) using the goniometer (flexion, abduction, medial rotation, and lateral rotation); and shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI). Results: All three groups had significant improvements in all variables (p < 0.05). Thoracic kyphosis; UT muscle tone; and flexion, medial rotation, and lateral rotation ROM and SPADI were all significantly improved in the combination group compared to the mobilization and exercise groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The combination therapy of thoracic mobilization and extension exercise can be regarded as a promising method to improve thoracic alignment and shoulder function in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome.
Highlights
Thoracic kyphosis commonly occurs in subacromial impingement syndrome.This pilot study investigated the effect of thoracic joint mobilization and extension exercise on improving thoracic alignment and shoulder function
The inclusion criteria were: (1) patients diagnosed with subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS); (2) patients with thoracic kyphosis ≥40◦ [21]; (3) patients who had received at least two positive signs on their Neer sign, Hawkins sign, supraspinatus test, apprehension test, and relocation test [22]; and (4) patients who consented to the purposes of this study and participated voluntarily
All groups showed a significant increase in the kyphosis, upper trapezius (UT) and pectoralis major (PM) muscle tone and stiffness, range of motion (ROM), and shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) score (Tables 2 and 3)
Summary
Thoracic kyphosis commonly occurs in subacromial impingement syndrome This pilot study investigated the effect of thoracic joint mobilization and extension exercise on improving thoracic alignment and shoulder function. After four weeks of treatment, the measured outcomes included thoracic kyphosis using a manual inclinometer; pectoralis major (PM) and upper trapezius (UT) muscle tone and stiffness using the MyotonPRO® ; affected side passive range of motion (ROM) using the goniometer (flexion, abduction, medial rotation, and lateral rotation); and shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI). Thoracic kyphosis; UT muscle tone; and flexion, medial rotation, and lateral rotation ROM and SPADI were all significantly improved in the combination group compared to the mobilization and exercise groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The combination therapy of thoracic mobilization and extension exercise can be regarded as a promising method to improve thoracic alignment and shoulder function in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome. Manual therapy focused on thoracic extension mobility has been shown to improve
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